Hoka Mafate X Review
By Matthew Klein
Hoka Mafate XPrice: $225 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 12.4 oz, 350 g (men's size 10 / women's size 11.5)
Stack Height: 49 mm heel / 41 mm forefoot
Drop: 8 mm
Shoe Purpose: Super Stack Height Ultra Distance Trail Shoe
Pros: Highly Protective, Runs Lighter That Listed Weight, Versatile Traction
Cons: Heavy, Stiff on Hills, Not Rockered Enough for Stack Height and Plate
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Hoka Mafate X is a massive super maximal trail running shoe for those who want as much underfoot as possible over ultra distances. A massive 49 mm heel stack height sits underfoot, made of a top layer of PEBA foam, an internal carbon plate and a bottom carrier of supercritical EVA. A woven mesh upper sits up top, providing a normal but more anatomical fit in the front and a secure, well-padded heel in the back. Running lighter than its hefty listed weight thanks to the PEBA foam top layer, the ride is incredibly stiff, making it best to roll over less technical terrain like smooth trail, gravel and road. A shoe for those who want a trail counterpart to the Skyward X or those who want as much tech packed into a shoe as possible, the Hoka Mafate X provides a new direction for the Mafate series and new heights for Hoka.
SIMILAR SHOES: Hoka Stinson 7, New Balance FreshFoam X More Trail v3
PAST MODEL: New Model
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The Hoka Mafate X fits me true to size in my normal men's US size 10. The upper is a woven mesh with additional overlays throughout for security. The fit is normal in width with a slight rounding of the toe box (mostly on the lateral side) with a lower volume. The forefoot is normal in width with a little bit of rounding that surprised me as it gave some additional room for my lateral toes. This is not common in Hoka shoes, which typically taper quickly in the forefoot. These do not, allowing the toes to sit in a slightly more natural position but I would not call this a wide fit. The volume sits low over the toes with a thin external toe guard for reinforcement. The midfoot fits normal in width with a thinner well gusseted tongue. The tongue stays secure and has additional padding in the center, which protects from lace bite. The fit was secure no matter what direction I was going, so I did not have to heel lock this shoe. The heel also fits normal in width with a large amount of heel collar padding. The heel counter is rounded and reinforced by both an internal counter an the external plastic piece. The roundedness of the counter did not bother me, however those sensitive to counters may not do well here. The security is fairly good, functioning best going in a straight line. While turning, I have experienced some slight slippage that is made up for by the good tongue security. The inner aspect of the upper is quite scratchy, so socks are an absolute must with this shoe.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: On Cloudboom Strike, Asics Gel-Nimbus 27, Xero HFS, Topo Cyclone 3, Adidas Adizero Evo SL
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Brooks Launch 11, Diadora Mythos Vigore 3
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Adidas Agravic Speed Ultra
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Not Flexible
How Flexible is the Shoe: Stiff
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Somewhat
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Average
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The Hoka Mafate X is an ultra-distance, super max stack height trail shoe. The stack height is 49 mm in the heel with a top internal layer of PEBA foam and bottom layer and surrounding casing of firmer supercritical EVA. On foot, the shoe feels huge and can best be described as a tank. A full length carbon plate with an almost H-like shape sits in between these foams, adding additional rigidity to the midsole. The weight is high at 12.4 oz for my size 10 men, although thanks to the PEBA midsole insert it feels slightly lighter than that. The heel drop feels closer to 5-6mm, lower than the listed 8 mm. For a 49mm stack height heel, the heel bevel is moderate in size, is part of a posteriorly flare and is centered. This makes the heel transition clunky at first, although the split heel design does allow the lateral pillar to compress better after 20 miles. This transitions into a stable but stiff midfoot and forefoot. The combination of 41 mm in the forefoot and the plate makes for a stiff transition forward. The forefoot rocker is large but slightly late, keeping that stiffness.
While fine for the most part, my forefoot (metatarsal pads) ached when I spent too much time in this shoe, especially on uphills. Those who want a stiff shoe will do well here, while those sensitive to stiffness will not. There is absolutely no flexibility in the forefoot and those with toe mobility issues should be fine if the plate lines up with them.
Purpose and function-wise, I found the Mafate X to do best on more level terrain including gravel, dirt and road. The interesting lugs (which are supposed to be pizzas and tacos), do a great job gripping on a variety of surfaces. The thick and wide midsole does great on gravel and smooth trails. On wet or deep mud the Mafate X struggled a bit as it is not a nimble shoe and the lugs are not deep enough for really wet terrain. On road the shoe did great as the midsole is so thick I did not notice the lugs. The only challenge occured on hills. With steep ascents this shoe struggled as the overly stiff forefoot did not flex that well and felt uncomfortable. On steep descents the heel felt a bit clunky. The weight prevents the shoe from being nimble, so it is not a great option over technical terrain. Instead, it works best as a tank going over relatively smooth terrain of a variety of types. The bounce from the midsole does make it feel efficient over longer distances and this will do best as a shoe to do long runs in (if you can handle the stiffness). It is not something that should be used for faster running as it is too stiff and heavy for that.
The durability has been good so far and should keep this shoe going for miles. I have 30 miles on my pair with a little lug wear in my normal spot, likely from the additional road miles I have used this shoe for. Outside of some dirt the upper, it seems to be holding up well. Thus, I expect this shoe to last a fairly average number of miles for this shoe type.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Matt: The Hoka Mafate X is technically a stable neutral trail shoe. There are no traditional methods of stability but it features plenty of new age methods. There are large sidewalls in the heel and midfoot, the sole is really wide, the carbon plate and thick midsole add a ton of stiffness and the external heel counter locks the rearfoot in place. The bilateral sidewalls are noticeable with the lateral side going farther forward than the medial. There are no sidewalls in the forefoot and the forefoot PEBA makes things softer up front. The plate, with its wider H-like shape, does provide a high level of rigidity in all directions. As mentioned above, it was actually almost too stiff for me throughout the length of the shoe but especially in the forefoot. The external heel counter did keep my heel locked in well but no methods were overbearing except the stiffness. Those who need a stable neutral ride particularly in the heel and midfoot will do best here but this is not a stability shoe (The Hoka Stinson 7 is better for that).
Thoughts as a DPT: Do We Really Need Plates on Trails?
By Matthew Klein
I did a Monday Shakeout on recent research done on super trail shoes and running economy. While there is tons of research on super road shoes, there is little done on super trail shoes. Most shoe companies most likely do their trail economy testing on indoor treadmills, which don't represent the technical trail and mountainous terrain that most people will be using these shoes on. Two interesting papers were recently published on this topic, taking athletes in super trail shoes compared to normal trail shoes out onto the trails for testing (Corbi-Santamaria et al., 2025; Jaboulay & Giandolini, 2025). Surprisingly, their results were quite similar. Both found no improvements in running economy (efficiency) or physiological between super trail shoes in their current form and traditional trail shoes. There were biomechanical differences, like reduced cadence and increased vertical oscillation in the super trail shoe category. Finally, it was noted that runners rated the super shoes as having lower forefoot flexibility comfort during uphill running.
While super road racing shoes are defined as having a carbon plate, super foam and maximal geometry, trail super shoes may have different requirements. The amount of metatarsophalangeal joint bending required for steep terrain is much higher in trail/mountain running compared to road. The terrain is also quite different, with obstacles, rocks and softer surfaces that often require relatively slower speeds for adequate traversing compared to road. This makes me wonder if the designs of road super shoes actually translate to trail or if different things are needed. The super foams make sense, however, having more bounce may not be best if the bounce is unstable. Many trail super shoes still have a narrow midfoot, which is not optimal in a situation where you need a stable place to land. Super shoes are also known to be more beneficial at higher speeds (Rodrigo-Carranza et al., 2025).
Trail running requires being able to handle a variety of speeds, even slower ones, so trail shoes may need to be optimized for different paces. Finally, the plate is the most important to talk about as stiffer is clearly not better in this case. People tend to think the plate acts like a "spring" to propel you forward, when it absolutely does not. In fact, it acts to stabilize the soft foam and roll you forward, rather than springing (which the foams should do more of). More stiffness is not necessarily better, optimal stiffness is best. This is especially true with super stack height midsoles, which end up being extremely stiff even without a plate. Thus, trail shoes may benefit from some kind of stiffness but not necessarily the stiffest thing. My biggest suggestion is to use a more flexible plate if that element has to be kept. So when designing trail super shoes, it is important to make sure all the elements are balanced correctly. While those who want a really stiff shoe may benefit from the Mafate X, future iterations may benefit either from a more flexible plate or by not having one at all.
Corbí-Santamaría, P., Gil-Calvo, M., Herrero-Molleda, A., García-López, J., Boullosa, D., & García-Tormo, J. V. (2025). The Impact of Advanced Footwear Technology on the Performance and Running Biomechanics of Mountain Runners. Applied Sciences, 15(2), 531.
Jaboulay, C., & Giandolini, M. (2025). Effect of increased bending stiffness on running economy and joint biomechanics in uphill running and running on unstable terrain: is there any evidence for embedding carbon plate in trail running footwear?. Footwear Science, 1-9.
Rodrigo-Carranza, V., González-Mohíno, F., Casado, A., Santos-Concejero, J., Galán-Rioja, M. Á., & González-Ravé, J. M. (2023). Impact of advanced footwear technology on critical speed and performance in elite runners. Footwear Science, 15(1), 9-15.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: The Hoka Mafate X is an interesting shoe. I enjoyed my miles in them but it is not something I will continue to grab. The forefoot is too stiff and it is too much shoe for me. I understand its place, but like my comments in our DPT section, I still have some suggestions. My first suggestion is to either not use a carbon plate or get ride of the plate entirely. The thick midsole is already stiff enough that adding a plate feels like things are going too far. At the end of the day that just adds weight, so I would not do that. Plates don't make you faster, they stabilize the soles and add stiffness. My second suggestion is to add more PEBA foam and less supercritical EVA. If Hoka is really going for a Skyward X type shoe, more PEBA foam would be better. Supercritical EVA is overrated, especially for long distances. Deepening the PEBA could also allow the foot to sit more in the shoe, creating an even better stable neutral ride that may be helpful over ultra distances. My last suggestion is to get the weight down a little. Although we talk about plates and foams all the time for efficiency, shoe weight still makes a massive impact on running economy. That makes me question the necessity of a 49mm stack height, as I personally would love to see that a little lower with a little more PEBA foam internally. It is still an interesting shoe but we have more learning to do about what optimal performance really looks like in "super trail shoes."
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The Hoka Mafate X is a super maximal stack height ultra distance trail shoe for those who want a stiff and bouncy ride for rolling over a variety of level terrain. The fit will work best for those with lower volume but normal to slightly wide feet. The ride will work best for those who want a stiff ride, especially at the forefoot. The PEBA foam does make the shoe feel lighter but those acclimated to heavy-duty shoes will do best. With a 49mm stack height, there is zero ground feel, so you should be able to roll over pretty much anything level. Dirt, gravel, road will all be toast with this shoe as long as having nimble feet is not required. This is certainly an interesting shoe, although part of me wonders if some aspects have been overdone. I'm not sure a shoe this thick needs a plate. This much foam is already stiff, but those who want stiff will do well here. It makes it a bit uncomfortable on hills, although faster athletes who like stiffness may do better than myself. I appreciate Hoka innovating but I caution them to think about what unique things may change on trail that may require different thinking than road. Pushing the envelope like this does help us get better at asking and answering these questions, so I look forward to seeing how consumers react to this product.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: A- (Slightly anatomic toe box with normal width and lower volume. Secure tongue and mesh)
Performance: B+ (Stiff ride that runs lighter than the heavy weight but best for long efforts)
Stability: B+ [Stable Neutral] (Wide shape, heel/midfoot sidewalls, external heel counter and stiffness make for a stable ride)
Value: B- ($225 is really steep but there is a ton of shoe here. A bit overpriced due to the lack of versatility on technical/hilly terrain)
Personal: B- (A unique shoe that is too stiff in the forefoot for me. Wish it had more PEBA foam and a flexible plate)
Overall Design: B
SHOP | SUPPORT DORPrice: $225 at Running Warehouse
Hoka Mafate X
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FURTHER READING
Hoka's long distance (?) racing shoe
Diadora's super shoe.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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