Article by Renee Krusemark, Sally Reiley, Mike Postaski and Sam Winebaum
Cielo X1 2 ($275)
The Cielo is a super max stack height carbon plated trainer/racer.
Stack Height: 48mm heel /41mm forefoot
Weighed Samp:s men’s 8.04 oz of /228g US 10
It sees a significant 38g drop in weight from v1`based on our weighing of the show sample.
The supercritical, dual density PEBA midsole foam remains the same.
The midfoot gap moves from the lateral to the medial side to help with transitions.
The upper gets lighter (Jacquard mesh)
Releases February 2025
Cielo X 1 (1) RTR Review
Cielo X 1 2.0 Video Preview
Clifton 10 ($150)
10th Anniversary for the OG uptempo "max" cushion trainer yet at heights far lower than what is considered max today. We see big changes to a classic to “keep up with the times” and reposition it in the Hoka line up. Hoka says: “Light and plush for every day miles. A trusted trainer for daily maintenance miles", We’ll see how it turns out!
It gets a new last with a roomier toe box in a more plush Jacquard mesh upper. It has 3mm more stack height at the heel to 42/34 and now has a 8mm drop, the higher than 5mm drop a first for Hoka that we can recall. The midsole remains light compression molded EVA.
The higher drop should improve its slower paces performance and distinguish it from the Mach which is now the more uptempo non plated daily trainer in the Hoka line up.
We weighed a men’s US10 sample at 10.19 oz / 289g so about 9.7 oz in a US9 so we do gain some weight over the 9 due, in large part to the higher heel.
Bondi 9 ($170)
The Bondi is Hoka’s traditional max cushion, easier paces and walking shoe. It gets a supercritical EVA foam midsole for the 9th edition with 2mm more stack height.
The upper moves to a structured knit,
The stack height is 43/38 while the US10 weighed sample was 11.3 oz / 320g so its weight remains about the same as previously as even with more stack height its supercritical foam will make it lighter than the previous EVA based midsole. Releases June 15
Mafate X ($225)
The Mafate X can be thought of as the trail version of the Skyward X sharing supercritical PEBA foam midsoles and carbon plates, here an H shaped plate and similar stack heights.
It has a giant 49 mm heel / 41 mm forefoot stack height including its Vibram Megagrip outsole Weighing 13 oz / 368 g in the US 11 sample we weighed a US 9 should check in just below 11 oz. Think of this one as the ultimate long distance cush cruiser for trails with, we expect ,some lively kick from the carbon plate and foams.
Mafate 5 ($185)
The Mafate 5 loses the “speed” part of its name and adds more cushion. The upper is a warp knit with a TPU cage, reflective details, and gaiter attachments. The midsole features Hoka’s Rocker Integrity Technology and a new dual-density midsole with a supercritical top layer.
The Vibram outsole has 5mm lugs with Traction lugs. For stack height, the women’s is 43mm/35mm and the men’s is 45mm/37mm.
In person, the shoe does not look or feel as massive or heavy as the stack specs indicate. Weight: 10.08oz/285g for women and 11.72oz/332g for men.
Scheduled for a Fall 2025 release.
Challenger 8 ($150)
Renee: The Challenger 8 is a Fall 2025 release, and we did not get a preview of the shoe at the Hoka booth during The Running Event (although I think the shoe was on display).
The two major changes to the Challenger are more foam underfoot and an improved fit. The women’s stack is 39mm/32mm, men’s is 42mm/34mm. The stack heights are increased and correspond to those of the Clifton 10, including sharing new higher 7- 8mm drops.
Labeled as a “gravel-grinding” workhorse, the Challenger is one of many 2025 shoes targeting gravel specific running. I found the previous version better on trails than gravel, so I look forward to testing version 8.
The upper is an engineered mesh with the midsole a compression molded EVA as before.
The orientation of the multi-directional 4mm lugs is reimagined for what Hoka calls “best all-terrain ride yet.” The shoe will be available in wide sizes.
Notes:
- RTR was not previewed all 2025 models at TRE and some updates will occur later in 2025 and were not displayed,
- 2025 Hoka stack heights are now “full” including outsole and sockliner whereas before they were midsole only.
Europe only: use RTR code RTR5ALL for 5% off all products, even sale products
7 comments:
The Cielo X1 2 stack height seems off as the shoe is already approved on the World Athletics' list? So it should be max 40mm.
@Anonym: both is correct; World Athletics is referencing a smaller shoe size.
so all hoka lineup are now over 40mm stack height, wider platform, softer, and heavier. Can't they think of any other "innovation" other than that every year? Their trail running shoes are now as heavy as hiking shoes!
why?
the mach lineup remains the only hoka worth considering... I hope they don't ruin the Mach 7 by making it over 40mm and wider/softer/heavier too...
world athletics referencing US9. The measurement here is for US10.
If "both are right", and the US10 measurement is 48-41, then the difference between the stack height of US10 to US9 is 8mm (because if the US9 is approved by WA then it has to be 40mm max in the heel), which doesn't make sense...
No new version of the Mach
According to the HOKA rep at TRE it’s US-M10 vs 8.5 for WA but indeed huge difference; they stated these stats on several occasions and it is already WA approved, so we have to take what we have until the first samples arrive.
Stack heights from Hoka now include insole and outsole, rather than only midsole. Total stacks will look lighter for that reason.
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