Hoka Mach 6 Review
Just in time for launch day thanks to a pair of Mach 6 sent early by our friends at Hoka, we’ve got our Hoka Mach 6 review.
What’s it for?
The Hoka Mach 6 is a neutral shoe designed for faster runs but with a soft enough ride and level of cushioning to be used as a daily running shoe.
Mach 5 vs. Mach 6
There are a number of marked differences between the Mach 6 and the the Mach 5, including the fit and the ride.
The Hoka Mach 6 has a narrower fit, with a slimmer snugger fitting toe box. The upper is constructed using a thin but durable jacquard mesh which offers a high level of breathability. The tongue is also very thin with no padding. The top part of the tongue is very soft and is cut to fit around your ankle. Despite he lack of padding I found the fit of the shoe very comfortable and didn’t experience any pressure from the laces on the top of my foot.
The heel cup and cuff of the shoe is also lightly padded. The stiffer plastic heel cup provides a secure and stable heel fit. There is also an extra lace hole that you can thread the laces through or use to butterfly lace the shoes if you feel you need the heel fit to be even snugger. The heel tab curves away from the Achilles tendon slightly to reduce the chance of any rubbing. The shape also pushes the heel cup inwards so it grips the heel.
I found that the fit of the Mach 6 held my foot in the shoe more securely than the Mach 5. The Mach 5 fit was adequate but the Mach 6 feels like it fits ‘like a glove’ for me.
The Mach 5 had a layer of soft Super Critical EVA on top of a firmer EVA. The midsole of the Mach 6 is made completely of Super Critical EVA. The outsole of the Mach 6 has the addition of outsole rubber. This is there to increase the durability and maintain the curved shape of the midsole. This does make the Mach 6 have a stiffer ride, but in my experience this stiffness has provided a much smoother ride than the Mach 5.
The stack height is 37mm in the heel and 32 mm in the forefoot which is only a millimetre less than the Hoka’s daily neutral training shoe the Hoka Clifton 9. Despite weighing only 224g in a men’s UK8 and 190g in a women’s UK5 they really do have enough cushioning to be used as a regular running shoe for those who don’t like to run slowly.
If you like to run your easy or recovery runs slowly then I would suggest that you use a different shoe, perhaps a Clifton or Bondi and you can check out our reviews. My experience with the Hoka Mach 6 is that it smoothly pushes up the pace, so even if you intend to have an easy ‘plod’ you find that you are cruising along much quicker. The cushioning is soft but you don’t sink into it. The curve of the shoe carries you from heel to forefoot smoothly, which makes them a lovely shoe for steady runs, tempo runs, threshold sessions etc.
Personally, I found the Mach 6 a great improvement on the Mach 5. The Mach 5 felt a bit ‘slappy’ when running on gradual downhills and although it facilitated fast running, it didn’t carry you along in the same way the Mach 6 does. The smoothness of the ride also makes the Mach 6 feel a lot lighter on your feet.
When I first put the Hoka Mach 6 on I was aware of the curve. It felt like my toes were pointing to the sky! The midsole doesn’t look anymore curved than the previous version of other Hoka shoes but the feeling was very noticeable. Once running the ride just felt very smooth. The shoes just gradually encouraged me to run quicker. My cadence increased and I felt as if I was flowing along.
The Hoka Mach 6 is also available in wide fit.
Summary
The Hoka Mach 6 is a neutral shoe that offers a smooth ride when running at a quick pace and after all, you shouldn’t be training in something like a carbon fibre plate shoe. There is enough cushioning to use these shoes regularly, so it’s not a strict race day shoe and you can do your mileage if you don’t want something that suits pure ‘slow plods’. There’s shoes like the Clifton and Bondi that are great for that. These are fun, smooth and light and good improvement on the Mach 5.
Other Considerations
Topo Cyclone 2: A more rounded toe box and more flexible shoe. Designed to help you run quicker but, to also encourage foot function. They also have a broader fit. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-cyclone-2-review/
Brooks Launch 10: Available in a neutral and a GTS version (anti-pronation). The foam isn’t as soft or bouncy which gives you more feel for the ground. Available in two width Men’s and two width Women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-launch-10-launch-gts-10-review/
Brooks Hyperion Max: A very similar shoe with a similar smooth ride. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-hyperion-max-review/
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