Hoka Speedgoat 6 – Reviewed & Tested

After snaking around South Australian singletrack in a pair Jack can see why so many trail runners have an affinity for Hoka Speedgoats.

While a beachside esplanade is my main muse, I’ve swapped my Hoka Cliftons for the much-anticipated Hoka Speedgoat 6 trail running shoes and tested them where they belong; on slippery single track, tree-rutted trails, and rock scattered hills.

After the much-praised Hoka Speedgoat 5, former Gear Editor Matt Wiseman asked if the successor could replace the goat? The latest Speedgoat is responsive, stacked, light, and loud! Let’s get into it.

Why am I the right person for this review?

Aligned to my name, I can be a bit of a jack of all trades. Rarely a weekend goes by without running, hiking, or riding a trail, and if it does it’s probably because I’ve been camping or surfing. My tiny shed doesn’t have room for each activity’s latest gizmo and gadget so I like trustworthy, durable, and versatile gear that’s bought nice, instead of twice.

Quick Specifications

Weight: 277.83 grams – Mens US 9
Stack height: Men’s 40mm / 35mm. Women’s: 38mm / 33mm
Drop: 5mm
RRP: $289 AUD

Before they got real muddy

Performance

Stability

Thick and chunky running shoes are so hot right now and Hoka are leading the charge with their foamy stack heights that provide plenty of cush – the Hoka Speedgoat 6 is no exception.

The 40mm at the heel and 35mm at the toe provides a 5mm heel-to-toe drop – a millimetre more than its predecessor – this lands it in a common middle of the range amongst other trail runners.

The drop matches my Hoka Clifton 9s that I use for weekday road runs, so making the switch between the two feels familiar and natural – similar to the Norda 002s that Tim reviewed.

First impressions had me wondering how the foam would handle the trails. Would I be risking rolling my weak ankles running over uneven terrain? The first couple of kilometres with this shoe on rocky, twisty terrain cast all of my doubts aside. The shoes were supportive, sturdy, and surprisingly light for the stability they provided.

The lightweight textile woven upper – a new addition to the Speedgoat 6 – together with the rigid heel counter and collar felt secure and my foot didn’t slip within the shoe, particularly downhill, and I found myself confidently hooning around corners not long after taking them out of the box.

Grip

In new trail shoes I often find myself approaching technical terrain cautiously, especially on my Hoka Speedgoat 6s maiden voyage through slippery creek-side conditions.

As expected the Vibram Megagrip sole handled the conditions with no problem and I was quickly trusting the 5mm lugs, as well as the shoe’s increased surface area (3mm wider than the Speedgoat 5 in the midfoot) as it continually kept me upright.

I continued to find this on new technical trails, with a growing trust in the well-loved Vibram outsole. As you do when reviewing shoes, I was constantly tuned into how they were performing, yet found I could easily put them out of my mind, not worrying about whether they’d slip on upcoming obstacles, and just run freely.

Railing loose gravel with ease

Versatility

What’s most impressed me about the Hoka Speedgoat 6s is their ability to adapt to different trail terrain; I think it’s their key selling point. They gripped slimy clay, were stable among root-tangled single track, and propelled up rocky hills.

In my few kilometres of road running in them (purely for this review) I  found they were much more comfortable than expected and the cushion of the midsole helped ease the bitumen body burden (that’s a Jack Brooke original –Ed). It’s worth noting that this was a dry footpath, if it was wet, I’d be worried that the lugs would see me slipping and sliding all over the place, like a lot of other trail shoes.

We Are Explorers founder Henry Brydon rocked a new pair as we ran around Sydney’s Centennial Park and left them on his feet for the four days we spent hiking tough trails in Morton National Park soon after, and from all reports they handled both with comfort and ease.

So, while they’re certainly not sold as all-rounder, you could easily get away with pounding pavement on the way to the local trail, or use them for hiking.

Read more: Hiking Boots Vs Trail Runners

Mud splatter – that’s more like it

Durability

When you’re hitting technical single track like the Speedgoats are built for you need something that’s reliable and tough.

I did have doubts early days when the pull loop tag on the heel of the shoe ripped when pulling them on, but where it matters more – like the textile woven upper and collar of the shoe – the material appears to be much tougher.

The traction lugs of the Vibram sole have barely shown wear but I’ll be keeping an eye on them as the lugs themselves aren’t as large as those featured on other trail running shoes like the büite hardloop.

Comfort

Hoka’s known for that sweet, sweet cushion that would make a barefoot Born to Run reader scoff.

The spongy CMEVA foam in the midsole made these shoes extremely comfortable on the trail. I was expecting this cushion to take away from the feel of the trail, but it offered plenty of protection from sharp rocks, while still feeling in tune with what was playing underfoot.

An extra addition of comfort is found through a slither of padding at the top of the tongue, but that’s the only padding you get in the upper of the shoe, they’ve saved the weight for the foam, and for my liking it works.

Despite this lack of padding, the new woven textile upper is super rigid and its stability meant I didn’t find my feet slipping forward into the toe box at all. While I imagine some could find this uncomfortable especially around the collar, this should ease after some time breaking the shoes in.

This upper is predicted to be less breathable than the Speedgoat 5s however testing these in the cooler months means I’ll have to wait for Adelaide’s upcoming summer to truly test this.

As for the fit of the shoe, an online order can often be a gamble, but in this case they fit true-to-size and I was able to order the same size as my Hoka Clifton 9s with the length perfect, keeping me clear of toe box induced blisters..

While I don’t exactly have a super wide foot I did have a few runs where they felt a little narrow in the midfoot that caused some discomfort, but I didn’t have any problems with toes rubbing within the narrow toe box, which would have caused more discomfort.

Design

This is, by far, the brightest pair of footwear I’ve ever owned. While squinting through the unboxing I scoffed, ‘Geez I would never have bought these.’ The colours are loud, but the ‘sherbert and beetroot’ are complementary and I’ve reluctantly warmed to them after a bit of time (and mud).

However, that quickly fades and if you’re a fan of bright yellow, I wouldn’t expect it to last. After a few slightly muddy kilometres the orange and yellow fabric cuff is already turning an ugly brown, that will only get worse and worse. But hey, you’re running on trail, what did you expect?

If you want something more modest you can check out the other colours, the range is full of interesting colour pairings, with a close-to-black pair for the traditionalists.

If you see Jack out running be sure to say ‘geez they’re bright!’

Sustainability

Other than vegan being listed alongside the Speedgoat 6s materials, Hoka’s stance on sustainability isn’t super prominent on their product or home page. In their footer menu, where you’d often find this information, it seems a Qantas partnership has taken priority.

At the bottom of their About Us page you can find a little more about their sustainability journey but there’s a lack of detail.

Over on sustainability website good on you they’ve given the mediocre rating: ‘It’s a start’, when assessing their impact on the environment, people, and animals.

What Hoka is doing is utilising some eco-friendly materials, and setting a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from their own operations and supply chain, and they’re on track to meet target. More of this thanks!

Price

Coming in at $289, these trail runners are on the premium end, though it’s not uncommon for technical trail shoes to exceed this recently, with the Norda 002 trail running shoe coming in at over $400.

If you’re just running around on fire roads and even trails, then you might find other shoes fit your needs, but if you love technical trails then you’ll be becoming more and more familiar with this price point. For a highly anticipated all-terrain trail shoe this is the price point I’ve come to expect.

Final Thoughts

True to their name, the Speedgoats were speedy up and down hills in mountain goat-like conditions and my feet have been loving the cushion. They don’t feel battered and bruised, like in other trail shoes I’ve owned.

I can now see why the Speedgoats have been well-loved and if you’re looking for a do-it-all trail shoe that makes a colourful statement, I’m sure you will too.

I’ll be listening out to hear if the Speedgoat 5 fans feel that they live up to the hype.

‘I’m outta here’