First Look: Hoka Mafate 5 Offers Plush Ride for Distance on Trails

Two miles into the descent of a Colorado front-range trail, I dashed among sharp rocks as the early morning light intensified. I focused on my feet to keep pace along the technical trail that skirted a steep cliff to my right. I felt planted and firm on the ground even though I bounded on the thick midsole of Hoka’s newest trail running shoe, the Mafate 5.

I’d already decided that I liked the shoe, and knew where I’d use it in my quiver: longer distance days on moderately technical trails. With a high stack, responsive midsole, snug yet comfortable fit, and aggressive outsole, this shoe is made for long, fast days.

In short: The Hoke Mafate 5 is a very protective trail running shoe that is excellent on moderately technical trails. It offers a lot of cushion with its 44mm to 36mm (heel to toe) stack height. Hoka’s new Rocker Integrity Technology, essentially a curved TPU plate sandwiched in the midsole, helps maintain rocker shape over multiple miles for a snappy step. An aggressive Vibram outsole and forgiving, supportive upper round out a shoe that will give trail runners lots of protection for longer trail days.

Compare the Mafate 5 with others on our guide to the best trail running shoes.

Hoka Mafate 5 Review

To be transparent, I have had the Mafate 5 for about 2 weeks and only gotten to run in them a few times. My longest trail run so far was a 5-mile loop on the Colorado Front Range. I’ve also taken it out on several morning runs on mixed pavement, grass, and gravel.

This is a very early first look at a shoe that launched today. I do have some good, generally positive impressions of the shoe so far, but expect this review to be updated with more impressions soon.

Running the Beaver Brook/Chavez Trail loop near Evergreen, I found the shoes to be, first and foremost, protective. With 44mm of stack under the heel and 36mm under the forefoot, this is a thick shoe. It insulates the feet from both impact and irregularity in the trail surface, which protects feet over long miles on rocky or rough ground.

Of course, the downside of all this foam is a general loss of ground feel, which, in really technical terrain, means less proprioception and security. But it’s a tradeoff many runners are willing to make, especially when running trails that aren’t too dicey.

Initial Impressions

The Mafate 5 feels relatively fast for such a tall shoe. It’s soft, but not too soft, and gives a sensation of propulsion during a running stride at toe-off.

While running, there’s a bit of bounce in the middle of the stride — after landing and right before toe-off — which I took as a positive. The shoe feels efficient while keeping feet happy.

I attribute that feeling to the “Rocker Integrated Technology” that Hoka touts as a “suspended ride experience.” In the brand’s own words:

“[It’s] an innovative breakthrough that helps maintain rocker shape over multiple miles, this curved plate made from light, pliable TPU delivers snap with every step. Placed between a firmer SCF EVA layer directly underfoot and a softer CMEVA foam layer beneath it, the Mafate 5 boasts a suspended ride experience unlike its predecessors and redefines traditional dual-density foam systems. This new technology allows the shoe to absorb uneven terrain and adapt to the trail, while maintaining a responsive foot strike and efficient toe-off.“

Yes, that’s a lot of marketing jargon. But I must agree, the shoe feels responsive, yet protective.

Outsole

The Mafate 5 has a very aggressive Vibram outsole. I ran over hard-packed dirt, rock, and wet boulders, and through a stream and mud. I only slipped once, which happened after running out of a stream and directly onto smooth rock.

The wet sole skittered a little, and I was able to catch myself quickly. Other than that misstep, the shoes were very grippy on all surfaces.

The sole is great for most off-pavement surfaces, and I didn’t catch my toes at all, even when ascending, which I tend to do more than I like.

Midsole

Here lies the magic of the Mafate 5. The midsole is both plush and responsive, a tricky balance in a high-stack shoe. Hoka explains its design as a TPU plate sandwiched between two EVA foam layers with varying densities. Hoka clearly put a lot of thought and engineering into the midsole, but I’m focusing on how it feels on a runner’s foot.

While running, it doesn’t feel squishy, but it does have a little bit of bounce. It definitely promotes forward propulsion, and I noticed myself rolling quickly from a mid-foot landing to my forefoot and toe-off.

On uneven rock surfaces, the midsole allows the shoe to conform to the ground pretty well. This results in good traction and solid connection of the runner to the ground. I didn’t find myself lost in space, a sensation I have had from time to time on high-stack shoes.

Instead, the Mafate 5 gives enough feedback for the body’s natural instincts to remain. Proprioception is, while a little limited with the lack of ground feel, still pretty good.

I haven’t done any big outings on these yet. But I suspect it’ll be awesome when ticking off 20+ mile days. I’ll try to get out on a longer run in the coming weeks for an update to this section.

Upper, Laces

First off, I like the Mafate 5 laces. Nothing flashy here, the laces tie easily and stay tied. It seems silly to have to mention this, but I’ve experienced too many trail running shoes that overengineer laces, which then untie all the time. These are simple, good, and effective.

Below the laces, wrap-knit material with an anti-fray treatment forms the basis of the upper. It feels soft and stretchy, but keeps feet well anchored within the shoebed. They have a TPU cage that helps keep feet solidly in place. It also dried quickly after a dash through a stream and after some rainy hours at a campsite.

I did notice a little slop while sidehilling on steep terrain, something that I noticed more at hiking speed than while running. I personally think that the upper is very nice and aimed at trail runners going for long distances. But it’ll be a little soft for really technical or off-trail terrain. That’s not really the market for this shoe, so I think it’s a smart compromise to aim for comfort over rigid security.

I haven’t run this shoe enough to address durability, but after a couple of weeks, some runs, and a couple of days of wearing it around a campsite, the shoe doesn’t look any worse for the wear.

As a Hiking Shoe

Just a brief note here because many hikers consider trail running shoes for backpacking. The Mafate 5 is certainly a capable shoe that offers decent support and very good traction.

However, I personally found it a little bouncy for a walking gait. While moving from a full run to a hiking cadence for some longer climbs, I noticed that the shoe gives a little more rebound and cushion than I’d want if I were carrying a heavier backpack.

It’s entirely fine for power hiking during a long trail run. It still offers good rebound and an efficient stride. But if adding the weight of a backpack and slower pace, I’d probably choose something with less stack height and a firmer sole for a little more sound connection to the earth.

Hoka Mafate 5: Who Should Buy It

While it’s been a few years since I participated in an organized trail race, I still like big-mile days. And I think ultra-runners will appreciate the Mafate 5’s balance of cushion and performance. I know I’d have loved it on some 100-mile races where my feet screamed from abuse after many hours on the trail.

If you’re considering a high-stack shoe for long races or training days, I think the Mafate 5 should be right near the top of the list. I have a very average foot shape and find the width works very well for my feet. Those with very narrow or very wide feet may want to check out other options, as it seems the Mafate aims right down the middle of the fit spectrum.

I tested a size 9.5 and found it fits true to size.

Again, I still don’t have big miles on this shoe. My initial impressions are generally positive, with some withholdings for use as a hiking shoe. But outside of that non-core use case, I think the Hoka Mafate 5 will be a strong performer as a protective shoe aimed at long miles.

I plan to update this review after my next long-mile day. Until then, I think the Mafate 5 will be a great option for trail runners, especially those looking for a good blend of performance and protection.