THE NEW HOKA SPEEDGOAT 4: BADASS ON EVERY TRAIL
In November, premium performance footwear brand HOKA ONE ONE introduced the highly anticipated Speedgoat 4 trail shoe – the latest generation of its award-winning family known for making quick work of technical terrain.
Understanding the Background
Rather than just tell you about the features and benefits of the Speedgoat 4 (we’ll get to that), we’ll take you back to the roots of HOKA to help get to grips with the brand’s ethos and its latest star trail shoe.
Radical change often comes about in trying to solve a simple problem. HOKA’s original goal back in 2009 was to improve endurance race times by designing a shoe to go downhill faster on the trails. In doing so, it inadvertently reinvented the running shoe: early models also improved going uphill! It turned out that redesigning a shoe that helps an athlete, like their poster boy Jim Walmsley, tackle 100 miles in challenging conditions, can help all runners perform better.
HOKA runners, in shoes from across the range, out in their natural habitat
While trail runners by night, HOKA founders Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard had day jobs in gravity sports. They had a hand in several snow sport and cycling innovations – including the parabolic ski – and every day they asked the question: “How do we go faster?” When they imposed a form-follows-function discipline to designing a trail running shoe, they asked the same question, and answered it with a highly cushioned shoe met with ridicule by the running shoe establishment but embraced by runners. Supported by the enhanced cushioning, those runners started winning races in HOKA, and running shoe buyers started paying attention.
Fast forward 10 years and HOKA ONE ONE has won a plethora of awards for its wide range of high-performance shoes, designed with the same enhanced cushioning, inherent stability and problem-solving inspiration to meet the needs of not just the running community, but also the walking, fitness and outdoor categories. With a bold and often unexpected approach, HOKA ONE ONE now empowers athletes of all levels to feel like they can fly.
The New Speedgoat 4
Ten years after it first took off, HOKA has raised the bar once again with a new addition to its trail stable. Say hello to the Speedgoat 4, the fourth generation of their award-winning family of trail shoes.
Named after HOKA ONE ONE athlete Karl “Speedgoat” Meltzer, the Speedgoat 4 brings extra breathability, support, feel and fit for a comfortable ride on the most challenging trails. Grippy on the uphill and secure on the downhill, the Speedgoat 4 is badass on every trail.
Designed to make quick work of technical terrain, it comes with a number of innovative upgrades from its predecessor including: a new breathable yet rugged mesh; 3D printed overlays for increased midfoot support and an overall more secure feel; and a more accommodating fit in the toe box for much improved comfort.
The Speedgoat 4 features a gusseted tongue with strategic cut-outs for extra breathability and lacing eye-rows that contain a small winged component to ensure a more secure fit. The midsole of the Speedgoat 4 boasts a new lightweight foam for a more responsive ride, while its Vibram® Megagrip rubber outsole provides grip in both wet and dry conditions. In addition to that, it has 5mm “stepped” lugs and a zonal rubber placement for additional support and stability.
Karl 'Speedgoat' Meltzer explains how he became an ultrarunner and how he got involved with HOKA ONE ONE.
Key Features
- Updated mesh upper provides breathability
- 3D printed overlays provide additional midfoot support and lockdown for a more secure feel
- Gusseted tongue features strategic cut-outs for breathability
- Lacing eye-rows contain a small winged component to ensure a secure fit
- Midsole features a new lightweight foam for a more responsive ride
- Wider forefoot offers a more stable ride and accommodating fit
- Vibram® Megagrip rubber outsole provides grip in wet and dry conditions
- 5mm “stepped” lugs offer additional support and stability
- Zonal rubber placement adds support and stability
About HOKA ONE ONE®
HOKA ONE ONE® produces premium performance footwear for athletes of all types. Born in the mountains, HOKA ONE ONE shoes were initially distinguished by their oversized midsoles; today they are designed with the same enhanced cushioning, inherent stability and problem-solving inspiration to meet the running, walking, fitness and outdoor needs of a wide variety of users. With a bold and often unexpected approach, HOKA ONE ONE empowers athletes of all levels to feel like they can fly.
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