Review: The Hoka Mafate X trail running shoe

The Hoka Mafate X trail running shoe have a forked carbon fiber plate, higher bed of cushioning, and a very responsive feel. — The new Hoka Mafate X. All photos by Sydney Lewis.

By Henry Howard

I have been a fan of Hoka trail and road running shoes for a good number of years and miles. My go-tos for the trails have traditionally been the Speedgoats and Challengers, depending on the terrain.

But I have a new option for my rotation, the Mafate X. It features a higher bed of soft cushion, designed to provide a forgiving impact and ride. I had the opportunity, courtesy of Hoka, to see a demo and test the shoes as they unveiled at the Canyons-UTMB race weekend.

First impressions of the Hoka Mafate X trail running shoe

I tried out the Mafates, which have a forked carbon fiber plate, on the Western States trail, doing a roughly 5-mile loop from Robie Point to No Hands Bridge and back. My goal for the run was to determine whether to wear the Mafates or the Speedgoats I had brought for the 50K two days later. Less than a half-mile into the run, I had my answer.

The Hoka Mafate X easily.

The Mafate Xs gripped all surfaces really well, provided excellent response and the cushioning kept my injury-prone ankle in check.

And I am so glad that I made that decision as the shoes performed like champs on the course. The Canyons 50K has roughly 5,000 feet of elevation gain on a mix of smooth California dreamin’ single track, along with some rocky sections and several miles on roads between the start-finish area and the trails.

On race day, a gentle rain greeted the runners for about the first four hours of the race, then following a pause, a steady rain kicked in, making my final trail section somewhat of a sloppy mess.

The shoes gripped all surfaces really well, provided excellent response and the cushioning kept my injury-prone ankle in check.

Five reasons to try the Hoka Mafate X trail running shoe:

It is super comfortable. Slipping them on was a breath of fresh air. During my first run, I already felt like I had broken them in.

The carbon plate adds a lot of stability to a shoe with such a large stack height. I’ve been dealing with a wonky ankle and Achilles for far too long. As I cruised up and down the rocky sections, I didn’t feel any issues as the shoes helped my feet land properly, protecting the injury.

Hoka implemented an ultralight woven upper that allows for easy drainage and Vibram Megagrip outsole with pod-like cutouts that ensure a smooth ride over any terrain.

The 8mm drop does not feel that large. I generally favor drops of 4mm-5mm and didn’t have any issues with these.

Flip over the shoes and what do you see? Pizza slices and tacos are imprinted on the 3.5mm lugs. I mean, what’s not to like about that?

The Hoka Mafate X's carbon plate adds a lot of stability to a shoe with such a large stack height.

What pro trail runners think of the Hoka Mafate X

• Lotti Brinks, who wore them during her victory recently at Desert Rats, raved about the Mafates.

“I've been running in them a lot actually,” she says. “I did most of my long runs in them. I just like how soft and comfy they are without really feeling like you have a lot of shoe on you. They look bigger than most Hoka shoes I like, or at least the ones that I have. But they don't feel heavy and clunky. I think they're really great for speed work and since they're so comfy and plush, I don't feel like I am really hammering my legs too much.”

• Rod Favard plans to wear them this year, including for a multi-day FKT he’s considering later this year.

“If you remember the Tecton X 2s, it's a more stable X 2. It has the stiffness of that shoe, but just a lot more cushion and a lot more push and feel like I could run all day in it. It feels like kind of an all day shoe that has extremely good traction. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of terrain open in Mammoth right now to try it out on some of those trails, but it's become my recovery trail shoe.”

• Corrine Malcolm is looking at wearing the Mafates for her big goal race this year.

“The overall stack is a little bit on the extreme side, but it puts a lot of foam under your foot, which feels pretty nice. I'm looking at the Mammoth 200, that's kind of the only event I'm signed up for right now and I should probably work on that. But I think this might be a great Mammoth shoe.”