Article by Renee Krusemark, Ben David, Reed Breuer, and Caroline Weiler
Hoka Challenger 8 ($155)
Pros:
Comfortable yet responsive midsole: Renee/Ben/Caroline
Good stack to weight ratio: Renee/Ben/Reed/Caroline
- Outsole versatile for gravel, moderate trail: Renee/Ben/Reed/Caroline
Roomy relaxed fit: Reed
Cons:
Feels a bit narrow on the medial side: Renee
- Less forefoot protection than v7: Renee/Reed
- Too mushy: Reed
Stats
Spec Weight: men's 11.3 oz / 320g US9 // women’s 8.2 oz / 232g US8
Sample Weight:
women’s 8 oz / 227g US7.5
Stack Height
men’s v8 42 mm heel / 34 mm forefoot, 8mm drop
men’s v7 37 mm heel / 32 mm forefoot, 5mm drop
women’s v8: 39mm heel / 32mm forefoot, 7mm drop
women’s v7: 34mm heel / 30mm forefoot, 5mm drop
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
Ben: Hoka has crafted another great door-to-trail option with the Challenger 8. One of the staples in the Hoka trail lineup, the Challenger has been a trusted choice for years now. The Challenger 8 is a robust, reliable, well-cushioned shoe that will work well on the roads and most trails. At $155, runners get a shoe that is dependable, versatile and durable.
Upon step-in I found that my size 9 fit just right, with a bit of room still in the toe box. It does not run narrow and offers ample volume, which is always appreciated. For a few years early on, the Challenger was in fact my daily trainer of choice. I liked it more than Clifton and appreciated its range and versatility. Incidentally, both the Clifton and the Challenger are arguably as good now as ever before.
Renee: For me, the previous version–the Challenger 7–is one of the “hybrid” shoes that actually runs better on trails than gravel roads. Of course, the durability on trails is lacking but it’s really a no nonsense shoe. The Challenger 8 has a different purpose, at least for me. At $155, I would expect the upper to have more security for trail purposes, but it is comfortable. The fit is similar to the previous version. The minimal mesh upper has some breathability in the toe box and the toe bumper gives some protection for trails. The tongue is plush, and overall the comfort is felt as soon as you place your foot. Importantly, I find both v7 and v8 to run narrow in the medial side. That was an issue for me when running on gravel roads. On trails, the narrowness is not an issue because I’m not striking consistently from my forefoot.
For anything flat or rolling, I wouldn’t wear the shoe for more than 10 miles. I wore the v7 for a 50 miler and had no issues. I give v8 the same usage. So, while I think the midsole actually favors more runnable terrain, the narrowness limits the distance. I don’t feel the narrowness when walking or when constantly descending/ascending. If I was purchasing this shoe for easy terrain, I’d try the wide version.
Caroline: My first impression of the shoes is just how light they are! Hoka continues to deliver a shoe that barely feels like it’s on your foot.
I really like how minimal the arch is in these, as some older generation Hoka’s I’ve had feel like the arch is digging quite aggressively into my foot. The Challenger 8’s don’t feel that way at all.
As I tend to fluctuate between a womens’ 10 and a 10.5 I was glad to have gone with the 10.5, and felt there was just the right amount of space in the toebox. Although my foot isn’t traditionally very narrow, I did feel like I needed to tighten the laces down a bit more to secure the lateral movement of my foot in the shoe.
Reed: As a huge fan of the Challenger 7, I came into this review hoping for another trusty jack-of-all-trades shoe. I liked the 7 enough to race Western States 100 in it a couple years ago, and my second pair is nearing retirement but it’s still among my top choices for my typical daily runs on the groomed and dry trails of Northern California.
The Challenger 8 comes to play with an advertised more cushioned ride compared to the 7. I find that the increased stack doesn’t provide a more cushioned ride in the way I anticipated, but the Challenger still occupies a place as Hoka’s hybrid trainer that I think many people will enjoy.
Upon step-in, I still find this to be a comfortable shoe with a plush feel at a very acceptable weight, 10.6 oz for my US M11 which is very competitive weight for a trainer. (My v7 was 9.8 oz) I did quickly notice that I needed to snug the laces down more than in the v7 and I do get some bunching of the upper around the forefoot (have not yet felt it while running).
I tried comparing my Challenger 7 with the new v8, but my 7s with 400 miles on them now are so packed out that the platform is a quite different shape and thus comparisons would be useless. In a side by side wear test, there’s clearly more security from the upper of the v7 even in my well worn pair.
I surprisingly didn’t notice the added 3mm of drop in my test runs, which mirrors my experience earlier this year with the Clifton 10 which got the same treatment.
Midsole & Platform
Renee: Important to note is the Hoka now lists stack heights including the insole and outsole, so if you’re looking at listed stacks for v7 online, those don’t include total stack.
The midsole immediately feels different than the previous version, which I still have. The men’s and women’s versions of the shoe have different stacks, so I think the comparisons might be differ some. I have the women’s version in both.
The v8 has 2mm more stack in the heel (measured) with a stated drop of 7mm. For the women’s version, I can feel the higher stack in the heel but the forefoot feels less protective.
This is caused not only by the higher drop but also from the midsole. The midsole itself has more forgivingness than v7 and compresses more easily. All of that adds to a faster, peppy ride. On the downhills the shoe is fun (aided by the outsole, which I’ll discuss in the next section). The shoe flexes well and the rocker is in no way overbearing.
Ben: As Renee notes, this is a plush, forgiving midsole that offers good comfort on the roads or the trails. It’s not super responsive but it’s also not overly mushy. The shoe is not built to go fast but it also won’t hold anyone back I suspect. I picked it up a bit on 1-2 runs and found that the shoe was up to the task. The compression molded EVA and the increased stack make it pleasant to run in at most paces. Again, this isn’t a race shoe so the expectations have to be in the right place. This shoe is ready for long, easy days on either the roads, the trails or a combination of the two.
Caroline: The runs I took this shoe on were all quite steep and I always like having a higher drop shoe for the steeps, so the 7mm was perfect.
The only issue I had was when I tried to go quick on the downhill, uneven terrain, my foot seemed to slide a bit to one side or the other inside the shoe. It could be that I needed to tighten the laces, or my foot doesn’t fit the width of the shoe quite right.
Uphill and the flat sections when I tried to pick up the pace felt perfect though. I can see this shoe being something I wouldn’t mind taking on a variety of terrain, and am excited to try it out for an ultra distance next in the near future.
Reed: The midsole here leaves me scratching my head a little as I’ve tried to figure out what Hoka’s aim is for the direction of the Challenger. The 7 had plenty of cushion although it wasn’t a super soft shoe. It had plenty of pep and could handle relatively technical terrain as well as roads of any kind.
The new midsole here, although a higher stack, doesn’t feel more protective. It feels mushy and more flexible, and when paired with a less structured or just roomier upper, you get a sloppy shoe.
The ride is acceptable but less economical than the 7. The ride is friendly at a slow pace but lacks responsiveness for me even at normal training paces. I’ve tested the shoe during moderate intervals and hard strides and find the mushiness consistent at all paces.
It’s kind of a shame I liked the 7 so much, because, I don’t think I’d be complaining about the ride of the 8 if it didn’t fall so short of the 7 for me. I should also note that I noticed midsole breakdown/ break-in after just a few short runs, way more than I normally would.
I now have 80 miles or so in them and haven’t noticed further breakdown, so I’m hopeful that I can still comfortably get 400 miles in them. For reference, I retired my first pair of 7s at ~400mi and my second pair is nearing retirement at 350. I’m sure I could have easily hit 600 in my previous pairs but I play it fairly safe these days.
I would take this shoe on long runs of several hours, but I think the future of this pair for me is general easy runs on mild terrain. I’d choose something else for workouts or long runs where I’d need more security on trails.
I should note that I did begin to wear this shoe with a Currex insole after a few runs because the medial side of my big toe and forefoot began to rub against the shoe. I did experience this in the 7 as well for at big toe but not the forefoot. I attribute the difference to the higher volume - my foot must be sliding around more. I do not wear insoles in any other shoe besides the Challenger series, as something about the Challenger has always challenged my big toe.
Outsole
Renee: Renee: The 4mm lugs have some bite, which is an upgrade from the previous version, at least when running loose terrain. No, it’s not Vibram but the shoe’s intended use does not warrant a super-technical outsole or a more costly rubber outsole component. As stated in the midsole section, the midsole has more pep than v7. For hilly terrain with loose gravel, the outsole gives traction. I was sure footed when running fast downhill and had enough grip to run uphill without slipping.
Ben: The lugs underfoot offer ample traction and support. As Renee notes, the traction is not top tier, but it will work for most moderate trails and certainly for door-to-trail runners. There is significant coverage and the shoe will handle most terrain and most conditions. I never felt uneasy or unsure on less stable surfaces or when going down hill at higher speeds.
Caroline: One of the runs I took the shoe on was a vertical kilometer near the foothills of SLC. This particular trail is known to be quite loose and steep in certain sections, so I wanted to see how the sole would feel on steeper and much more uneven terrain. The loose descent was steep and rowdy, but I felt totally in control with the shoes, and although impossible not to slip at all on such terrain, was pleased with how the lugs felt supportive enough to keep me upright. I took the shoes to the trails each time I ran, but the lugs don’t feel aggressive enough that I would notice them on packed dirt or even the road.
Reed: Not much to say about the outsole for me. It’s changed a bit, with 4mm now instead of possibly 3mm previously, but for the intended use of shoe, I don’t think deeper lugs were needed. This could be a very attractive change for some people, but I hope it didn’t come with a weight penalty as the shoe did gain 0.8 oz in my size (likely more so from midsole). The general layout of the pieces of rubber mostly mirror the 7, so any changes in flexibility are coming more from the midsole durometer.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
Renee: The Challenger 8 is a true hybrid shoe. While not the best shoe for any specific terrain, it’s one of the best shoes for runners who need one shoe for everything. I did not run on pavement with this shoe, but on packed dirt and gravel, it’s a comfortable ride. The fit is narrow on the medial side. Any runner who finds that Hoka shoes are narrow, might opt for the wide version if running more road-type surfaces. On trails, I don’t notice the narrow fit (same as v7).
The ride is quicker and more fun thanks to the midsole, which is more forgiving and more responsive than before. That said, for trail, especially ultra distances, I found the forefoot to have less protection (less stack under the forefoot because of the drop at least in the women’s version).
I know many runners who use the Challenger for ultras on trails because it’s lightweight with enough stack. In those cases, I suggest looking at the men’s version which has a higher stack than the women’s version.
In sum, if you loved v7 for runnable terrain you might like v8 better. If you loved v7 for ultras on trail, you might find the forefoot comfort to be slightly less in v8.
Renee’s Score: 9.1/10
(Ride 10/10, Fit 8/10, Value 9/10, Style 10/10, Traction 10/10, Protection 8/10)
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Caroline: My experience with Hokas is that they are incredible shoes for the time that you run in them, but they don’t last. The light weight cushion is light for a reason, and it can easily compress. With more shoe brands coming out with longer lasting and more sustainably built shoes, I wish Hoka would get on board with something a bit more durable.
Caroline: 8.7/10
Ride:9/10, Fit 8.5/10, Value 8/10, style 10/10, Traction 9/10, Protection 8/10
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Ben: The Challenger 8 is a refreshing, highly user-friendly trail shoe from Hoka. It continues what has been a successful line for the brand that continues to make its presence felt in trail running. This shoe is not designed for the most intense or aggressive trail running or the most extreme training.
The Challenger 8 works for the door-to-trail runner who is up for easy miles on the roads and comfortable miles on the trail. The fit is good. The upper is very good and the outsole offers significant coverage, grip and protection.
This is the type of shoe that could do it all if needed. It probably will not be the number one choice for ultras, but luckily Hoka offers models that are. This is a likable, wearable shoe that will work for most of us.
Ben’s Score: 9.4/10
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Reed: If I’d have skipped the 7 I think I’d like this shoe, but the mushiness and lack of protection limit its use for me. I have a quite narrow foot and the added volume really impacted the security on trails for me. Heavier, less fun, and likely less durable than its prior version. Sigh.
Reed’s Score: 7.6/10
Ride: 7.5/10, Fit 7/10, Value 8/10, Style 9/10, Traction 9/10, Protection 7/10
7 Comparisons
Hoka Challenger v7 (RTR Review)
Renee: The midsole has more forgiveness and responsiveness in the new version in comparison. The ride rolls faster on rolling terrain because of the midsole and the now 7-8mm drop. The previous version had a firmer midsole and more protection under the forefoot, perhaps giving a slight edge for those using it on single track trails at ultra distances. Both shoes feel narrow to me on the medial side when on runnable or easy terrain, but I don’t notice the narrowness when on trails. The lugs on v8 have better traction on loose gravel. Sizing is similar.
Reed: I find the midsole to be less responsive in the new version. The 7 was firmer and more supportive which made it handle moderate trails better than the 8. I raced in the 7 as I found it light, comfortable, and reliable, but I wouldn’t race in the 8. Traction is likely improved in the 8 although not significantly.
Hoka Torrent 4 (RTR Review)
Renee: The Torrent v4, unlike previous versions, has a midfoot rocker. I’d like to see the Torrent revert back to a traditional geometry to distinguish it from the Challenger. Both shoes are narrow on the medial side, although the Challenger midfoot seems to irritate my foot less. The Challenger’s outsole now has a bit better grip, making these two shoes too similar in my opinion. In theory, go with the Torrent for trail and the Challenger on moderate terrain. Sizing is similar.
Caroline: The Hoka Challenger 8 felt reminiscent of running in the Hoka Torrent, although I haven’t tried the current model 4 of that shoe. I enjoy the low profile arch, and breathable feel of the upper tha both shoes provide. The Challenger 8 definitely has thicker foam and more cushion than the Torrent, but the feel on the foot was quite similar.
Hoka Clifton 10 (RTR Review)
Ben: This Challenger 8 feels in a lot of ways like the trail companion to the Clifton 10, whether intentionally or not. I really enjoyed both and believe that they’re both adept at light trails as well as the roads. The ride is rather similar in both, with well-padded, plush uppers and great heel counters. The Challenger 8 is a bit more protective, particularly in the toe box, but somewhat heavier. The Challenger 8 is likely the more versatile shoe if one was looking for a single, do-it-all shoe.
Reed: Piggybacking on Ben’s comment, I think it was 100% intentional by Hoka to have the changes in the Clifton and Challenger mirror each other. I found the Clifton update to be very comfortable - I thought the added cushion felt nice without negative consequences, and I appreciated the roomier toebox. I’ll disagree with Ben - I think the Clifton 10 is a better do-it-all shoe for road or light trail.
On Cloudsurfer Trail 2 (RTR Review)
Renee: The Challenger is much better for trails in every way. The CS Trail 2 is comfortable and fine for flat bike paths, but not nearly as versatile as the Challenger. The CS Trail has a shallow and narrow toebox. I recommend a half size longer in the CS Trail 2 as compared to the Challenger.
Ben: As Renee says, the Challenger 8 is much more durable, versatile and cutout for trail running. It has more heft, more protection around the toe box and better fit.
Merrell ProMorph (RTR Review)
Renee: The ProMorph has more of a rocker than the Challenger and I found the midsole to be firm whereas the Challenger’s new midsole has forgiveness and pep. The ProMorph has a Vibram outsole, so the tackiness on wet terrain is better although the outsole doesn’t have true lugs. For traction on gravel the Challenger lug pattern works better. I recommend a half size smaller in the Challenger as compared to the ProMorph.
Nike Pegasus Trail 5 (RTR Review)
Renee: With the 8mm and more forgiving midsole, the Challenger 8 is now more similar to Peg Trail 5 than the previous version. For trail the Challenger is more protective and cushioned. The Peg Trail 5 is a more easy trail and road shoe than the more versatile Challenger. The Challenger is more narrow on the medial side while the Peg Trail 5 is a bit more roomy. I wear a half size shorter in the Hoka but I’m between half sizes and most runners can probably wear the same size in both shoes.
Ben: This is a good comparison. Both fit my size 9 very well. Both are very comfortable and well-cushioned. Both offer moderate stability on the roads and light trails. The Pegasus Trail 5 runs a bit narrower than the Challenger 8, as is common for Nike shoes. The Hoka offers more room in the toe box and slightly more protection underfoot.
Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL (RTR Review)
Reed: I found the GRVL to be a fun hybrid option with tons of cushion that was just stable enough for light trails but unsuitable for rocky trails due to the high stack. The Challenger could likely handle a little tougher terrain but it lacks the bounce and energy of the GRVL. The difference in outsole designs lead to the Challenger having better traction, but the GRVL felt smoother on roads due to its outsole design. Both options are suitable for average width feet but I got better lockdown from the upper in the GRVL, which was unexpected.
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Tester Profiles
Renee is a former U.S. Marine journalist, which is when her enjoyment of running and writing started. She isn’t that awesome of a runner, but she tries really hard. Most of her weekly 50-60 miles take place on rural country roads in Nebraska, meaning mud, gravel, dirt, hills, and the occasional field. She has PR’s of 1:30:59 for the half marathon and 3:26:45 for the marathon.
Ben is the Senior Rabbi of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel of Elkins Park, PA. A cancer survivor, he has run 23 marathons. He holds PRs of 3:15 for the marathon and 1:30 for the half. At 46, he still enjoys pushing himself and combining his running with supporting a variety of causes. Follow him on Instagram: @RabbiBPD or Twitter: @BDinPA
Caroline was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah and still calls the area her home. She competed in track and field and cross country at Utah State University but a summer working in Yosemite ignited a love for trails and she quit running in circles that same year. Since then she’s explored various types of movements in the mountains, enjoying backcountry skiing when the snow falls, gravel riding, and of course, running. With the Wasatch mountains in her backyard and the Salt Lake Valley being a stone's throw from some amazing terrain in neighboring states, she loves spending long days in the mountains near home or traveling to discover new routes, races and places.
Reed, 32 years old from Auburn, CA. Reed began running at age 18 and did the classic track/cross country route through college. After college he ran a couple road marathons and started racing on trails in 2017. He moved from Sacramento to Auburn in 2023 to live closer to the historic Western States 100 course and he primarily trains and races on trails from 50k to 100mi. He has run a 15:28 5k and 2:28 marathon and is locally competitive in races of any surface or distance. He previously worked at a local running shoe store and is starting a coaching business on the side (capital-endurance.com). He is a closeted heel-striker and over-pronator with a very low-volume foot.
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