Hoka - EVO Speedgoat

Brooks Divide is marketed as an all-terrain shoe. The rubber is harder than things like mega-grip and the lugs are shallower than typical trail shoes. I bought a pair to try out since I generally run exclusively in trail shoes, even when logging city miles. My take is they truly are an “all terrain” concept, so when I’m on roads they are fine and when I’m on gross (wet or muddy) trails I do notice the lost traction, but they get by and are much better than a road shoe. On dry trail I cannot tell a noticeable difference with something more aggressive. Would recommend, but if you are OK with more aggressively wearing down some trail shoes, I’d just get a pair of trail shoes. I still prefer my Hoka Speedgoats over anything.

I really like the Speed goats when I'm training because they definitely have a softer landing and less brutal on my body. I do think I will just margineably roll a bit more in them on loose rocky trails.

I always have a pair of trail shoes for whenever I'm going for some more serious trail run. Otherwise, I'm running in some older road shoes, which are already after high mileage. My trail shoes are mostly for mixed surfaces. I don't really want to wear them on asphalt too fast. I believe Hoka speedgoat are great, but they last around 300 miles only (on trails).

As others have said, it's not likely to be the shoes, Speedgoats are already so cushioned if you go any more cushioned you won't feel the trail! I get IT band issues if I haven't worked them before a trip and there is no magic shoe that will fix that. The way I fixed it when after the first time I had the problem is look up a bunch of IT band exercises to target the right muscle groups and good stretches. After doing those religiously in the lead up to the next trip I had no issues whatsoever despite it being a very similar trail. I'm doing this ahead of starting the AT in late April. Don't get me wrong, it's still worth figuring out what the best shoes are for you, but they will never be the magic bullet.

If there's travel over a good bit of snow, I'm wearing gaiters; either full-calf gaiters, half-gaiters, or even just dust gaiters like dirtygirl gaiters. I prefer to hike in trail runners (HOKA Speedgoats) and keeping the snow from getting into the shoe is a huge benefit. Plus it keeps my legs drier and warmer. There's nothing better than finishing your hike back at the trailhead or at camp with relatively warm and dry lower legs and pants vs. snow-sopped everything.

I had the aching feet with the LP4s and moved to Hoka Speedgoats and never looked back. I can hike all day with the softer Hokas and my feet never ache like they did with the Altras. I occasionally wear my LP4s around the house and yeah, I do miss the airy toe box, but functionally, I don't think I'm missing anything with the Hokas.

Yes! 100% yes! I retired mine after 500 miles years ago not knowing it would be impossible to find the right balance again.

I use Speedgoats for almost all my hiking and backpacking; I have pairs of both non-Goretex and Goretex, and the Goretex ones are only used in the real wet conditions, or when I'm out and about on a rainy day doing errands or yard work. If it's snow/slush/excessive mud, I'll move up to Salomon 4D GTX boots and usually gaiters.

Wenn du wirklich lange Distanzen wandern möchtest, sind Trailrunning-Schuhe heutzutage die beste Wahl. Sie haben sich als Standard für Langstreckenwanderungen etabliert – und das aus guten Gründen: Im Vergleich zu klassischen Wanderstiefeln sind Trailrunning-Schuhe deutlich leichter, was dir auf langen Strecken Energie spart und die Ermüdung reduziert. Zudem bieten sie eine hohe Flexibilität und passen sich besser an die natürliche Bewegung des Fußes an. Anders als schwere Wanderstiefel aus Leder oder mit wasserdichten Membranen trocknen Trailrunning-Schuhe schnell, wenn sie nass werden. Das ist besonders wichtig bei Flussüberquerungen oder nassen Bedingungen, da trockene Füße das Risiko von Blasenbildung minimieren. Viele denken, dass wasserdichte Materialien wie GoreTex ideal sind – doch in der Praxis funktionieren sie nur unter kühlen Bedingungen effektiv. Bei wärmeren Temperaturen staut sich Feuchtigkeit im Schuh, was zu schwitzenden Füßen und damit zu Blasen führen kann. Trailrunning-Schuhe hingegen sind atmungsaktiv und leiten Feuchtigkeit schnell nach außen ab. Dank ihrer griffigen Sohlen bieten Trailrunning-Schuhe auch auf schwierigem Gelände ausreichend Halt und Traktion, egal ob auf felsigen Pfaden oder matschigen Wegen. Konkrete Modelle die ich empfehlen kann sind die Hoka Speedgoat und Altra Lone Peak.

Yes — so similar to the old Speedgoats

I had three versions of speed goats prior. The midsole on the speed goats is softer. Grip is about the same. I like the upper on the brooks a tiny bit better. The big difference is the toe box (for me). My biggest issue with speed goats has always been the toe box being too narrow, but I could never find another trail running shoe that had a soft midsole, good grip, and durable, so I kept coming back to speed goats. The Brooks has most of what speed goat offers, plus a wider toe box.

The crowd can relay anecdotal evidence on which shoes last and which don't, but none of us can say with certainty which ones will feel comfortable to you. It looks like you're using boots. HanWag are some beefy bois & last, so if you like 'em get another pair. Most of the folks here will recommend trail runners. There are endless discussions on why & when to use one or the other so I'll leave you to do that research yourself. Just remember that runners have an average lifespan in the 500-800 mile range. I will say that in general, runners are super comfortable so worth trying on some pairs to see what you think. Maybe even buy a pair & test 'round town. But if you want something that will last years, stick with boots, whether low mid or high top. Personally, I've switched mostly to hiking sandals and now only wear my trail runners during the fringe seasons when it's a bit chilly for my piggies. In near (or below) freezing weather, I still use my boots, which are Keens and have lasted me about 10 years with only the heel fabric wearing down and are still comfortable to me. My own anecdotal is that I've found Altras to be very uncomfortable to my feet. My runners are Hoka Challengers. I've even found their SpeedGoats to be uncomfortable to me while others swear by them. The Challengers have held up as well as any runner has (about 800 mile life for me).

I've used both, Speedgoats for about 4000 miles, Topos (Ultraventure Pro and Mtn Racer) for over 1000. Each of them have their up and down sides. Speedgoats are a lot narrower at the front, so even a wide isn't as wide in the footbox as a Topo, and the heel is wider for the (wide) Speedgoats, so some have issues with slipping. I've given up on Topos though because of toe and arch issues. I guess my feet don't bend like the makers of Topo expect them to, so I end up in pain after 150 miles. Speedgoats roll easier and are softer where the balls of the feet are, which takes a lot of strain off my feet (though that is, unfortunately, not as pronounced anymore as is used to be with older models). Speedgoats are probably going to counteract the lifting of your toe, but you'll have to try if it really works for you, or if the footbox is still too low.

My son and I both wore Speadgoats at Philmont for a 50-mile backpacking trip. Loved them, and they worked great.

The first trip I did with Hoka Speedgoats was a 26 mile backpacking trip, in the rain. They weren't waterproof (not really necessary with trailrunners, even in the Pacific Northwest). They were fabulous. No foot problems despite them being wet for the 5 hour trail. Hokas are super popular, as are Topo Athletics, Altra, Brooks, Salomon, though each definitely has its own fit characteristics. I've gone from boots to Salomons to Altras to Hokas.

Used to be on the Salomon bandwagon until about six years ago; went to Altras for a while, then landed on Hoka Speedgoats. Super comfy, very grippy, and a shoe you can wear all day, every day. While I have GTX version to use around the house and on some hikes here in the wet Pacific Northwest, I prefer non-GTX in nearly all other cases.

I run about 90% on trail. Hoka speedgoats have been my go-to for about 5 years. Amazing shoe. My only complaint is my feet start to feel it if I go longer than like 12 or so miles. Anyone have any recos for softer trail shoes for long runs?

Those speedgoats have better traction than most spikeless golf shoes

You'll probably see more trail runners than hiking shoes on the trails. Not sure where, exactly, they draw the line between the two. I've been in trailrunners for several years now, and after Salomon XA Pro 3Ds and Altra Lone Peaks, I'm very happily a Hoka Speedgoat backpacker/hiker. So, so comfortable, grippy. No, they're not nearly as airy as the Lone Peaks, but a lot more comfortable over many miles and rough terrain. I'm on the heavier side for my height, too, so I appreciate the extra cushion.

Altra LP's are quick-drying. My problem with them is that while they're super comfy have a pretty shallow footbed, my feet/ankles would ache after a long day on rough terrain, backpacking with about 35lbs. I've since switched to Hoka Speedgoats and all that is a distant memory. Super cushy, excellent grip with the Vibrams, and they're okay at drying out, though not as good as the LPs. No, they won't last forever but the payback in end-of-the-day comfort is huge to me.

The first trip I did with Hoka Speedgoats was a 26 mile backpacking trip, in the rain. They weren't waterproof (not really necessary with trailrunners, even in the Pacific Northwest). They were fabulous. No foot problems despite them being wet for the 5 hour trail. Hokas are super popular, as are Topo Athletics, Altra, Brooks, Salomon, though each definitely has its own fit characteristics. I've gone from boots to Salomons to Altras to Hokas.

Same; trailrunners 98% of the time unless I'm snowshoeing or on super wet/muddy/slushy conditions, of if I'm going to do a lot of side-hilling over loose scree where my feet/ankles/lower legs might be imperiled by moving ground/rocks. I just did 25 miles last week over granite, roots, rocks, dirt, and very happy with trailrunners (HOKA Speedgoats) w/ ankle gaiters to keep debris out. I was carrying a 30lb backpack. Sure, the trailrunners will wear out faster than boots, but my feet were completely pain, ache, and blister-free. That said, I used to hike in Altra Lone Peaks, and while they were super comfy and airy, at the end of the day, my feet/ankles ached badly. Once I switched to HOKAs, all that disappeared immediately. My first time ever wearing Speedgoats, I did 26 mile r/t backpacking trip and my feet were completely fine. Anecdotally, the only time I've significantly sprained my ankle was when I was wearing full, over-ankle leather boots (Vasque St. Elias). Just hit a rock wrong and my ankle went full over. I've done the same (hitting a rock) in trailrunners countless times, but their lower profile (lower heel/rise) means I had a lower fulcrum and could easily recover. I also think that with boots, you can become overconfident with how you're bombing down rugged terrain and while most of the time, it's okay, but if you start to turn an ankle, you're going to go way over and cause more damage than if you were going more carefully as you would need to with trailrunners. Again, that's my anecdote.

correct, speedgoats are designed to work well on trails, but they're not clunky either. i actually like road running with them when it's rainy because i feel less like i'm going to slip

I require a wider toe box as well, and the mafate has it. I had mafate first and then tried speedgoat and they were terrible for me. Mafate for much better. I currently have Norda 001 and the toe box isn't big enough 

In Hoka Speedgoat I wear an 11, but also feel fine in a 11.5. In the Prodigio Pros I went to a 45.5. I also bought a 46 which is a little bigger in the toes but still feels good (mostly want that for long races if my feet swell). According to La Sportiva a 45.5 corresponds to a US 12. So my experience for me was sizing up from a US size by at least a half, maybe a full. Hope that helps. (Btw, I have three pairs, love them.)

FYI: I’m a very wide boy, but the Salomon Speedcross and Genesis both fit very comfortably. None of their other shoes do, but those are both great shoes you might want to try. Hoka also has nice wide options across their lineup. If it‘s grip you want, I find the Speedgoat is second only to VJ Shoes - but VJ run narrow.

I've got both of the same shoes. The Speedgoats are perfect, I generally like the Spartan shoes too but they have two issues: a lot less padding makes them tear up my heels (even when I taped to try to prevent), and they seem more slippery and don't grip surfaces super well, like Olympus and the rope climb.

Dang! carbon shoes on gravel. If you must have carbon the adidas terrex are popular but i'm not a fan. I'd choose the Hoka Speedgoats. They're my ride or dies.

If you're comfortable with the Altra road shoe, then the Altra trail shoe is likely to fit similarly. Personally I've had good luck with Hoka Speedgoat and the Spartan OCR Speed. Hokas have better padding for races (non-spartan) where there is a mix of trail and some road. Critically, make sure you get in some runs PRIOR to your race. No new gear on race day, especially shoes.

I used to be in the full boot group but have since gone to trail runners (Hoka Speedgoats). They breathe/drain better (waterproof is good until you overtop the boot or sweat too much). This includes both day hikes and multi-day backpacking trips. My best advice is try a few things and see what you like. At least with trail runners if you try and don't like they can become an everyday around town shoe.

Years of Altra-Topo… just went Zegama 2 and love it… will also keep Speedgoat in the rotation… tried on Caldera and liked it…

I’m currently using both pairs. I like the Challengers for multi use trips. They’re my One Bag travel choice, where my time will be mixed between urban and outdoor use. The Speedgoats are my hiking/wet weather choice. That increased grip on the heel section is clutch when hiking down muddy/wet trails.

I found all Topos to run short. Wore a women's 8.5 in HOKAs and a size 10 in Topos. I trained in the Speedgoats and Mafates and currently wear Pursuits and Ultraventures