For an all-round high performer, the Hoka Speedgoat 4 is a good option. I purchased a pair of Speedgoat 4’s before running the 100 km White Rose Ultra. I had foolishly forgotten to properly check the course profile and discovered that it was 50/50 country roads and trails. The shoes I owned were better suited to technical trails, mountains, and heavy mud. What I needed was something that would be comfy on tarmac and trails.
Key Facts
- Vibram ® Megagrip Sole
- 5 mm lugs for added grip and stability
- 4 mm Drop
- 306 g per shoe
- Wide Fit Option
- £100 – £130
The Speedgoat 4 has an impressively cushioned sole, it looks more like my road shoes than the more aggressive trail shoes. This makes them very comfortable when transitioning between road and trail or when running compact sun baked summer trails. The Vibram ® Megagrip sole also gives excellent purchase on less stable surfaces, such as light mud.
I bought the Hoka Speedgoat 4’s for my first 100 km. I bought them close to the start date of the race and could not get them properly broken in. I will admit, I got a couple blisters but that is somewhat expected when tackling that kind of distance. I found the shoe comfortable when running on the roads and since the trails were not overly technical, they handled the muddy November paths wonderfully. I do find them a bit tight over the top of my foot but careful lacing deals with this.
Since the 100 km, I have used them in a variety of terrains. I do not have confidence in them when running a fast technical descent. The cushioned sole has too much roll in it for my personal taste but as I live in Bristol, most of my running is spent on road and local trails. For this, these are the perfect shoe.
Another very key feature for those with wide feet, Hoka offer a wide toe box range of the Speedgoat.
Final Thoughts
This shoe is perfect for city centre trails. If you need to run to and from a local trail and do not want to compromise on protection for the road and stability on the trail, look no further. In my opinion, if you want to run a technical mountain trail, these might not be the shoes for the job.
As an all-round excellent performer, the Hoka Speedgoat 4 are excellent.
