HOKA Mach 6 Review: The Perfect Mach?

Stack Height, Drop, Weight and Price

The HOKA Mach 6 stack height comes in the same as the Mach 5 with 37mm in the heel and 32mm in the forefoot in the men’s. The women’s shoe has 35mm in the heel and 30mm in the forefoot, for a 5mm drop on both.

Weight wise it comes in at 8.1oz in a US men’s 9.5 test shoe. That’s a saving about the weight of a large grape over the HOKA Mach 5. So it’s Princess and the Pea time if you’re noticing that.

The HOKA Mach 6 price at launch is the same price as the HOKA Mach 5. They’ll set you back $140. That’s $20 cheaper than the Mach X, $30 less than the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 and still represents solid value for a versatile daily trainer.

Design

There are some significant changes to the HOKA Mach 6. The big news here is the swaps from ProFly+ foam in the midsole for a single layer of supercritical EVA that HOKA says creates a more responsive ride.

Overall the midsole platform looks slightly more compact with about 1cm shaved off the length and some width cut from the widest part of the midsole and heel. There’s still a notable rocker.

The flex grooves are also gone and so is the exposed EVA foam ‘outsole’ that some found affected grip and durability on the Mach 5. That’s been replaced by a heavier duty rubber covering across a substantial portion of the outsole.

Up top you’ve got new creel jacquard mesh uppers with marginally more structure and a little less flex across the top of the toes. HOKA says the heel collars have been ‘streamlined’ but you’re still getting medium padded heel collars and there’s not a huge difference from the Mach 5 to the Mach 6.

The wrapping, gusseted tongues have also been ‘refined’ but they’re virtually identical to the previous gen Mach 5 and there’s an almost unchanged no-nonsense lacing structure that’s nicely robust.

Fit

In testing I ran in my regular HOKA running shoe size – a US 9.5. The fit is certainly secure, you might say snug and tighter than the Mach 5. As a result I had good, secure hold in the heels and across the midfoot with just about enough wiggle room across the top of the toes into the toe box. Though not much space lengthwise.

If you like it dialled in, you can probably get away with going true to size. I did. But if you have bigger or wider feet, prefer more room to flex, or plan to use this over longer distances (say 2 hours time on feet), it might be worth considering going half a size up. Or HOKA offers a wide option that might provide a roomier fit.

Performance

I loved the HOKA Mach 5 as a go-to versatile option you could pick out of the pile for a wide range of runs and the HOKA Mach 6 builds on that do-it-all performance and is now more adept at the upper paces.

In testing I’ve run around 40 miles in the Mach 6. That includes an all-out 10km race where I clocked a new PB, along with a good mix of marathon training sessions, from fast intervals and fartleks, to progression runs and slower, easier miles. I’ve done most of my miles on the road but some on light offroad river paths.

For my wider feet, the fit is snug rather than roomy but this is an easy shoe to slip into, no fiddling and fussing to get it positioned on the foot and there’s a comfortable, cushioned, disappearing feel overall. Like the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4, this is another shoe that feels ready to run the moment you lace it up.

I wasn’t 100% convinced about racing a 10km in the HOKA Mach 6. There are many other shoes in HOKA’s line up and beyond that you’d likely reach for first – the HOKA Cielo X, the HOKA Rocket X2, the HOKA Carbon X2. But I was pleasantly surprised. For a start it helped me to a 37:46 10km PB – shaving a whole two seconds off. But they all count right?

The HOKA Mach 6 certainly delivers when you’re moving in good form, with intent. There’s a snappy response to the rockered ride and a good return from the supercritical EVA that feels lively but balanced – and bouncier than the Mach 5.

It’s not aggressively springy. It doesn’t quite pack the pop of the Saucony Endorhpin Speed 4 and some runners may want more bounce. But when you’re clipping along with a high turnover, it gives back plenty.

The rocker and that new outsole adds some stiffness to boost the responsive ride and there’s a light precision to the midsole platform. Along with that improved grip, that makes the Mach 6 agile, stable and good for cornering at pace on a twisty course as well.

There’s also a good level of cushioning to take the edge of any road impact. You probably wouldn’t want to run a full marathon in them but I did an 18 mile progression run moving from easy to beyond marathon pace and they handled it all.

The new rubber outsole has worn well so far and looks to have beefed up the durability as well as the grip. It’ll be interesting to see how the supercritical midsole holds up to longer miles but so far there’s no worrying signs of deterioration.

My Verdict

The HOKA Mach 6 is a fun, light and lively, versatile do-it-all daily trainer that’s very good value for money – and a step on from the Mach 5. If you only want one shoe to cover a wide range of runs, this shoe can take care of them all.

There’s not much it can’t handle. It definitely has a faster, shorter sweet spot and it’s far from the big, soft pillowy easy-day shoes like the ASICS Gel Nimbus 26 or the Brooks Ghost Max. But there’s enough softness and protection in the midsole to cradle you on slower efforts should you need it.

I loved the no-nonsense simplicity to the design that makes it an easy shoe to pick out of a pile. If you’re a fan of subtle colourways, HOKA has ticked that box, too.

The big question: is it better than the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4? Probably not. But it’s certainly in the top five best daily trainers of 2024 so far. Is it faster than the Mach X? It’s certainly a close call and there’s definitely an argument for saving yourself $20 by buying the Mach 6.