Hoka's new gravel shoe? // HOKA CHALLENGER 7 REVIEW // The Ginger Runner

[@Ian-oi2pe]

I had the ATR 6. Used for all of my training and for race days (2 x 50k's and a 100k trail). Comfort was incredible, grip was sufficient, even in some of those wet, muddy, winter runs and they just lasted and felt as good after their punishment as they did fresh out the box.

[@kofuzi]

If I recall correctly, I think Hoka shoes still had the One One on them for a while, even after the announcement of the name change. So the ATR badging despite a technical name change doesn't surprise me

[@jordandowner1277]

I recently started running my local trails with the Challenger 6, and there are several downhill sections that get very muddy/slippery. I have been genuinely impressed with the traction I've gotten from them. They seem to do just as well if not better than the Speedgoats I was using previously.

[@Dee.K.Mikaelson]

These are brilliant shoes (7) I was ready to be disappointed . instead I'm so impressed,,, especially with the comfort and grip in every terrain.

[@Laseroscar666]

I do 80% of my running in this shoe from 15k to ultra distance. I can’t say poor grip has ever been an issue for me, and it works great in 35 Mediterranean summer as well as -20 Scandinavian winter. Quality is however a very valid point.

[@RodRanDusted]

Great shoe. Ran hundreds of miles on concrete trails. Got me excited about the Clifton 9, which is one of the best shoes I’ve ever worn.

[@rossgilligan7898]

I have the Gore-Tex version, based in Scotland so need it for the rainy weather. But the lug set up is not conducive for muddy conditions. By the end of the trail the mud is all packed into grip and the part that has the Hoka branding and just adds weight to the shoe. But you are right ideal for gravel and easy trails.

[@bazgreen6054]

Bought these last month. Love them so far; and you are spot on with the grip - the sole clogs up easily and slop gets verrry slippy. I also had the exact same original ATR, and yes, these are the first version in a long time to call back to the original. That they lost a lot of weight is also pleasing me :)

[@scottwiegand8855]

Big fan of you and your content, been watching for years! I ordered these and the Asics Trabuco Max 2 at the same time. Ended up sending the Hokas back. Mostly because the Asics are much more comfortable all around, better step-in feel, softer cushion (which I appreciate due to my battle with fat pat atrophy), and more agressive grip. I expected more comfort from the Hokas because I LOVED my Speedgoat 3s and the Challenger was supposed to be more plush... Maybe the Trabuco Max 2 are more comparable to the Speedgoat. Anyways, keep up the great reviews. Cheers!

[@davidmillar3263]

I bought these about 9 months ago for road and light trail/country path running. I’ve had no issues at all, will buy another pair

[@Dee.K.Mikaelson]

Totally disagree regarding outsole grip. I used challenger 7 yesterday in an "extremely " muddy,trail, rocky, wet field marathon (27 mile) People were suffering with every other shoe .not me...which I was surprised about tbh ... stinsons slip awful in mud. I am so impressed with the challenger 7 !!,,they didn't faulter once ..not once.. Comfortable the whole way .every terrain you could think of ..... The last challenger I had was about 9 years ago...? nothing like compared to this new version. And swallow tail was no trouble,,the marathon went through water,thick mud,,gravel ,,wet gravel and fields of mush ...I didn't get a crumb of debris inside from the heel. I've been using hokas for years,, Stimsons,,..SG 5 . Speedgoat Evo. Etc .

[@ChaqReview-ft5hv]

How challenger 7 compare with SG5? Is it better than SG5?

[@mathewkirk1748]

I run in Cliftons, and these are basically Cliftons with grip. Great feeling just slipping them on for a trail run and feeling right at home. Not the best trail shoe in the Hoka range, but the familiarity and continuity when paired with my Cliftons translates to speed just as much as a better trail shoe would.

[@cinthiar5718]

Great review. I've run in every version of the Challenger; I especially loved the Challenger 4 (oh, please bring them back, Hoka). But the 7s? They felt cheap and flimsy plus the fit was off--my foot slid around and I especially hated the stack height. Basically, I hated the whole shoe, and after three trail runs, I returned them.

[@marrunslow3815]

I ran in the first couple iterations and then the set them aside . Let flexible / comfortable . Glad to see they are returning to what made the great before👍🏼

[@thepaintsaint1995]

Just bought a pair for my ol lady. Hope she likes them

[@sachakopa7964]

Love running in it. It is the perfect road/gravel/trail shoe (dry conditions). Is the outsole super grippy on wet roots and in the mud? No, it’s not supposed to be. It would wear too fast on road and harder dry surfaces if it had sticky rubber on it. Is it built like a tank? No, it’s not supposed to be. It offers us a trail/road shoe that’s light and I’m happy about that. Plenty of shoes out there that are more durable but weigh 1 to ounces more and start living in a heavier category. I’ll always welcome a shoe that trades a bit of durability for light weight. Yes it could be slightly less expensive but I find it’s still reasonable.

[@Blank-Knight]

I don't like most of their too colorful colorways, but could live with them. But the dirt funnel aka elf heel is just a no-go for me on a dusty gravel road.

[@Running_Chowhound]

I actually stopped running in Hoka when they started doing the Swallowtail. They made the heel collar less secure and uncomfortable for me. I have since switched to Topo and Saucony Kinvara 5s I found online for $60.

[@ludovicpiejos4379]

I picked the 6 for my first 50k race. It was great for daily training but not racing especially on technical terrain. Can't wait to see the review on the Tecton X :D

[@robking5096]

Just did a 50k in these. Really like them other than the narrow toe box. Need to find another shoe for longer efforts

[@kylemarshall9041]

As a long-time Challenger fan (maybe 5 + pairs), this review is spot on. Great shoe for training and amazing at road/trail options, but when it gets wet/muddy they struggle. Still going to be buying this pair (once it goes down in price). Thanks, GR

[@Dee.K.Mikaelson]

That wasn't my experience in a marathon yesterday. Mud like you have never seen..all tracks and gravel ,,down hill wet fields ...never slipped once.

[@timeonfeet]

Great review, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I want to see a shoe which has the upper of the ATR 7 with the sole of the Speedgoat 4. That would be 👌

[@gregprevite8548]

I love these. Went through many pairs of the 5s. I like them on anything as long as it’s dry. I wish they’d go back to a normal heel counter

[@ryang4492]

Man I used to run exclusively in Hokas, trail and road, but with all the exposed foam outsoles and seemingly lower durability, had to move to different brands - for my wallet, and just for overall sustainability efforts. Can’t be good to recycle shoes every 200 miles. Only pair I still have in rotation that’s held up is the EVO Speedgoats and they don’t even make those anymore!

[@Frip36]

This planet is pretty massive. I think it can handle the shoe thing every 200 miles.

[@RunGlenn]

I have them, they're solid door to trail shoes, but they aren't going on any weekend technical journeys! They have a purpose as a versatile trainer, but these are not for race day.

[@jamesbilsbury9443]

Andrew Glaze just ran UTMB 109mile run in these shoes. He has a before and after video on his Instagram page of the shoes after the race. He also used only one pair for the entire race.

[@RunGlenn]

@@jamesbilsbury9443 he must fall down less than I do. I need that Vibram to stay upright 🤣.

[@StreamCrossingRunner]

I liked the durability of the ATR 6- so many miles and still going - bummer to hear that the 7 might not last as long. I agree about the swallow tail- I really don’t like all the extra dirt in my speedgoats that have the same swallow tail sign. I do agree that it is a great dry trail shoe and love that they added a few more areas of lugs where there was simply foam in the previous version.

[@TheodoreK2]

The all terrain rascal! I had a few pairs of the earlier ones which I used to love, but there are so many other good shoes out there now, that these just seem to get lost in the mix. They had a QC issue there for a bit in the middle versions, I could barely get 100 miles out of a pair (warranty was super easy). Interesting that you see some quality issues in them already!

[@KathyKK007]

Going to try them for work. On my feet all day. Walk gravel and dirt trails too. Hope they’re as good as my Salomons. Otherwise back they go!

[@bensalutz1938]

Thoughts?

[@fatmel_8214]

My first "trailshoe" was the Challenger 5. Beated the hell out of it. Got the 6 and oh i love that shoe. After 500 miles it looks and feels like out of the box. Curious for the 7! Great review

[@colesonchase]

I picked up these shoes a couple weeks ago and they are feeling great and have almost completely erased my footpain

[@MrJcshizle]

My sponsor gave me the ATR6 and used them on a 100 Mile and after 100k didn't feel great. Looks like the 7 have more cushion so might try them out! By the way I collect used shoes for some trail runners in Nicaragua, so if you are throwing them old pair of shoes please hit me up as they would be grateful!

[@seanwise7464]

I really like mine, easily prefer them over the SG5. Have not had problems with grip over the sloppy winter and technical stuff, but I am a weirdo and use mach 5 on most normal trail runs, (yes I go through a lot of them as result) so I’m used to living dangerously and having less traction I guess.

[@rexgorman9561]

The swallow tail sort of makes Hoka Trail shoes unusable with gaiters.

[@slapfan1]

"Home for the holiday.." Awesome analogy lol

[@DartmoorPaul]

Oh dear are Hoka in danger of becoming like Inov8, lots of very similar shoes which confuses the customer & they become master of none.

[@robertbusby3736]

Had the challenger 4, the grip on those was sneaky good, my problem is I tried a bunch of hokas over the years and their awesome cushioning dies around 100 miles. Speedgoat and mafate spews made good hikers tho

[@ryanhall1215]

I saw version 6 of this shoes at Nordstrom rack for $90. I really want to try hoka but I always feel like I'm going to fall. I'm not unstable, but my heel sorta drags in them.

[@sharrison3974]

Try the Torrent 2 or 3. Better grip and lower in height.

[@cubadacub]

I love the Challenger 5 and 6. Tried the 7 on but they are too narrow for me. The wide version is too wide, too roomy for my feet. Looks like the end of a long relationship.

[@kalvin.]

Love my Speedgoats, but the price to durability ratio has never been a good enough economic proposition for Hoka at large. Rarely do the shoes go on sale unless the new iteration is imminent and even then it’s relatively marginal. For instance is the Clifton 8 at $112 on RW a better deal? Yes. But for it’s durability issues I think it should’ve been around that price to begin with, so I feel like it’s now only appropriately priced, and not a good deal if that makes sense. And it’s been out for 2 years so I find it hard to believe this is the best discount they could offer considering the stock they want to clear out. Again I’m not privy to the logistical side of things but just comparing it to other bigger brands I find it strange.

[@matthiassventoest6800]

well said..

[@itepei]

I also have doubts about the quality of the materials in these shoes (4:54) - I've only run ~300 km in them and the heels (inside) are already worn out. I will keep an eye on it, but shoes from another company after running ~1000 km do not have this problem.

[@TheWillRogers]

It's really not similar at all but this reminded me of a Hoka TenNine that's been sitting at a local used shop for like 2 years now...

[@ironmantooltime]

Not sure you've got the weight right at 10oz. I've seen different weights on every article but it should be lighter than the 6. I thought was more a 9 oz shoe or 8.5 🤔

[@jimjamthebananaman1]

Just a shame that they’re so narrow. I’ll be sticking with Altra in the mean time which is sad. I wish inov8 would sort their toe boxes out as well

[@juaquincruz2469]

They have wide options. It’s EE

[@CowboyBimbap]

I'm about to start doing hiking/trail runs and I'm considering buying Hoka Challenger 7. Since I've never worn Hokas before, how its sizing compared to others? For reference I am 8.5 on Red Wing 875 Moc, should I get the same size or should I size up/down?

[@Kevin_Ice]

I feel like this would be a good Portland Forest Park Shoe

[@garyhaber6957]

Love to see what u think about the Torrent 3 bro.....

[@matthewwojcik6644]

I was so hoping this review would make me go out and buy one of each colour...damn it.

[@boundaryconditions1119]

OMG I HAVE THESE SHOES

[@mattfremon9221]

Looking for a "Trail Mach"....Would this fit the bill?...I live running trails in the Mach 5 but if its any wetter than a drought on the trails, its like socks on a freshly waxed floor

[@matthewvanleeuwen9086]

I currently run in the Challenger 6 and have no complaints, but instead of going to the 7 for my next pair I’m planning on just switching to the Clifton 9 since I rarely run technical trails.

[@debrunsfar153]

Where does it fall in the Neutral/Stability/Motion Control spectrum?

[@uhuhuhuhuhuh91]

Two minutes in and you finally started.

[@charlesjolley700]

I wish Hoka would stop with the swallow tail, it kills my achilles, and there is always heel slippage

[@Samuuuel]

what is swallow tail ?

[@ThatFlowState]

After experiencing the SG5 last year which was fine (but not great) as well as the Saucony Xodus Ultra and the Tecton X this year I'm over Hokas compressed EVA midsoles. There's better stuff out there including from Hoka themselves (Mafate Speed) at close enough price points. Also that elf ear tail is awful. Never have I had to empty out my shoes that often as with the SG5.

[@MadLadsAnonymous]

How's the Saucony Xodus Ultra? And have you tried the Peregrine? People seem to love both.

[@ThatFlowState]

@@MadLadsAnonymous the last Peregrine I've run in was version 6 so I cannot offer any comparison (kinda curious how the 13 is). The Xodus Ultra is probably the most comfortable trail shoe I've worn in years. The star is the midsole for sure. The core of Powerrun PB is soft and bouncy but gets stabilized by the Powerrun carrier surrounding it. That makes it quite stable even in more technical terrain. It has plenty of volume to accommodate my feet even after hours in them. The outsole has been quite versatile though grip isn't the best on wet rock (Vibrant Megagrip is my gold standard here) but it's not terrible either. Whenever I know it'll be a long day and maybe my legs are a little tired it's the shoe I grab.

[@bensalutz1938]

Does anyone just use these for walking around? Every day shoe?

[@deecee6355]

are this shoe a soft shoe? My doctor says that I should buy soft running shoes for my herniated disc L5-S1

[@sdnoqhasdedf4930]

I’m please someone respond

[@iqbaltwkl]

How about stinson 7 sir? Please review it

[@theformerbuttler]

FYI hokas have been excluded from the discount code for well over a year, maybe longer.

[@karmonajourney]

I like the 6 better, have the 7 now and breaking down after 250km, very disappointing, as I’m about to leave and do the Portuguese Camino one 600km. Now I have no shoes eeekkk

[@marlinweekley51]

Q: is the 7 more like the 6 or the 5. The 5 worked great for me but i couldn’t use the 6. 😳

[@Clwcch]

Can't speak for the 6, but they are total different than the 5. I loved my 5's although had durability issues with seams ripped but made it to 400 mi. My 5's were much tighter fit. 7's to me are much better, roomier and lighter and got about 450 mi. and no issues. Can kinda feel the dead feeling now nearing 500 mi. Time to get another pr.

[@thisguy7201]

Is it breathable? Or do your feet get hot?

[@roti1873]

I don't run but i walk a whole lot. Bought some adidas and the sole is all scrunched up and loose and it's unpleasant to wear at all. I've been walking in my gym trainers and theyre running thin because of it.

is it possible for daily running road ?

[@Medennison123]

Maybe it’s me but mine rip on the outside right about 200 miles

[@slavasss2189]

More narrow than speedgoat ?

[@wfang520l7]

Great review! bye hoka!

[@JMoff67]

Sounds like I might as well just buy a Clifton and save some $

[@SVpedro68]

My first trail shoe was the ATR5 - loved it. Ran my first 50miler in them. Would love to buy them again, or the 6 or 7 but, I'm an Inov-8 convert now. The mesh of the ATR5 just got destroyed a little too quick for my liking. I now have as many miles on my Trailfly G300 Max as I do my ATR5s and the inov-8s look almost new in comparison 😳

[@darinburris9315]

It oinge😂