HOKA MAFATE 5

Hoka Mafate 5

Every once in a while you find a shoe that is just perfect for you and your feet.  It’s like a match made in heaven, but sometimes brands completely redesign that shoe and you’re left wondering will it be as good as your tried and true trusty friend?  Well the Hoka Mafate 5 had some big shoes to fill, and in this review we’re going to see if they were able to live up to the Mafate Speed 4, or if the Mafate 5 is a completely different shoe.  Let's get into it. 

STATS

Well like always we’re going to start with the stats of the Mafate 5.  First off, it is a neutral trail running shoe.  There is some flexibility in the shoe but it is taking quite a bit of force to flex this shoe.  

As for the stack height, it's alot!  The thicc bois are back.  The rear of the mens is a whopping 44mm, and the front is 36mm, giving us an 8mm drop.  Now this is vastly different than the Mafate Speed 4, which was 33mm in the rear and 29mm in the front, and a 4mm drop.  Make no mistake about it, the Mafate 5 is TALL! And I also noticed the drop difference, but more on that and how it felt to run in in just a moment.  


With all that extra midsole foam, the weight has increased too.  The Mafate 5 in men’s size 11 weighed in at 12.4 ounces or 352 grams, which is ¾ of an ounce heavier than the MS4.  


As for the fit, it is true to hoka sizing.  So your normal size should be good to go. 

UPPER

The upper of the Mafate 5 has also seen some changes.  The upper is a Warp knit upper with anti-fray treatment, which is designed to be very durable and rugged.  On the outside of that warp knit upper there is a TPU cage for increased stability and structure around the midfoot.  


The upper material does feel quite different than the jacquard mesh of the MS4, but it still feels very comfortable over your foot.  

I wanted to see how well this warp knit material breathed, so of course I had to do the tissue test.  Take a look and you can see with teh hair dryer on low the tissue came up a decent amount.  When the hair dryer was switched to high, the tissue went flying up pretty quickly.  Now this result is quite a bit better than the MS4, which you can see the tissue on high did not come up much.  


When wearing the Mafate 5 I wouldn’t say I could feel air flow through the upper, but my feet also felt ok and did not feel excessively hot.  So overall, I think the Mafate 5 has improved the breathability.  

I also wanted to test the water drainage of the Mafate 5, so I completely submerged my feet for 30 or so seconds to let the water soak in.  When I stepped out on the rock I could see the water coming out, and when I moved my foot side to side the water came out even more.  In my opinion, the water drains pretty darn well from the Mafate 5, and is improved over the MS4.  


Now talking about the fit, the toe box is decently wide for a Hoka, and I could move my forefoot around a bit inside.  I do think the toe box does feel a bit wider than in the MS4.  Also at the front there are some thicker TPU overlays and a decent toe bumper to help protect from rock or root impacts. 

Also at the front is the dynamic vamp, which is slightly stretchy.  However, not near as stretchy as on the MS4, and that is a good thing.  The very stretchy vamp made it a bit more difficult to get the forefoot secure, and that has not been a problem in the Mafate 5.  


Moving up to the midfoot, it felt great for my average to slightly narrow foot.  Again, about the same if not maybe a bit wider than the MS4. 

The heel collar felt about the same as the MS4, and felt nice and padded and comfortable.  I had good lockdown in the heel, and didn’t experience any heel slippage or discomfort.  Really I never had any hot spots or discomfort from forefoot to heel in the Mafate 5.  


The tongue of the Mafate 5 is a bit of a downgrade in my opinion from the MS4.  The tongue is very thin and if you like to really cinch those laces down I could see this being an issue.  The tongue is also very short, and if you need to do the runners knot I could see the laces digging into the top of your foot.  Even without the runners knot I did experience some discomfort from the laces when going up steep grades.  Lastly, the tongue on the Mafate 5 is not gusseted at all, whereas on the MS4 it was semi-gussetted on both sides.  

The lacing system appears to be unchanged from the MS4, and they stay tied and do their job well.  

Lastly for the upper, at the rear there is now a gaiter attachment, which honestly isn’t that big a deal to me because I had no issues wearing gaiters with the MS4.  

Overall, the upper has some great improvements to the breathability and water drainage, and is comfortable on the foot.  We just need the tongue to be a bit longer and have a bit of padding and would be a really great upper!  


MIDSOLE

The midsole of the Mafate 5 is where bulk of the changes occurred.  The midsole is a dual density foam with the top layer being supercritical for added response, and the bottom layer is a softer foam for added comfort for long days on the trail.  Sandwiched between those is the new Rocker Integrity Technology, which is supposed to help deliver a propulsive ride even when your legs start to fade.  


When I first put the Mafate 5, the first words out of my mouth were “Oh man that is so squishy, it doesn’t feel anything like the MS4.” Just standing and rocking back in the heel you can really see the midsole foam compress.  The Mafate 5 is very very soft and squishy!  


When running on buffed out non-technical trails the midsole feels amazing and like a shoe that would excel on a crushed gravel rails to trails kind of trail.  There is a slight bit of response to them, but mostly they just feel incredibly soft!

However, when running on technical trails they do not inspire the same level of confidence that I loved from the MS4.  The Mafate 5 is TALL, and you can feel it on technical trails. I have now tweaked my ankles several times wearing these, and a couple of those were just hiking around the DeCaLiBron, which is four 14,000’ peaks in one loop.  


When I was running down a technical descent I found I had to really be cautious as the shoe did not feel stable at all. That bit of ground feel and stability from the MS4 is gone.  Now with the Mafate 5 we are left with a shoe that I fear will be relegated to buffed out trails, rather than the mountainous trails the Mafate was designed for.  


The Mafate 5 feels nothing like the Mafate Speed 4 I loved and wore in 3 100 mile races. It is a completely different shoe.  It feels like Hoka took the Clifton 10 and put a vibram outsole on it.  

Overall, if you can’t tell already, I do not like the direction hoka has gone with the midsole in the Mafate 5.  

OUTSOLE

The outsole of the Mafate 5 is still a vibram megagrip outsole with 5mm traction lugs, but they have been redesigned.  However, the grip is still amazing and what I have come to expect from a Vibram Megagrip outsole.  I do feel like the lugs feel softer to the touch, and I wonder if they will wear the same as previous models.  


When running on buffed out trails with loose small rocks, the traction was great!  When running down steep descents and hopping from rock to rock the grip was spectacular!  When running at 14,000’ over larger rocks the grip was also great! 


I think we all know by now there really isnt a better outsole out there than the Vibram Megagrip, and the Mafate 5 will excel when the trails get sloppy. 

PRICE

Well I am happy to say the Hoka Mafate 5 still retails for $185 USD, which is the same as the MS4.  It's great to see a new version come out without an increased price tag. If this review was helpful and you want to purchase a pair, consider using the link below in the description. It won’t cost you anything extra, but will help support the channel.  

BOTTOM LINE

Well the bottom line of the Hoka Mafate 5 is in my opinion the shoe does not live up to the high standard set by the MS4.  Yes, the upper has some nice improvements, but the huge amount of added stack height has resulted in a shoe that I do not feel confident in over technical trails. However, If you are going to run a rails to trails ultra marathon, or maybe a multiday event on buffed trails, the Mafate 5 would be a great choice for that added comfort. 

Affiliate Link: https://roadrunnersports.sjv.io/gOKqQ2 

Full video review: https://youtu.be/aWQY7zRtR38

Close-up of a blue HOKA running shoe on a wooden surface. The shoe features a black and light blue sole with measurements labeled: 44mm at the heel, 36mm at the front, and an 8mm drop between the heel and toe. The shoe has black laces and a black interior lining.
A blue Hoka trail running shoe on a digital scale weighing 12.4 pounds, labeled Men's Size 11.
A blue Hoka trail running shoe weighing 352 grams on a digital scale, with the text 'Men's Size 11' in the lower left corner.
A blue HOKA running shoe with black laces on a wooden surface.
Blue Hoka running shoe resting on a wooden surface with a black and grey sole and Vibram branding.
Close-up of a Vibram running shoe in blue with black and aqua accents, laced and on a wet, rocky surface.
Top view of a blue running shoe with black laces on a wooden floor.
Close-up of a blue athletic shoe with black laces and black inner lining, placed on a wooden surface.
Close-up of a blue athletic shoe with black laces and black interior on a wooden surface.
Close-up of a blue running shoe with black laces on a wooden floor.
Blue and black Hoka running shoe on a wooden surface with a blurred background.
A close-up of a blue ASICS running shoe with black laces, worn with a black ankle sock, on a dark wooden floor.
Person wearing bright blue athletic shoes, gray outdoor pants, and standing on rocky, uneven terrain.
A person wearing a blue trail running shoe with black laces standing on a dirt and rock trail.
Close-up of the sole of a trail running shoe featuring black and light blue rubber with a yellow label reading 'Vibram' and 'MegaGrip'
Close-up of a trail running shoe sole with black, teal, and yellow details, resting on a wooden surface.