Hoka Mach 6 running shoes

The March 2024 release of the follow-up to one of the most anticipated Hoka running shoes, the Hoka Mach 6 retains its character, a light, fast, soft bouncy running shoe without the carbon plate, but with a completely different feel to running in it than its predecessors. Many will like the changes, but some may not. The midsole material is new, made entirely of EVA-based supercritical foam, which is unique among all Hoka running shoes (so far), it finally got a rubber outsole and the upper has been redesigned a bit. What will be good news for everyone is that despite the changes, the price and weight of the shoe has not changed

The upper of the Hoka Mach 6 running shoe is made from the lightweight two-layer mesh material that Hoka has a proven track record for, which is breathable, soft, and comfortable. The tongue is paper-thin and fixed on both sides. The laces are flat, so if they are well sewn in, the thin tongue will give enough protection to prevent the laces from “biting”, which is helped by the fact that they don’t need to be pulled tightly because the upper is rather narrow in construction. The heel collar is high, stiff and rigid, with little cushioning, but it holds the foot very well. The upper is clearly optimised for performance and not comfort, but overall it has very good foot support and is more comfortable than the previous version.

The Hoka Mach 6 running shoe has a completely new midsole. Previously it was two layers, but now the entire midsole has been covered with an EVA-based supercritical foam. Supercritical foams are made using a special technology, the essence of which is, in short, that a gas is pressurised and heated to a temperature that reaches a critical state where the material is both liquid and gas. In this state, they mix it with the EVA foam in the liquid state, and thus create a microcellular foam with a very uniform distribution of gas bubbles. The material thus produced is lighter, has better mechanical properties and a better energy dissipation. The Mach 6 supercritical material is light, flexible, bouncy, has good energy dissipation properties and is highly flexible. That’s as far as the good news goes. In the previous version, a stiffer EVA foam was inserted under the supercritical foam to stiffen the midsole, making it more stable and better able to hold the rocking shape of the midsole, which is necessary for fast rollover. Since this extra layer is not in the Mach 6 running shoe, it is not as stable as its predecessor and the rollover is not as fast. The flexibility of the midsole has been further enhanced by the addition of a long groove in the middle of the midsole, which allows the midsole to flex in all directions. The midsole is definitely more suited to fast-paced runs, but it can also be used for longer distances compared to previous versions, as it is softer, bouncier and, due to the increased energy return, it takes longer to fatigue the foot.

The outsole of the Hoka Mach 6 running shoe has also changed a lot. Previously, there was no separate rubber outsole, with the lower, harder EVA layer of the midsole doing the job. Because this layer was thick, it gave a stiffness to the whole shoe, but it wore out very quickly and didn’t have good traction. Hoka’s engineers listened to the reviews and the new version got a rubber outsole layer, albeit not very thick. The rubber outsole is thin, not heavily grooved, and does not stiffen the midsole, but it can still give the shoe better traction. How durable it will be remains to be seen at the time of writing.

Over all, the Hoka Mach 6 is still a very good choice for faster workouts, but unlike the previous version, it is more comfortable, softer, and suitable for longer runs, making it versatile, but not as stable as the previous version. Durability is questionable, with the thin outsole and supercritical foam generally lasting less time, but Hoka engineers say the new version is more durable than its predecessor. If you want a sturdier, even faster shoe to race in, the Hoka Mach X 2, a carbon-plate version of the Mach 6 running shoe, is due out in a few months.