Advice for Trail Runners: Looking for maximum grip and comfort on trails? The HOKA Women's Speedgoat 5 in the Sunlit Ocean/Night Sky colourway are one of our top recommendations. Its incredible grip and cushioning performs on the toughest runs.
Underfoot Feel
The HOKA Women's Speedgoat 5 feels more cushioned than a lot of road running shoes. That's because the midsole features a thick layer of CMEVA foam. The midsole also has a Meta-Rocker. To explain further, the curved midsole rolls your feet forward. A bit like if you had wheels under you. Not only does this lower the work done by your calf muscles, it makes downhill running feel less impactful.
The chances of slipping on wet rock are significantly reduced as a result of the Vibram MegaGrip with Traction Lug outsole. Widely regarded as one of the grippiest outsoles, the HOKA Speedgoat grip performs on lots of surfaces. The 5 mm lugs are also stepped. This increases the surface area on slippery terrain and outperforms standard lug shapes.
Upper Fit
The HOKA Speedgoat 5 features an elasticated section across the top of the toe box. This means it accommodates a range of foot shapes and adapts if your feet swell on long runs. A premium double-layered engineered mesh minimises rubbing and friction. For the avoidance of doubt, a rubber toe cap adds durability and protection.
Ideal Run Type
If you're running over a wide range of surfaces, including steep ascents and descents, we highly recommend the HOKA Women's Speedgoat 5 trail running shoes. That's because the Vibram grip outsole performs so well on wet, dry, compact and loose surfaces.
The supportive and highly cushioned midsole is perfect for long distances, particularly if you're training for ultra distances. These attributes make the HOKA Speedgoat 5 a great option for any distance of trail runs on compact ground. For example, if you have some road sections before and after the trail part of your run, these will feel great.
However, if you're not running on overly technical trail terrain, you may want to check out the HOKA .
Shoe size is a personal preference and everyone's feet are different, but we want to ensure you avoid any pain or discomfort from bruised toenails, rubbing, blistering or pins and needles.
Your running shoes should have enough width to allow you to spread your toes and should have some space at the front (we recommend having a half to one thumb's width of space from the end of your longest toe to the front of your running shoes).
This usually means that your running shoe will be at least a half size bigger than your regular shoe size though this can vary from brand to brand.
Technical Features
- Approximate weight: 226 grams
- Forefoot stack height: 26 mm
- Heel stack height: 30 mm
- Drop: 4 mm
- 5 mm lugs
- Vibram MegaGrip with Traction Lug outsole features stepped lugs for fantastic grip on varied terrain
- Rubber toe cap adds durability and protection
- Active Foot Frame supports and stabilises the foot
