Revision as of 16:23, 20 August 2014

The Mafate is only available as a trail version and it's the heaviest, thickest and least flexible of the Hokas, and probably any running shoe made. Even when you're used to running in other Hoka shoes, the Mafate seems like it's a huge beast. I don't think the extra thickness and weight is worth it, and I prefer the Hoka Clifton or the Altra Olympus. The Mafate does have a more aggressive outsole than the trail Hoka Stinson but it's not enough for me to recommend the Mafate over the Stinson. However, if you want the most cushioned shoe, with an aggressive outsole for the trail, the Mafate is well worth considering

1 Characteristics

• Midsole. The midsole is made of a lightweight EVA foam, but given it's thickness, it's still rather heavy.
  • Cushioning. The Mafate has the highest level of cushioning of any shoe I've tried, with the soft ride that Hoka of famous for. It sometimes seems that the Mafate softens up during the first mile or two of a run, possibly due to the foam warming up, or it might be my imagination.
  • Drop & Shape. Like other Hoka shoes, the Mafate is not a zero drop shoe, and the rear is about 6 mm thicker than the front. That's only about half the drop of a standard running shoe. The Mafate has a less abrupt taper at the very front of the shoe than the Bondi, but not as gentle as the Altra Olympus. The very rear of the shoe is cut away slightly to create a rocker shape that's almost identical to the Bondi. The midsole wraps around the lower part of the foot for additional stability, offsetting some of the problems of a thick sole creating a stilt like instability, which is especially a problem with a sole as thick as this.
  • Structure. This shoe is made of a single type of foam.
  • Flexibility. The Mafate has no real flexibility, but it's so thick it does deform a little. It's the least flexible shoe I've come across, and similar to a hiking boot.
• Outsole. The Mafate has durable rubber at all contact points, and includes some substantial lugs for grip. The Mafate outsole is reasonably happy on roads, though I've found the outsole sometimes lacks grip on wet asphalt
• Shape. The Mafate has the typical Hoka shape, which includes a horribly constricted toe box. In fact, the Mafate seems a little worse than most Hokas. The Hoka toe box tends to cause a distinctive pattern of blisters, so it's critical to cut open the toe box of any Hokas.
• Upper. The upper is thicker than most shoes, with several layers and quite a bit of stitching. It's less flexible than most uppers, probably to help keep the stilt like midsole stable.
• Tongue. The Mafate has a classic tongue rather than a tongue-less sock style of upper. The tongue is thickly padded along its entire length, which is rather nice.
• Lacing. The Mafate uses round laces but I've not had any problem with them coming undone.
• Heel counter. The Mafate has a firm heel counter, similar to other Hokas.

2 Compared with Altra Olympus

The Altra Olympus is much thinner, lighter, and more flexible than the Mafate. The Altra toe box is shaped for the human foot, and it's zero drop, which makes it better shoe. However the Olympus has nothing like the cushioning of the Mafate.

3 Compared with the Hoka Clifton/Bondi and Stinson

I think it's reasonable to put these four Hoka shoes on a spectrum; Mafate to Stinson to Clifton. As you go along the list the weight and cushioning go down, and flexibility goes up. Other characteristics, such as shape and drop are quite similar. As noted in the review of the Hoka Clifton, it can be thought of as a better Bondi, with similar cushioning at a lighter weight.

4 Gallery

The Altra Olympus, Mafate, and Hoka Bondi.	The Hoka Stinson, Mafate, and Hoka Clifton.	The Altra Olympus, Mafate, and Bondi.	The Altra Olympus, Mafate, and Hoka Bondi.
a view of the aggressive outsole.	Hoka, like most shoe makers, does not seem to have ever seen a human foot.

5 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
Older shoe reviews: Saucony Hattori Review, Mizuno Cursoris Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, Hoka Clifton Review, Saucony Virrata 2 Review, Brooks PureCadence 3 Review, Brooks PureConnect 3 Review, Brooks PureFlow 3 Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, New Balance 980 Review, Brooks Transcend 2 Review, Hoka Huaka Review, Patagonia EVERlong Review, Asics 33-DFA Review, Hoka Conquest Review, Saucony Cortana Review, Puma Faas 100 R Review, Saucony Fastwitch Review, Nike Free Review, Asics Gel Lyte 33 Review, Skechers GOmeb Speed Review, Skechers GOrun Ultra Road Review, Nike LunaRacer Review, Altra Paradigm Review.