Our reviews are 100% organic. We do not accept payment for reviews or bundle with advertising budgets. In most cases, the brand is providing the product to our reviewers free of charge. There has been a recent trend among brands to create trail running shoes that are the equivalent of gravel mountain biking tires, with enough traction to handle tricky terrain but smooth enough to roll easily on flat surfaces. HOKA’s Mafate X, if we continue the off-road bike analogy, is the 29-inch wheel equivalent: bigger and sturdier, with a smoother overall ride, but somewhat challenged for high agility demands.
The shoe’s nomenclature may cause some confusion with longtime HOKA fans, as the Mafate line can be hard to keep track of. In addition to the early standard model progression, Mafate had Speed versions and EVO versions before the Mafate Speed 4 merged those two lines. The Mafate X introduces a number of new elements – most notably a carbon plate, which HOKA designates with the X – but the regular Mafate line will continue this fall with the Mafate 5, and drops the Speed from its name. So, while this shoe has the Mafate name, don’t expect it to have much in common with any of the Mafate shoes.
In addition to the carbon plate, the most notable feature of the Mafate X is its sheer size. This is a big shoe, with very high stack heights, expansive midsole volume and consequently, additional weight compared to other shoes in the HOKA trail lineup. It is billed as a trail titan that can provide all-day comfort for long-haul efforts, particularly on gravel surfaces and mild to moderate terrain. We have logged almost 200 miles on our pair, including multi-hour efforts in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and found that it provides a great ride quality on virtually all surfaces and can handle technical terrain well when being a little more deliberate about foot placement.
Uppers of the Mafate X are made from a woven mesh that has nice durability and breathability and dries reasonably well after stream crossings. There is enough space across the forefoot and above the toes for foot expansion with heat or high mileage, and a dynamic vamp above the forefoot midline adds flexibility when needed. A gusseted tongue anchors the foot in place and secures it to the midfoot well, which is one factor in improving stability for a high stack height.
For obvious reasons, the midsole is what defines the Mafate X, and not just for the incorporation of a carbon plate. Two separate compound layers sandwich the plate and add their own characteristic dynamics to the overall ride quality. Directly underfoot is a layer of PEBA super foam that is lightweight and resilient, and built to provide high energy return and responsiveness. This layer is thicker in the forefoot, to create a snappy toe-off, and works in conjunction with the carbon plate to further enhance this phase of gait. Surrounding the PEBA layer and the forked carbon plate is a mass of super critical EVA foam that provides exceptional cushioning and the feeling of being able to roll over any trail obstacle, in similar fashion to a thick mountainbike wheel.
The entire midsole is crafted with metarocker geometry that helps the foot roll forward upon impact. While this is standard for most HOKA trail models, we were curious about how it would work on a shoe with a more significant heel to toe drop (8mm) than previous models. From our testing, the increased drop isn’t super noticeable, and the Mafate X definitely has an ease of propulsion when pushing the pace on flat or downhill segments of trail that matches or exceeds virtually any shoe we have tested. However, when going uphill, the excess weight and bulk of the shoe becomes more apparent, and it’s hard to maintain a snappy turnover when shortening your cadence on steep slopes.
A primary concern for high stack height shoes is their stability on technical terrain. One way the Mafate X addresses this is with the dual fork carbon plate that allows for adaptability to terrain; if you are only catching part of the underfoot surface on a rock or root, the other part of the shoe doesn’t get torqued unnecessarily. However, the primary contributor to stability is the very wide base of support, particularly in the rearfoot. When testing this shoe on steep technical mountain terrain, we felt far more stable than we have in several lower stack height models from other brands that weren’t as fully built out around the perimeter. Again, this adds volume and weight to the overall shoe, but we’d gladly trade an ounce here and millimeter there to minimize the propensity of frequently rolled ankles. In similar fashion, the Vibram Megagrip outsole has 3mm lugs (shaped like tacos and pizza slices) that provide solid but not aggressive grip in most conditions. Its coverage is selective to save a bit of weight, but all of the key impact and wear areas are properly included.
When considering the Mafate X, it’s important to be honest about what category of trail runner you are. For speedsters and gazelles, it’s too much shoe, too heavy and clunky to maintain quick agility when travelling at pace on technical terrain. For mid-packers or slower runners, it provides a plush ride with strong responsiveness to push the pace on flats or moderate downhills, and is perfectly capable of navigating technical ground when you’re more deliberate about picking your lines. It packs more than enough comfort and durability to carry you 100 miles or beyond, so long as you’re primarily concerned with enjoying the ride.
The HOKA Mafate X is available in men’s and women’s sizing at www.hoka.com.
Features and Specs:
- Weight: 12.1oz men’s / 10.3oz women’s
- Stack Height (heel/toe, in mm): 49/41
- Heel-Toe Drop (mm): 8mm
- Upper: Woven textile with TPU overlays and dynamic vamp
- Gusseted tongue
- Midsole: PEBA core with carbon fiber plate, supercritical EVA carrier, metarocker geometry
- Outsole: Vibram Megagrip with 3.5mm lugs
- MSRP: $225