HOKA Speedgoat 6 vs Speedgoat 5 – Should you Upgrade?

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 is listed at 40mm in the heel and 35mm in for the forefoot in the men’s, for a 5mm drop. The HOKA Speedgoat 5 was listed at 32mm in the heel and 28mm in the forefoot, for a 4mm drop. But it’s not 100% clear whether HOKA changed the way it measures stack height, or the midsole stack has increased.

The new Speedgoat 6 has shaved a tiny slither off the weight of the Speedgoat 5. It now weighs in at 10oz – 0r 283g – in my UK men’s 8.5. The HOKA Speedgoat 5 was a wafer weightier at 10.3 oz or 291g.

When it comes to the dollars, the HOKA Speedgoat 6 price stays the same in the US. It will set you back $155. Though you might be able to find good deals on HOKA Speedgoat 5. At the recommended asking price, both shoes are a touch pricier than some alternatives. The Merrell Agility Peak 5 and the Nike Pegasus Trail 4 land at $140. While the New Balance FreshFoam Hierro V8 is $150.

Design

At first glance, there’s not a lot of visible difference between the Speedgoat 6 and the Speedgoat 5. Not like the jump from the HOKA Tecton X2 to the Tecton X3 where you’re getting what look like totally different shoes. The upgrades here are more subtle.

The main changes come in the upper and the midsole. The overarching aim here was to boost the durability rather than revolutionize the ride. But there are some differences to the running performance.

The midsole still uses a compression moulded EVA foam but the Speedgoat 6 deploys a new formula that HOKA says is lighter and aims to be more durable. One critique from some quarters was that the HOKA Speedgoat 5 midsole performance dropped off too soon. The foam bottomed out and deadened too soon. This tweaked foam formula aims to maintain the ride sensation better over the longer haul of the shoe’s lifespan.

There’s a new engineered woven material upper that’s also lighter, accounting for some of the weight saving. This is designed to be more hard wearing and retain its structure longer. 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 still very minimal overlays on the toe box. Like the Speedgoat 5, these provide a little extra protection against rocks but there are definitely more protective shoes out there.

The heel collars are pretty much identical, the same medium padding that’s nicely balanced. Both shoes also use gusseted tongues and the Speedgoat 6 has some additional strategic padding that was missing on the Speedgoat 5.

The dynamic vamp – a more flexible section in the middle of the toe box for additional stretch and flex – has been changed. The Speedgoat 6 uses a lighter, thinner material. There’s also a bit more of a rigid heel clip on the Speedgoat 6 and a new heel pull that wasn’t on the Speedgoat 5.

On the outsole, HOKA sticks with the 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 the new lug pattern hopes to improve grip. There’s also a slightly shallower channel in the middle that holds less mud. A minor bugbear with the Speedgoat 5.

Fit

I ran in my regular HOKA size – a US 9 – in both shoes. Now, HOKA shoes tend to fit snug but the changes to the uppers make the Speedgoat 6 notably more hugging than the Speedgoat 5. The Speedgoat 5 was never the roomiest shoe but the Speedgoat 6 fit even closer around the toe knuckles.

In both cases that close fit is fine for shorter runs on flatter trails. Plus it really limits unwanted movement in the shoe. The solid mid-foot lockdown means you’re unlikely to slip off the footbed, even on tight twists and turns. 

However, if you’re a fan of wiggle room in the toe box and a roomier fit, there’s a good argument to consider moving up half a size.

Performance

I’ve run 100s of miles in the HOKA Speedgoat 5 and around 30 miles in the Speedgoat 6.

The Speedgoat is one of my long-term favourite trail shoes . It suits the kind of rolling trails I run, nothing too steep and treacherous, often with 2-mile road commutes. I love the fact it handles softer and firmer ground equally well. There’s generally always been a good balance to the shoe. It’s protective, connected and just precise enough to handle a wide range of conditions underfoot.

Fortunately, I think the HOKA Speedgoat 6 sticks to that Goat DNA. The updates haven’t drastically altered the ride, the comfort or the performance.

When it comes to the ride, the switch up of that foam has improved the resilience to retain the response and cushioning longer into the shoe’s life. But it has lost a little of the softness. So if you bought the Goat for a bit of plushness, you’ll notice a shift here. I wouldn’t say it’s a deal breaker but it is a change to the underfoot feel. It’s worth checking out the Merrell Morphlite or even the Merrell Agility Peak 5 if you want something softer.

On the flipside, when you’re hitting trails that are flatter and more runnable, you get a bit more speed from the increased response in the Speedgoat 6. Plus, the Speedgoat 6 is still softer than shoes like the Inov-8 TrailyFly.

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.

I appreciate the small extra padding detail on the HOKA Speedgoat 6 tongues. It’s a small detail but if you’re planning long-haul ultras, it can take the edge of the lace lockdown, boosting that reliable comfort.

In my tests, I’ve not noticed much of a difference in the grip and traction on the trails. I have tested mainly in very dry conditions but I’d say the grip on the Speedgoat 5 and the Speedgoat 6 remains excellent offering about equal reliability. 

When it comes to durability, while some runners reported some struggles with the Speedgoat 5, I didn’t have too many problems. But I’ve not noticed any degradation in the midsole performance for the Speedgoat 6. So far there are no worrying signs of wear and tear. Those changes to boost durability appear to be effective.

My Verdict

This is evolution not revolution. The differences between the Speedgoat 5 and the Speedgoat 6 are quite subtle. That’s good news for Speedgoat fans as the HOKA Speedgoat 6 remains an excellent versatile, happy trail workhorse that’ll cope with mixed terrain and changes of pace.

Both of these off-roaders balance protection and stability with 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.

If you’re really sweating the details, the Speedgoat 5 is the slightly softer shoe that’ll offer a bit more plush protection. If you want firmer, snappier responsiveness, the Speedgoat 6 leans that way. 

Should you upgrade? If you own a good pair of Speedgoat 5 that are still alive and well, I don’t think there’s enough here to recommend an immediate switch up. The performance isn’t vastly different.

But when you’re in the market for a new shoe, the durability improvements to the Speedgoat 6 make it a better option. The only caveat: if you can find a Speedgoat 5 on a good deal – $100 or less – I’d be very tempted to go for that.