With wintrier temperatures imminent, Runssel intern Fabian takes an expert look at Hoka One One’s up-to-the-minute adding to their trail running artillery. After the big success of the Mafate it is time to tune up and have a go with the Hoka One One – Mafate Speed 2.

Lets check out what he has to say

Unpacking the box, the common sensation will hit Hoka newbies like me: The bulky looking runners are surprisingly low weight. Some lean 321 grams are pretty fair for a hover-crafty pair of sneakers.
The pure size of this piece of footwear appears aggressive. This is supported by the colourful contrasts. 4mm drop are just enough to offer a light support. But if the joggaholic is not used to low drop shoes, they will still wear the calves a little bit.
The extravagant colour scheme of our test gear is named “Mulberry Purple / Acid“.
The purple (haze inspired) design certainly stands out. Like it or not. Judge for yourself. They’ll be covered in mud soon anyway.
The general fit is great. The relatively large toe box should even be alright for Hobbit standards.

During all test rides, one issue unfortunately always occurred: the inner top lug for the shoestrings on the right shoe somehow stuck out towards the foot. This caused some major stress and chafing. It could be prevented by pulling the tongue to the side and covering the hole. But this method was only a short-term solution as the tongue usually moved back into its intended middle position. It’s a bummer as it makes running really uncomfortable, especially in wild terrain where your feet tumble quite a bit.
With this restructured style Hoka One One updates the deep Active Foot frame for support and enters a tuned Meta-Rocker to simplify smooth transitions through the gait cycle.
The Hoka signature feature obviously is the cushioning. It is especially soft and comfortable which slightly trades off against the directness of the shoe.

For the new version of the Mafate Hoka picks a conventional lacing system.
Some raw specifics – Offset: 4 mm, Forefoot: 29 mm and Heel: 33 mm
The 5 mm Vibram Mega-Grip profile makes sure your shielded properly on a variety of terrains.
Compared to other wholehearted off-road trainers with a spiky substructure, the Mafate Speed 2 even performs well on tarmac. No numbness whatsoever.

The profiled Vibram sole makes for outstanding grip. Regardless of the conditions or terrain, slipping is not an issue.
A fitting all-rounder with benefits on muggy and tricky off-road sections.
Other than that, the whole thing is remarkably flexible and supports a neutral and active stride. On the whole a great shoe for the daily mileage routine on the trails – if it wasn’t for the pinching shoestring lug.