HOKA Speedgoat 6 Review – Still the Versatile Trail G.O.A.T?

Stack Height, Drop, Weight and Price

Let’s kick off with the key specs, starting with the midsole stack. The HOKA Speedgoat 6 stack height comes in at 40mm in the heel and 35mm in for the forefoot in the men’s and 38mm / 35mm in the women’s. That’s one of the higher stacked trail shoes. Meanwhile, the drop comes in at 5mm in both shoes.

It weighs slightly less than the HOKA Speedgoat 5 at 10oz 0r 283g, in my UK men’s 8.5. The HOKA Speedgoat 5 was 10.3 oz or 291g. 

On price the HOKA Speedgoat 6 price stays the same in the US. It will set you back $155. That’s pricier than alternatives like the Merrell Agility Peak 5 ($140) and the Nike Pegasus Trail 4 ($140) and the New Balance FreshFoam Hierro V8 ($150)

Design

The Speedgoat 6 looks very much like the Speedgoat 5 and at a quick first glance, you’d think not a great deal has changed. But there are some important updates to the upper and the midsole, addressing some of the quirks of the Speedgoat 5 – largely aiming to boost the durability rather than significantly change the ride.

The midsole still features a compression moulded EVA foam but it’s a new formula that’s lighter and aims to be more durable. Some runners felt the ride dropped off too soon in the Speedgoat 5 and this tweaked foam formula aims to maintain the ride sensation better over the longer haul of the shoe’s lifespan.

Up top, there’s a new engineered woven material upper that’s also lighter. Again this also aims to be more hard wearing. There are now some additional internal supports – a kind of cage of tapes across the midfoot – that create a more locked-in, secure feel for moving with confidence over trickier terrain.

There’s some overlays on the toe box for a little extra protection but there are definitely more protective shoes out there. The heel collars are medium padded and you’ve got gusseted tongues and a dynamic vamp – a more flexible section in the middle of the toe box – that offers some additional stretch and flex. The Speedgoat 5 had the same but this new design is made from a different material. There’s also a bit more of a rigid heel clip here.

On the outsole, there’s a Vibram Megagrip rubber covering with 5mm multi-directional lugs. Overall, you’ve got about the same quantity of lugs as you had on the Speedgoat 5 but there’s a new lug pattern to improve grip, plus a slightly shallower channel in the middle that’s made to hold less mud. Something the Speedgoat 5 sometimes suffered from in stickier conditions.

Fit

A quick word on fit. HOKA shoes tend to fit snug and the Speedgoat 6 is no different. I ran in my regular HOKA size – a US 9 and the fit is definitely hugging without much room in the toe box. That’s fine for shorter runs on flatter trails and it does a good job of limiting unwanted movement in the shoe. There’s no sliding off the midsole with that secure midfoot lockdown.

Check Out My 7 Best Trail Running Shoes Here

However, if you like a roomier fit with lots of wiggle room in the toe box, space for your toes and feet to swell if you’re planning to run long, long ultra hours, it’ll probably pay to consider moving up half a size.

Performance

The HOKA Speedgoat is a long-term favourite trail shoe of mine. I find it treads the line between road and trail really well. It also handles the compact runnable, groomed off-road and more technical terrain really well. There’s generally always been a good balance to it. It’s protective, connected and just precise enough.

Fortunately I think the HOKA Speedgoat 6 lives up to that. The changes haven’t drastically altered what you get from the ride, comfort or performance.

In testing I’ve logged close to 30 miles in the Speedgoat 6. Much of that has been on more compact, groomed off-road. I’ve not pushed this up and down seriously steep mountain trails – I’m lacking that terrain where I live. But I have taken it on rolling hills, stoney ground, softer fields and woodland trails.

My longest run was 2 hours and I mixed up the tempo, from my plodding ultra pace to a faster trail marathon pace at sub-7 min miles.

The HOKA Speedgoat 6 offers good step-in comfort with a familiar HOKA feeling. If you’ve run in past generations of this shoe, it’s really more of the same rwith that close-fitting HOKA hug that initially can feel a shade narrow, if you have wider or higher feet. But overall, I found it easy to get them sitting comfortably on the foot and ran in comfort right from the start.

I appreciate the small extra padding detail on the tongues. If you’re planning long-haul ultras that can help take the edge of the lace lockdown, adding just a smidge of extra comfort.

The upper changes work. There’s a bit more structure to the weave that feels more supportive but also suggests it’ll wear better. And I’ll take the small weight savings even though I didn’t notice them that much versus the HOKA Speedgoat 5.

When it comes to the ride, I found it easy to settle into the shoe and I immediately recognized that protective but not over-cushioned Speedgoat ride. It’s medium to firm but nicely balanced with a good, reliable, wide platform that’s stable and offers just enough ground contact and control.

On road, you notice the grip of the 5mm lugs holding you to the road more than some road-to-trail shoes but it wasn’t too sticky and the new GOAT handles tarmac as well as the previous generations, thanks to the response you get from that midsole stack.

On the trail, in the harder and firmer conditions, where I tend to look for something a bit more forgiving in terms of cushioning it delivers, too. The new formula foam has swapped some softness for response but it’s still softer than something like the Inov-8 TrailyFly, though maybe not as soft as an ASICS Gel Trabuco or a Merrell Morphlite.

It’s not squidgy and loose underfoot and strides a happy middle ground. I found it nicely responsive with all the reliability in the landings, transitions and toe offs that I’ve enjoyed from previous Speedgoats. It’s a shoe you know where you’re at with. The grip is excellent too. It stuck to everything I ran across, though admittedly I tested in mainly dry conditions.

It performed well across my range of paces, happily eating the trail at a slower and heavier clip but delivering control and response when I moved up to my fastest trail pace. I found I could plod or power in the HOKA Speedgoat 6. It’s not an all-out stripped back trail racer but it’s no slouch.

When it comes to the durability, I’ve not noticed any degradation in the midsole performance and so far there are no worrying signs of wear and tear. It feels like a shoe that should have a competitive lifespan.

My Verdict

For me the HOKA Speedgoat 6 remains a happy trail workhorse. A versatile shoe that balances protection, stability and lightness and control with enough precision to take on the technical stuff but enough cushion to eat up a mix of road and trail over the long haul. There’s also good response for when things get hard packed and more runnable. It’s a shoe I’d happily choose to go get lost on rolling trails for an afternoon.

The HOKA Speedgoat 6 updates stay true to the Speedgoat’s DNA and it still delivers exactly what I love about this shoe but with a little weight saving, uppers that should hold shape longer and a ride that’s slightly less plush but more responsive and grip that’s on par with the Speedgoat 5.

For Speedgoat fans and trail runners who might only want one off-road shoe, the Speedgoat 6 retains the do-it-all prowess that’s a big part of the appeal.

If you own a good pair of Speedgoat 5 that are still going strong, there’s not enough here to recommend an immediate upgrade. But when the time comes, those durability improvements do make the Speedgoat 6 a better option. Though if you can find a Speedgoat 5 on a good deal, I’d also go for that.

As for the alternatives, the HOKA Speedgoat 6 has stiffer competition now and there are other great options that deliver a similar ride, including the Merrell Agility Peak 5, the Merrell Morphlite and the Adidas Terrex Agravic 3. All good alternatives worth a look.