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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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The [http://www.zappos.com/hoka-mafate 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
=Characteristics=
* '''MidsoleWhy you'd buy it'''. The midsole is made of a lightweight EVA foam, but given itYou's thickness, it's still rather heavyre the most cushioning available. ** '''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 [[Shoe Dissection| cut open the toe box of any Hokas]].
