Hoka Speedgoat 5 vs Speedgoat 4 | Hoka One One Speedgoat 5 Review
“How Does the Speedgoat 5 Compare to the Speedgoat 4?”
Today we’re exploring the differences between the Speedgoat 4 and Speedgoat 5, before writing a dedicated review after an appropriate time to test the brand new Speedgoat 5.
The Hoka Speedgoat was designed as a versatile, well cushioned trail shoe.
The cushioning has a soft pillow-like feel to it, yet the shoes are fast feeling and surprisingly responsive. This has made them a very, very popular trail shoe!
Although the Speedgoat 4 is a great trail shoe, Hoka are in the pursuit of perfection. The Speedgoat 5 has some significant changes in comparison to the previous version and is in effect a mix of the Speedgoat 4 and the Speedgoat Evo.
The upper is now a jacquard upper and lost the welded overlays, making it lighter and softer. The Speedgoat 5 has the stretchy vamp that was on the Speedgoat EVO upper. This was designed to give a good hold of the foot on rough ground or while descending but allow the upper to expand slightly as your feet expand when they get warm. It is a stretchy piece of material that runs up the toe box and into the laces.
The midsole on the has also been taken from the Speedgoat EVO. It is slightly softer in feel than the midsole used on the Speedgoat 4.
The outsole used in the Speedgoat 5 is Vibram Mega Grip and is the same rubber used on the Speedgoat 4. The layout has been changed slightly to increase durability and grip.
There is a slightly different tongue shape, with a thinner gusset that gives the upper a bit more room through the midfoot.
The heel tab is now in the swallow tail shape used in Hoka road shoes. This makes the heel cup springier to give a snugger fit and moves the tab away from the Achilles to reduce any rubber.
The toe protector has been softened, which reduces the chance of it rubbing on your toes when you’re running up very steep climbs. The toe box has a straighter big toe line. The Speedgoat 4 has always had a very pointed toe box to reduce the chance of you slipping forwards in the shoes when running down long descents. This can causes problems with your toes when your feet expand. Each new version of the Speedgoat has had slightly more room in the toe box. It is more noticeable in the Speedgoat 5, as the toe box has a straighter big toe line and the upper is much softer and thinner. You feel like your toes have more wiggle room. Most runners won’t change their width fitting, they will just feel that their toes have a little more room.
The pictures attached show a Speedgoat 4 on one foot and a Speedgoat 5 on the other foot so you can see the slight difference in fit.
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