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Hoka Mafate

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Hoka Mafate Speed Review}}
The Previous versions of the Mafate Speed is have been the most cushioned shoe in the heaviestHoka range, thickest and least flexible as well as including an aggressive outsole for grip on soft trails. With the latest iteration of the Hoka range the cushioning of the HokasMafate, Stinson, and probably any running shoe madeBondi has become closer. Even when youThe Mafate still has the most heel cushioning, but it're used s so close to running in other Hoka shoes, the Mafate seems like Bondi that it's a huge beasthard to tell, even when wearing one on each foot. I don't think The forefoot cushioning of the extra thickness and weight Stinson Lite is worth slightly greater than the Mafate, but again it's close. Before, and I prefer you might select the Mafate to get the [[Hoka Clifton]] which has with the best weight to most cushioning ratio or the [[Hoka Bondi]] that is nearly as well cushioned. The Mafate has an aggressive outsole, which works okay on road surfacespossible, but now the lugs may wear quickly. However, Mafate is best selected if you want need the most cushioned shoe, with an aggressive outsole for soft surfaces, the Mafate is well worth considering. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-2-LowSpeed-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate 2 Low Speed top]] |[[File:Hoka-Mafate-2-LowSpeed-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate 2 Low Speed bottom]]|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-2-LowSpeed-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate 2 Low Speed inside]] |[[File:Hoka-Mafate-2-LowSpeed-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate 2 Low Speed outside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* '''Why you'd buy it'''. You're after the most cushioning available and want a [[Minimax]] shoe with an aggressive outsole.* '''Cushioning'''. The Mafate has the highest high level of cushioning of any shoe I've tried, with the soft ride that made Hoka of famous forpopular. However, the gap in The cushioning between the Mafate and the other Hokas seems is similar to have narrowed with the latest versionsof the [[Hoka Bondi]] and the [[Hoka Stinson]].
* '''Drop'''. Hoka claim the Mafate is a 4mm drop, but I measured it as only 1mm. I also measured the midsole as thicker than Hoka claim, so maybe they don't include the lugs in their measurements. 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. (There is mention of using [[RMAT]] foam in the midsole, but I've seen no indication of think thatthe RMAT is mostly limited to the outsole.)* '''Flexibility'''. The Mafate has no real flexibility, but it's so thick it does deform deforms a little. It's the least flexible shoe I've come across, and similar to a hiking boot.
* '''Outsole'''. The Mafate has aggressive lugs for grip on soft surfaces, and some of these are made of hard, durable rubber. However, most of the outsole is made of the softer [[RMAT]] foam, and I'm not sure how well this will wear. In the pictures above, the hard rubber is black and the RMAT is red. You can see that Hoka were concerned about the RMAT wearing as they added the harder rubber in the highest abrasion areas. 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 [[Shoe Modifications| cut open the toe box of any Hokas]].
* '''Upper'''. The upper is thicker than most shoes, with several layersinflexible and has a little padding. It's not quite as breathable as I'd like, but it's reasonably breathable and has not terrible. There are a few seams, but they should not cause problems. * '''Tongue'''. The Mafate has a classic tongue rather than a tongue-less sock style of upper, but getting into the shoe is not as difficult as many shoes that use this approach. The tongue is quite thin and unpadded. The narrow speed laces didn't cause me a problem with the thin tongue, but it's something to be aware of when you try them.* '''Lacing'''. The Mafate uses their speed lacing system, but you can replace it with normal laces. These speed laces are thin plastic that uses , with a plastic locking mechanism rather than being tied. This can make it quicker to lace up the shoes, but I generally find it harder to get the tension right.
* '''Heel counter'''. The Mafate has a moderate heel counter that's softer than I expected for such a large shoe. It's an external 'exoskeleton' approach that doesn't cause problems.
{{BuyShoes|RW=T|RRS=T|AZ=T|ZP=T}}
{{ShoeGraphs}}
=Compared with Original the Earlier Mafate=
Hoka has made a number of changes between the original Mafate and the Mafate Speed. The update is rather mixed, with some improvements and some declines. Overall, I think I prefer the original version, but it's close.
* A large portion of the outsole is now made from the softer RMAT foam. I think this will reduce the life of the shoe, but it's too early to be sure.* The upper is thinner and has far fewer seams, but is less padded. * The laces are now the Hoka "speed laces", which is probably why they added the "speed" suffix. You can use standard laces instead.
* The toe box seems slightly worse, as it's even narrower.
* The tongue is now attached to the upper, in a sock-style arrangement.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-Speed-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed top]]
|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-Speed-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed bottom]]
|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-Speed-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed inside]]
|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-Speed-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-2-Low-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate 2 Low top]]
|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-2-Low-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate 2 Low bottom]]
|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-2-Low-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate 2 Low inside]]
|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-2-Low-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate 2 Low outside]]
|}
=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.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-Speed-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed top]]
|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-Speed-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed bottom]]
|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-Speed-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed inside]]
|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-Speed-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Altra-Olympus-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Altra Olympus top]]
|[[File:Altra-Olympus-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Altra Olympus bottom]]
|[[File:Altra-Olympus-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Altra Olympus inside]]
|[[File:Altra-Olympus-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Altra Olympus outside]]
|}
=Compared with the Hoka Clifton=
While the Mafate has more cushioning, the [[Hoka Clifton]] is much lighter, and the weight difference translates to reduced effort for running. The Clifton will work quite well on rocky trails, so unless you need the aggressive outsole for grip on soft terrain, I'd recommend the Clifton as a much better shoe.{| class="wikitable"|- valign="top"|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-Speed-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed top]]|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-Speed-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed bottom]]|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-Speed-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed inside]]|[[File:Hoka-Mafate-Speed-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed outside]]|- valign="top"|[[File:Hoka-OneOne-Clifton-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka OneOne Clifton top]] |[[File:Hoka-OneOne-Clifton-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka OneOne Clifton bottom]]|[[File:Hoka-OneOne-Clifton-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka OneOne Clifton inside]]|[[File:Hoka-OneOne-Clifton-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka OneOne Clifton outside]]|}=Compared with the Hoka Bondi/Stinson Lite=The [[Hoka Bondi]] and [[Hoka Stinson|Hoka Stinson Lite]] have nearly as much cushioning as the Mafate, but are a little lighter. If you want more cushioning than the Clifton, I'd suggest either the [[Hoka Bondi]] and or the [[Hoka Stinson|Hoka Stinson Lite]]. =Gallery={| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:OlyMafBonTopHoka-Mafate-Speed-top.JPGjpg|none|thumb|500px150px| The [[Altra OlympusHoka Mafate Speed top]], Mafate, and |[[File:Hoka Bondi]]-Mafate-Speed-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed bottom]]|[[File:StinMafClifTopHoka-Mafate-Speed-inside.JPGjpg|none|thumb|500px150px| The [[Hoka StinsonMafate Speed inside]], Mafate, and |[[File:Hoka Clifton]]-Mafate-Speed-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Mafate Speed outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:OlyMafBonBackHoka-Bondi-4-top.JPGjpg|none|thumb|500px150px|The Altra Olympus, Mafate, and Hoka Bondi.4 top]]|[[File:StinMafClifBackHoka-Bondi-4-bottom.JPGjpg|none|thumb|500px150px|Hoka Bondi 4 bottom]]| The [[Altra OlympusFile:Hoka-Bondi-4-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Bondi 4 inside]], Mafate, and |[[File:Hoka -Bondi]]-4-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Bondi 4 outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:MatateSoleHoka-Stinson-Lite-top.JPGjpg|none|thumb|500px150px| A view of the aggressive outsoleHoka Stinson Lite top]]|[[File:Hoka-Stinson-Lite-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka Stinson Lite bottom]]|[[File:MafeteTongueHoka-Stinson-Lite-outside.JPGjpg|none|thumb|500px150px|Close up Hoka Stinson Lite outside]]|}=Dissection Gallery=Here are some images of the dissection of the earlier version of the Mafate tongue, showing the extensive padding. ]]{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:MafeteDissect.JPG|none|thumb|500px|The Mafate [[Shoe Dissection| dissected]].]]
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