The Mach 6 from Hoka was released in the UK on March 1st. We were lucky enough to get our hands on a pair (and by luck, we mean we purchased them) to review them before you spend your hard-earned cash! While we’ve not put mega miles on the shoes, we did take them out for a 23 km (just beyond half-marathon distance for those unfamiliar with kilometres) plod straight out the box. Advisable? Probably not. But are our feet OK? Absolutely. Our review of the Hoka Mach 6 puts the shoe through some uncharacteristic terrain and assesses whether the differences between the Hoka Mach 6 and the Hoka Mach 5 sufficiently justify shelling out on a pair.

Hoka Mach 6 Release Date

The Hoka Mach 6 was released March 1st. Unfortunately, we don’t currently get access to Hoka before the public, so this review will be published approximately two weeks after release (come on Hoka, we can’t keep up this free marketing at great expense to ourselves!) At least we’re reviewing the actual production shoes, though, and not ones that have likely been meticulously inspected before dispatching to reviewers, so there are some perks for our readers.

What Do Hoka Say About the Mach 6?

The Mach 6 is the latest iteration in Hoka’s lightweight, everyday trainer / speed training shoe lineup. It weighs a respectable 232 grams, and features a 5mm heel-to-toe drop. With firmer material to provide responsive, efficient push-off, and featuring a symmetrical bed of cushion to provide neutral support, the Mach 6 provides continuation from the success of its predecessor.

“Behold our lightest, most responsive Mach to date. This lively trainer has been fine-tuned for extra energy return with a super critical foam midsole and updated for enhanced durability with strategic rubber coverage in the outsole. Implementing speed focused design details throughout, we’ve enlisted a new creel jacquard upper with zonal breathability and an internal gusset to deliver the foot-hugging comfort required to set your next PR.”

– Hoka’s Marketing Team

The Fit and Feel of the Hoka Mach 6

There’s something about Hoka’s shoes that just seem to work for my feet, and the Mach 6 is no exception. It’s always hard to review a running shoe because, while stating the obvious, we’re all different! There’s a plethora of foot shapes, widths, and idiosyncrasies to consider. What works for one person might be completely wrong for another (hold on a second while I have a mini existential crisis as I question the point of writing this review).

I always go half a size up in Hoka’s shoes, so purchased a UK 8.5 in the Mach 6. As expected, they fit perfectly. No runner’s knot required to achieve heel lock (though an additional lace hole provides the option), no slippage, and sufficient room for the toes to splay. What I will say, though, it’s a narrow shoe if purchased in regular width, but wide options are available.

Stepping into the Mach 6 is an absolute pleasure. While utilising firmer material in the midsole, it’s well-cushioned with a stack height of 37mm in the heel and 32mm in the forefoot. Step-in comfort is off the chart. The creel jacquard upper and anatomical tongue provides extreme comfort, and the curved padded heel cup curves away from the Achilles to reduce the chance of rubbing. As Hoka intended, there’s more than enough support despite its lightweight form.

Hoka Mach 6 Midsole

Now, onto the foam. I’d like to preface this section by saying, since starting running I’ve only really used shoes that utilise soft foams. In many cases, the softest possible. To elucidate, the shoes in my current rotation include the New Balance SC Trainer V2, the Asics Superblast (get them while you can, it’s rare to see UK stock!), and the Hoka Cielo-X1 for race day. That’s just the current rotation, too. I’ve previously used shoes such as the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3, the New Balance More V4, and a plethora of others considered soft. The point is, what I consider “firm” could be considered soft depending on what you’re used to. Too often, reviewers throw these words out without considering what the reader is used to, as well as other factors such as weight and foot strike.

Anyway, hopefully that provides some perspective before actually discussing the foam. Hoka themselves acknowledge that they’ve used a firmer material, the reasoning being to provide efficient push off. Specifically, the Mach 6 midsole is composed of supercritical foam. In short, supercritical foam is made of the same basic polymers as other foam, but the manufacturing process is different – using nitrogen in a supercritical state. If you’re interested in delving a little deeper into the process and impact on responsiveness, there’s a great article from Vimazi available here.

As you can probably guess from my rambling, I did find the Mach 6 to be a moderately firm, but well-cushioned, shoe. To my surprise, though, I actually really enjoyed the firmness. I don’t know if this is a well-known fact, or an obvious statement, but the foam made the hills feel considerably easier. As I live in a predominantly hilly area, this is an extremely welcomed benefit. I can only assume that as the foam doesn’t compress as much as other shoes I’ve been using, you’re not having to push as hard to make it uphill. But don’t quote me on that. Maybe I’ve just become more accustomed to the hills, who knows?

What’s the Ideal Distance for the Hoka Mach 6?

According to Hoka, the Mach 6 are a 5K to half-marathon shoe. Designed for the everyday run and speed training due to its lightweight construction.

As mentioned in the introduction, our decision to review the Hoka Mach 6 led to the bright idea of using them for this week’s long run, a 23 km (14 mile) challenge. The plan actually called for a 26 km run, but to be quite honest – the conditions were terrible and I wasn’t adequately dressed for the sudden change in forecast (it was grim). 23 kms ended up being the door-to-door distance, and I was totally fine with that.

While most reviews of the Hoka Mach 6 will typically centre on the shoe’s performance for speed workouts, this one goes in a completely different direction. The Hoka Mach 6 was put through its paces. First, by running slightly further than it’s designed for. Next, by using it on a range of terrain where it excelled (naturally) on road, but performed reassuringly comfortably on grass too. At one point, I had to make a decision between continuing down a foggy road where traffic comes at a high-speed or going off-road onto a reasonably soggy trail segment. I went with the latter, but to be honest I’m not sure whether this was more or less dangerous than the busy, vision compromised road.

Let’s just put it this way. This is, quite obviously, not a shoe to be used on trails (I know, it was never designed to be). Runners are known for defecating mid-run, and while I fortunately didn’t need to do such – I certainly had to run as if I already had, merely to maintain footing. A trail shoe, this is not.

When it comes to distance, I didn’t feel any discomfort in my feet after 23 kilometres and immediately after the run, my legs felt fine (albeit cold). Granted, I wasn’t moving very quickly, but I feel this shoe is more than capable of lasting the full marathon distance. That’s not to say it would be my first choice for the marathon, the Hoka Cielo-X1 still holds that position. But not once did I feel as though the shoe would bottom out, nor that it would be insufficiently cushioned to go the distance.

The next day, I experienced soreness in the knees. But as I’ve mentioned previously, I’m used to softer shoes which, by design, soften impact on the knees. I imagine anyone used to a slightly firmer shoe would already have strengthened the necessary ligaments and tendons around the knees, and this wouldn’t be an issue. What’s more, two days later and my knees are back to normal – no biggie.

Durability

It’s certainly a hard task to discuss a shoe’s durability after only a couple of uses and a reasonably small amount of mileage. I’ll be sure to provide updates when I’ve used them a little more. But for now, as the image below shows, there’s no wear after being put through their paces on numerous terrains.

While the Hoka Mach 5 was an extremely popular shoe, one concern shared by our readers and others was its durability. Or, lack thereof. Hopefully the “strategic rubber outsole coverage” of the Hoka Mach 6 addresses this issue.

Differences between the Hoka Mach 6 and Hoka Mach 5

The Hoka Mach 6, while maintaining many of the characteristics of its predecessors, seems to be an entirely different beast to the Hoka Mach 5. The Hoka Mach 5 promised a snappier ride with PROFLY’s stacked midsole, and, as a result, was a little squishier than the Mach 6.

There’s also significant differences in stack height. The Hoka Mach 5 boasted 29mm in the heel and 24.5 mm in the forefoot. Compare that with the Mach 6’s 37mm in the heel and 32mm in the forefoot, there’s no wonder I didn’t feel like the shoe would bottom out. For those like myself who struggle with math, that’s an additional 8mm in the heel and 7.5mm in the forefoot. It’s a significant difference, but one we should probably not be surprised by. Stack height seems to be the in thing.

Who Should Buy Them?

This is an interesting question and an answer I can’t fully commit to having not tried the shoes for speed training (again, I will update this review later in the week once I’ve tested their performance in this domain).

I’ve seen other reviewers say this isn’t a shoe to go slowly in. Honestly, I think that’s marketing nonsense. First of all, pace is relative. So, let’s not get into that one. For reference, on my 23 km run, my average pace was 6:23/km. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by the propelling forces of the Hoka Cielo-X1, Asics Superblast, and others, but I never felt like I was having to fight against the propulsive forces of the shoe. Sure, the shoe has a rockered profile which helps turnover. But it does that whether you’re slow, fast, or anything in between. So don’t be put off by reviews that say you need to be a fast runner.

Personally, I think the Hoka Mach 6 is an excellent all-rounder. I can understand why previous iterations, with significantly less stack height and squishier foams, were rated for half-marathon distances. But I don’t really see any reason why this couldn’t be your do-it-all shoe. Not everyone can afford a speed training shoe, a recovery shoe, and a race day shoe. And while rotation might be important (we’ll address this in an article coming out shortly), for many it’s not an option.

You might be wondering how I can make such a bold statement when I’ve reviewed the Hoka Mach 6 based on one run. Well, honestly, that long run was an absolute adventure. It started off dry and flat, with paces in the low 5/km range. It then excelled in the mid 6s/km as the elevation started to get serious. Then, the rain came. The Hoka Mach 6 got absolutely drenched as they hit puddle after puddle. While the excellent breathability of the shoe meant they’d take on more water, it also made it significantly easier to get it back out! As cars veered too close, or as blind corners approached, grass banks were utilised. The Mach 6 never struggled on the grass, the rubber outsole coverage proving sufficient. Finally, and as mentioned previously, we (myself and the Mach 6) entered alien territory – the dreaded muddy trails. Naturally, this is where they failed. I mean, I didn’t fall. But I’m bloody surprised I didn’t.

Final Verdict

So, what do I think of the Hoka Mach 6 – a shoe employing firmer material than I’m used to? Well, to put this review of the Hoka Mach 6 bluntly, I absolutely love them. Yes, they’re firmer than the shoes I’m used to, but I imagine in the world of running shoes they’re really not that firm.

But will they have a place in my rotation? When you’re going up against the likes of the New Balance SC Trainer V2, the Asics Superblast, and the Hoka Cielo-X1, it’s a hard task to say the least. But honestly, I see these taking the place of the SC Trainer V2. In short, shoe rotations are helpful as they reduce the risk of injury. But, presumably, shoes in the rotation need to be significantly different for this to be true (I’ll have more on this soon). I’m also trying to move away from plated trainers (while companies move toward introducing plates in a large percentage of shoes – solid timing), reserving the technology for race day alone.

This reviewer finds the Hoka Mach 6 to be a fantastic shoe, sufficiently different from the Hoka Mach 5 to justify upgrading. But, as always, reviews are unable to tell you how a shoe is going to work for you. The only way to really know is to try them out for yourself.

If you’ve made it this far and fancy picking up a pair, you can get them from SportsShoes.

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