Hey people, welcome to The Run Testers and our review of the new HOKA Mach 6. The HOKA Mach 6 has some big updates including a new supercritical EVA midsole, modified uppers and new outsole rubber to boost durability. But does it stack up to a winning combination? And improve on the already excellent HOKA Mach 5? Hit play for our HOKA Mach 6 review.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:34 – Design Details
1:09 – Shoe Whip Round
2:24 – HOKA Mach 6 Fit
4:34 – HOKA Mach 6 Run Test
13:43 – HOKA Mach 6 Verdict
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Hey people welcome to the Run testers so The Mac is back the Mac 6 we've done our Test miles and we're ready to give you Our verdict on hooker's popular vertile Daily trainer it's been given a pretty Substantial overhaul the headline Updates include a new super critical Midsole foam streamline jackard mesh Uppers and a revamped rubber out soole But it's still built for the same job in Your rotation to be Snappy and Responsive enough to handle faster Efforts and cushioned enough to kick Back in Comfort on the easier miles 2 so Is this a successful Return of the Mac Let's get into our Hoka Max 6 review to Find Out those quick important details then The Mac 6 stack height comes in the same As the Mac 5 37 Ms in the hill 32 in the 4ot in the men's 35 in the hill 30 in The four foot in the women's for a 5 mil Drop on both Weight Wise it comes in 8.1 O or 230 G that's a weight saving of About kind of one large grape over the Hok ma 5 so barely any difference on Price they're sticking at the $140 in The US but in the UK you'll now pay £10 More than you did for the Mac 5 these Are now £40 so let's take a closer look at the Shoe then and there are some significant Changes to the Hoka Max 6 the big news Here is that hoker has swapped the proly
Plus foam in the midsole for a single Layer of super critical Eva the hoker Says creates a more responsive ride Overall the midsole platform looks Slightly more compact it's about 1 cm Shaved off the length and some width cut From the widest part of the mids and the Heel there's still a notable roering Here and up top you've got new creel Jackard mesh uppers with marginally more Structure than you had in the last shoe And a little less Flex across the top of The toes hocus says the heel colors have Been streamlined but you're still Getting medium padded heel colors here And there's not a huge difference Between this and the Mac 5 now the Wrapping gusted tongues have also been Refined but they're virtually identical To the previous gen Mac 5 and there's an Almost unchanged nosense lacing Structure that's nicely robust when you Flip them over the flex grooves are also Gone here in the outsole and so is the Exposed EVA foam outsole that you saw on The Mac 5 some people felt that affected Grip and durability on that shoe and That's been replaced by a heavier Duty Rubber covering across a substantial Portion of the out Soole so fit for me it was all good in My normal size in the hooko max six uh It's got a very comfortable fit for me Cuz it's got a narrow shoe now that will
Not be good for lots of people I Understand but I have a narrow foot and The way this holds around my midfoot and Four foot feels really good very Comfortable very natural to me so yeah I Really like the fit of it heel design is Also very good I've had no Achilles Issues or anything like that while Running in this shoe so yeah I was all Good in my normal running shoe size but It is a pretty narrow shoe in testing I Ran in my regular Hoka running shoe size With a UK 8 a half the fit is certainly Secure you might say snug and I think It's tighter than the Mac 5 as a result I had good secure hold in the heels and Across the midfoot with just about Enough wiggle room across the top of the Toe box and into that cut of toe box Though there's not much space lengthwise In this shoe if you like it dialed in You can probably get away with going True to size I did but if you have Bigger or wider feet prefer more room to Kind of flex those Toes or plan to use This maybe for even longer distances Like say two hours time on feet or more It might be worth considering going half A size up in these or hoker offers a Wide option that might provide a roomier Fit so into fit and I would say say it Is typically Hawker on that front and What I mean by that is it's definitely a Little on the narrow side a bit like the
Previous Max shoes now I've had mine in UK size eight that's the same size I've Had the previous Max shoes in generally I've had a good experience with a fit What I would say is you're not getting a Huge amount of space up front of the Toes and a real kind of hugging kind of Fit in general when you go further back In this shoe so I think there may be an Argument if you are between kind of Sizes maybe going half size up in the Shoot if you do want a little bit more Space in general something a little bit More accommodating but in general it is Quite narrow in terms of what you're Getting here on the Max 6 elsewhere Lockdown absolutely fine very similar to My experience with previous issues good Amount of padding at the hill no issues In terms of lockdown in terms of any Kind of rub there as well I say yeah It's very Mac X in terms of the the Nature of this up and the changes in the Up but I think ultimately still makes it A a nice shoe a comfortable shoe and Yeah I think fitwise I think the main Thing for me is still a very narrow Hawah shoe um and there may be and Arguments go half a size out for some People now run test then I love the Hoka Ma 5 as a go-to versatile option it was A shoe you could pick out of the pile For a wide range of runs and the Hoka 6 Builds on that do it all daily
Performance only I think now it's more Adept at the upper Paces in testing I've Run around 40 mil in the Mac 6 that Includes an allout 10k race where I Clocked a newb along with a good mix of Marathon training sessions from Fast Into and flecks to progression runs and Slower easier miles now this is an easy Shoe to slip into no fiddling and Fussing to get it positioned on the foot And there's a comfortable cushion Disappearing feel overall though it is a Tighter fit than a lot of other daily Trainers like the soc endorphin speed This is another shoe that feels ready to Run the moment you put it on now I Wasn't 100% convinced about racing a 10K In the hok Max 6 there are many other Shoes in hoker lineup and beyond that You would likely reach for first was the Hoka cell X the Hoka rocket X 2 the Hoka Carbon X2 but I was really pleasantly Surprised for a start it helped me to a 3746 10 kpb shaving a whole 2 seconds Off but they all count right the HX 6 Certainly delivers when you're moving in Good form with intent like it did on That race there's a Snappy response to The rock of ride and a good return from The super critical Eva that feels Lively And balanced and bouncier than the Mac 5 It's not aggressively springy it doesn't Quite pack the pop of the S andin speed 4 and some Runners may want more bounce
But when you're clipping along with a High turn over this shoe will give you Back plenty The Rocker and that new out Sole lends some stiffness that I think Boosts the overall kind of Responsiveness of the ride and there's a Light precision to the midsole platform And along with that improved grip that Makes the Max 6 agile stable and good For cornering at PACE on twisty turny Courses as well there's also a good Level of cushioning to take the edge off Any road impact you probably wouldn't Want to run a full marathon in this shoe But I did an 18 mile progression run Moving from easy to Beyond marathon pace And they actually handled all of that Really quite well on durability the new Rubber outsole has worn well so far not Too much where to look for so it looks Like it's beefed up that element of the Shoe which is a welcome change it'll be Interesting to see how the super Critical midsole holds up to kind of 400 Plus miles but so far there's no Worrying signs of deterioration in this Shoe for me so I was a very big fan of The hak 4 and hak 5 there were shoes That just had a very natural ride that Almost just disappeared on the foot Whatever Pace you were running at they Were very easy to get into sync with They were comfortable for long runs I Really enjoyed them for long runs in
Particular actually and they had a bit Of speed if you want to then go and do Some kind of tempo sessions or speed Sessions in them because of their very Lightweight design those were quite Similar shoes but Hoka has made a more Substantial update to the Hoka Max 6 Obviously it's a bit of risk there Because the previous two shoes were very Good but I think overall they've Retained the key characteristic of the Shoe which is that very natural feel Like as soon as I slipped the shoe on it Felt comfortable it felt natural just Went out and run and it just feels good At any kind of pace really it's got a Smooth ride it's not like an Exceptionally bouncy or propulsive shoe I I think there's a bit more bounce in The midso now with the new design but The rocker is really well done it's very Easy to for me anyway to line up with it With my gate pattern and you know Whether I'm going slow easy long fast Short all that it feels very good to run In the shoe it just feels like a natural Extension of the foot since it is quite Lightweight and The Rocker works well And the foam's got a bit of Pop to it it Is a shoe that you can use for faster Efforts quite comfortably whether that's Short little interval sessions and that Works well for that because it is a Light shoe but but it also has a ride
That helps you sustain speed over longer Periods like I think my longest running The shoe was a 15 m where I did the last Five miles pushing through the gears up To around my marathon pace for the final Couple of miles and it felt good for That like it's not going to help you Retain Paces over those long distances In the same way a plated shoe does Something like the so the Endorphin Speed 4 but it can do those runs if You're looking for a plate free Alternative to those kind of shoes it is One of the best options out there Because it does have that range can run Quick in the shoe comfortably and then You can also run very slow in the shoe Comfortably I've used it for Recovery Runs the day after sessions and it does Protect the legs really well like it's a Pretty high stack shoe and although it Build as a slightly Speedy round it does Have the Comfort there for just relaxed All out easy running and then also the Benefit of the outsole that's been added To the shoe is that it does help with Longevity and grip on those very relaxed Runs like use this a bit in the UK Winter it's got a bit wet at times and It's helpful to have a bit of outso There like I never had a problem with Grip so much with the previous versions Of the Mac but you would rub down that Exposed foam a little bit more quickly
Should have a bit more durability here With the Mac 6 that will help if you're Using it as an allrounder you're Bringing out day in day out for a wide Variety of runs so into that run test Now and I have covered 60k over 60k in The Mac 6 now what I'll say is that you Know I've spent a lot of time in the Previous Mac shoes love the previous Mac Shoes the Mac 5 has been it in my kind Of marathon training rotation so it's a Shoe that I have been using regularly so It's got a good sense of watch changed Here from that shoe and whether those Changes are positive changes overall now What I love about the Mac shoe it is a Shoe that can handle a mix of running a Mix of running Paces you can use it for Quicker stuff you can go do more Tempo Stuff you can ease off in it as well too I think what I was looking for is more Of the same ultimately from the Max 6 Now what I would say in terms of my Experience is that I think that there's Definitely a bit of a Mac X influence on This shoe and from that point of view I Think that maybe this is a bit more Accommodating at those kind of slower Kind of longer kind of distance runs Where I felt like with the Mac 5 or Maybe previous Mac shoes I felt like Maybe I've only wanted to run maybe kind Of 10 15 in those shoes and then Probably wanted to reach for something
Else instead now a big story here is That the midsole and the midsole changes And I do think that it still gives you That kind of core kind of Mac feel it's Responsive keeps you low to the ground But there's a nice rocker feel still There there's a good level of Bounce There as well too to when you're running A bit quicker in it it does feel Enjoyable to run in the shoe and it Feels Lively it's obviously a bit firmer Than other shoes but ultimately I don't Think it's a firmness that really works Against this shoe And it's a great weight as well you know It's a nice light daily trainer and That's what I kind of really found in my Runs I think the first run was kind of a 10K kind of tempo run felt great at that Pace that's kind of where the Mac I Think works best or has worked best in The past the next run I did was kind of A 10 mile run and that was kind of close To my marathon pace and absolutely was Capable of doing that really kind of Kind of rolled through in this shoe and It feels kind of nice to run kind of I Say slower than my kind of tempo kind of 10K pace that kind of marath pace is Kind of 730 740 minute mile Pace to give You a sense of how quick or kind of you Know I was kind of running at that kind Of 10 Mile and then I did a 20 mile run And as I said I feel like Max previously
Have I wanted to take it long distances I haven't felt as comfortable I think You can absolutely do that I know a lot Of people do but I think for me I'd Probably reach for another shoe I Definitely do think that what's happened With the midsole here and what Hawker Has done in terms of changes has made it A more it just makes it feel a nicer Shoot to run longer and I you know I did A 20 M run in it again kind of probably Slower than my kind of marathon Target Marathon pace kind of close to kind of 8 Minute miles 810 and it felt absolutely Fine in there I didn't feel an issue Running longer in it and again I do Think there's that Mac X influence of it In terms of you're getting in the midell And that feel and just giving you Something that I think you know can Handle that kind of longer kind of Distances a little bit better I think Than the previous Max shoes and then I've done some quicker stuff in it as Well kind of closer to and I kind of 710 750 minute mile Pace kind of a shorter Kind of fight four five mile run and It's felt absolutely fine of those paces And you know I still think it gives you What you want or what we've expected From the max uses previously I think Another thing for me as well is the Outside and I think that's always been The biggest criticism of the previous
Max shoes the durability what you're Going to get from the outside it's Totally changed here there's there's Lots more rubber here but you're not Losing the overall the kind of lightness Of this shoe which I think is really Important here so a super light shoe a Shoe that you can run quicker in but Ultimately I do feel like it feels like It caters better for running slower and Running longer where I felt that maybe That wasn't the same story for the Previous Mac shoes at least from my Point of view and running probably past Kind of 10 15 miles in this shoe so I Think I was a bit hesitant about the Changes on the Mac 6 because I think Ultimately I've loved the previous shoes And you know I didn't want it to move Too far away from the previous shoes but I don't think it has done that I think It's you know it's still a lovely light Shoe I think it's still a very versatile Shoe and I think ultimately it does feel Like a shoe that I'd feel more Comfortable running longer and I think That's a really key thing here it's Become a more versatile shoe for me a Daily Trainer shoe which I think is a It's a massive positive here and that Kind of durability I feel you're going To get you know say I've done 60k in This shoe and compared to what my kind Of previous ma shoes looked like after
That similar distance you know I'm not Seeing that kind of level of wear or Kind of concern that this is going to be A shoe that I can run a long you know a Lot of mileage in so yeah very positive In terms of my experience in the Max 6 I Think the changes have been positive on The whole and it's a shoe as I said Clocked up 60k in the shoe and I've Enjoyed you know running in a shoe in a Variety of distances and a variety of Paces as Well okay so my v on the haaker Max 6 And I think it is a solid update on the Previous Max shoe it keeps the core feel Of the Mac shoe so it's a shoe that you Can absolutely run quicker in Absolut is A shoe that you can ease off in as well Too but I do think the changes do make It feel a little bit more accommodating At those longer slower distances Compared to the previous Sho at least That's my experience as well and I think That durability kind of boost as well That you're getting here is really Important I do think maybe it's lost Maybe just a little bit of that kind of Snap I think that you got with the Previous Max shoes but still think it Has that I still maybe think it's maybe Been reduced a little bit in terms of What you're getting and the changes that Have been made here but ultimately in Terms of being a shoe that you can train
In I think you can race in as well and I Think you can run longer in as well too I do think it's more equipped price-wise It's absolutely solid in terms of that Kind of in terms of value I mean the Most obvious thing I think you're going To compare it to I would compare it to Is the New Balance Rebel V4 which is a Shoe that we've all loved on the channel It's a similar price I think it's a Similar kind of feel in terms of that Experience I think maybe there's a Slightly more aggressive Edge to the Rebel V4 when you're running a bit Quicker in it but ultimately you're Getting this here as well and this kind Of non-plated kind of you know trainer As well so absolutely good value I think In terms of a shoe if you want a shoe That can do a lot and I think definitely Can do a lot more in terms of running Longer and giving you the kind of level Of cushioning and protection over those Longer distances I do think the Max 6 Can deliver that so if you are looking I Think for a a good value daily trainer That can offer you know a good feeling When you're running faster but also when You are easing off and just loging that Mile kind of mileage as well too it's Absolutely a shoe that can do it verdict Then and for me the HX 6 is a fun light Lively versatile do it all daily trainer That's very good value for money and
It's just definitely a step on from the Mac 5 in my opinion if you only want one Shoe to cover a wide range of runs this Shoe can take care of them all there's Not much it can't handle but it Definitely has a faster shorter sweet Spot and it's a long way off the big Soft pillowy easy day shoes like the ASX Joe numers 26 or the Brooks ghost Max For the easy runs but there's enough Softness and protection in the mids sole Here I think to cradle you on your Slower efforts should you need it I love The non-nonsense Simplicity to the Design that makes it an easy shoe to Pick up out of the pile for pretty much Every run now if you're a fan of subtle Colorways I think hoker has ticked that Box too I know some people weren't keen On this when we put up the first run but I quite like this the big question Though is is it better than the S Endorphin speed 4 I'd say probably not We'll have a head-to-head on those shoes Soon but it's certainly in the top five Best daily trainers of 20 24 so far for Me is it faster than the macx certainly A close call and there's definitely an Argument for saving yourself 20 bucks by Buying the Mac 6 instead over that one Would I buy it over a cheaper deal Mac 5 That's another really good question I Think for me the performance is Different and improved enough to say
That I think I would buy it I don't Think this is one of those where the New Gen is just slightly better as a shoe I Think the ride is quite significantly Different here so yeah I think I would Be willing to spend the extra money so I Really rate the H Max think it's a great Shoe like we did our rotations video Recently where uh we picked out you know Our easy fast training and then race Shoe and you know the HX 6 was a shoe I Strongly considered putting in as my Easy run shoe instead of the Puma Velocity Nitro 3 because I do think it Is comfortable to use for all those easy Runs but has that versatility as a daily Trainer to use for faster stuff as well I think in the end what really swung it For me was the fact that it's just Always raining in the UK especially in Recent months and the outso on the Velocity Nitro 3 is so good for that so That's kind of why I picked it over the Max six so if you're live in a very Sunny climate and just prefer a lighter Cushion shoe Max 6 is a very good option Just to have as a cushion shoe in a Rotation which is obviously not the job It's primarily designed to do but it is Good enough just to use in that role and Then I think it is also very good to use As an allrounder a daily trainer that Can tackle all your run and it's a great Alternative to Super Trainers for that
Job because if you're looking for a Plate free ride I think the hok Max 6 And the New Balance Rebel V4 are your Two best options and when it comes to Picking between those two it's a bit Tricky I think the Max 6 is a little bit More comfortable and cushioned if you're Looking at lots of long runs in Particular but the rebel does those well And it is very lightweight and has a bit More bounce in its mids soole slightly More rocket feel to the Mac overall I Probably slightly prer the rebel myself We'll have a full versus on the way We'll dive into these thoughts in more Detail but they are both cracking shoes That you can use for a nice variety of Runs no plate in them no need for a Plate they're very like wait they're Comfortable the Foams are good they can Do fast runs you know and the maxc 6 is A great all around daily trainer I would Say and also a great cushion shoe if you Prefer a lighter shoe just for your easy Runs as well so within hokus lineup There are a few shoes that overlap a Little bit with the Mac 6 so you got the Macx which is their super trainer which Has a p foam in the midsole on a pack Plate didn't really get on that well With the first macx I felt it was fine a Pretty enjoyable shoe to use but it's Reasonably heavy it doesn't actually Have a lot of punch and pop for faster
Run so kind of ended up using it almost In the same way i' Ed the Mac 6 which is A lot cheaper actually the Mac 6 feels Lighter feels more natural on the foot And actually because it is lighter turns Over really well I think it's just as Good for Speedy stuff while also being As comfortable for easy stuff so if I Was looking for an a rounder and picking Between the macx and the Mac 6 I would Get the Mac 6 myself I think it's just a Better shoe and it's cheaper then you Got the hoker Clifton 9 which I think is A pretty good daily trainer in its own Right the foam's not as impressive in The midsole it's a bit heavier it's Probably a good alternative to the Mac If you don't think this is cushioned Enough if it's too lightweight for you To use for easy running Clift and N did The same job with a bit more support and A slightly firmer midell which might Help give you a bit more support so it Is a great daily trainer one of the best On the market without a plate but if you Are happy to use a plate then I think You will get a slightly higher level of Performance especially when it comes to The faster speeds if you're looking at Things like the S endorphin speed 4 or The adids Boston 12 which doesn't have a Plate but has the energy rods which act In the same way those kind of super Trainers you know the very best of them
I do think are the most first stle shoes On the market there are a lot of them That I don't think are that great and Actually aren't better than the Mac 6 Like the macx or indeed the New Balance F trainer V2 I think that those are okay All around daily trainers but I don't Think they have a lot more speed than The Max 6 whereas the Endorphin speed And the Adas Boston 12 I think are more Versatile shoes that are comfortable for Easy runs but then have a bit more Explosive speed for the F stuff aided by The tech in the midsole but if you're Going to go plate three the Max 6 is Certainly a great option and I think it Is just a great all round shoe for Mooching around at easy Paces or running Fast and I think it is a successful Update to the line which has produced Some really great shoes in recent years So there you have it that's been our Review of the new hok Max 6 I hope you Found it informative and helpful don't Forget to like share maybe even Subscribe if you did enjoy the video Ring the bell too so you'll hear about When our Max six head-to-heads hit the Channel they'll be coming soon if you're Interested in Daily trainers I'm popping A video up on the channel now that you Should watch looks at one of my other Favorite daily trainers right now Otherwise thanks as ever for watching
And we hope to see you again soon on the Run testers in the meantime happy Running everyone
