Our verdict
Pros
- Glove-like fit
- Perfect lockdown
- Has an elf tab
- Lightweight
- Balanced
- Superb comfort
- Extremely stable
- Large reflective elements
Cons
- Stiff for an everyday trainer
- Not a tempo shoe either
- Break-in period needed
Audience verdict
- Top 7% in road running shoes
- Top 3% in hoka one one m bondi 7 white white 1110518 wwh
Comparison
The most similar running shoes compared
+ + Add a shoe | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audience score | 91 Superb! | 85 Good! | 87 Great! | 86 Good! | |
Price | $130 | $110 | $145 | $140 | |
Pace | Daily runningSpeed training | Daily running | Daily running | Daily running | |
Arch support | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | |
Weight lab Weight brand | 7.9 oz / 223g 8.2 oz / 232g | 9.7 oz / 276g 10.7 oz / 302g | 8.8 oz / 249g 8.8 oz / 249g | 8.2 oz / 232g 8.3 Women hoka Bondi X Chaussures de Compétition pour Femmes en Black White | |
Lightweight | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Drop lab Drop brand | 4.9 mm 5.0 mm | 4.5 mm 6.0 mm | 6.1 mm 5.0 mm | 9.6 mm 5.0 mm | |
Strike pattern | Mid/forefoot | Mid/forefoot | Mid/forefoot | HeelMid/forefoot | |
Midsole softness | - | Soft | Balanced | Balanced | |
Difference in midsole softness in cold | - | Normal | Small | Big | |
Toebox durability | - | Decent | - | Decent | |
Heel padding durability | - | Good | - | Bad | |
Outsole durability | - | Good | - | Good | |
Breathability | - | Moderate | Moderate | Breathable | |
Toebox width at the widest part | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | |
Toebox width at the big toe | - | Medium | Narrow | Narrow | |
Stiffness | - | Moderate | Moderate | Flexible | |
Hoka One One 30 | - | Small | Big | Small | |
Torsional rigidity | Moderate | Stiff | Stiff | Stiff | |
Heel counter stiffness | - | Moderate | Stiff | Stiff | |
Rocker | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Heel lab Heel brand | 30.6 mm 29.0 mm | 33.7 mm 33.5 mm | 32.7 mm 32.0 mm | 36.0 mm 37.0 mm | |
Forefoot lab Forefoot brand | 25.7 mm 24.0 mm | 29.2 mm 27.5 mm | 26.6 mm 27.0 mm | 26.4 mm 32.0 mm | |
Widths available | Normal | NormalWide | NormalWide | NormalWide | |
Orthotic friendly | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Season | Winter | Summer | Winter | Summer | |
Removable insole | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Ranking | #28 Top 7% | #140 Bottom 45% | #96 Top 38% | #127 Top 50% | |
Popularity | #159 Top 39% | #126 Top 50% | #1 Top 1% | #8 Top 4% |
Hoka Mach 4 review and lab test
The Women hoka Mach 4 is a super stable, lightweight daily trainer that’s stiff enough for faster efforts and fits like a glove.
I think this shoe has a bit of an identity crisis, but in the end, I couldn't find much to criticise, which is rare. To be fair, I don’t have a tonne to praise either. Read more to see why.
Who the shoe is (not) for
Buy this shoe if you are looking for a solid, sturdy, stable, lightweight trainer that can help you on your medium to medium/fast days.
I’d compare it closely to the HOKA Tecton X Schuhe in Thyme Fiesta and the Saucony Kinvara 12 with a touch more softness under foot, which is good if you want a bit more comfort, but bad if you want this thing to go Mach 4 (see the identity crisis starting?).
Don’t buy this shoe if you are expecting it to do everything well. It may be a Jack-of-all-trades but I found that it doesn’t necessarily excel in any one area.
- It’s not as plush as the Hoka Clifton 9 for your long recovery days.
- It’s not as fast as the Hoka Rocket X2 Salomon hombre pie normal.
Hoka Clifton 8 s Hk.
Mach 4 fits like a glove
I have to say, I like how Women hokas’ fit my feet. The Mach 4 felt a little narrow to begin, but I have a slightly wider foot and over the first few runs it broke in nicely.
The upper is not very stretchy which leads to a great lockdown and after the needed break in, it now fits like a glove (a slightly tight glove).
HOKA Tecton X Schuhe in Thyme Fiesta | Perfect lockdown
It’s got a semi-gusseted tongue and I love how Women hoka does their gussets. They are usually stretchy nylon or mesh that’s very minimal. It’s enough to keep the tongue in place and add a bit of mid-foot lockdown, but they don’t overdo it. Full gussets are really not mandatory, they add weight and hinder breathability, but not these. Bravo Women hoka.
Love only for the elf tab
The Mach 4 also has the same elf tab as the Clifton 7 and Arahi 5 which has grown on me.
It works as designed, which is to reduce pressure and rubbing on your achilles, and it doubles as a make-shift pull tab to help get the shoe on your foot.
Superb comfort
I didn't have any hot spots or issues but I kept finding myself wishing there was a bit more bounce. This is a really weak criticism though.
Overall, this shoe was comfortable and I found myself wearing it for hours and hours after runs, I wore them to the grocery, and even just around the house, which says a lot since I normally kick my shoes off the second I walk in the door.
Mach 4 is surprisingly stiff
It’s hard not to compare this to Clifton, they look so similar, but the Mach 4 is not as plush. It’s not the spa for your legs like the Clifton is.
Back to the identity crisis issue, it's the “MACH 4” I believed it should go faster, but it doesn’t inspire me to break the sound barrier. Instead it’s just a stiffer, more stable version of the Clifton.
The Mach 4 is a bit stiffer underfoot than I expected. This shoe feels more mainstream and predictable than other Women hokas, which is not really a bad thing, just unexpected.
There’s decent response at toe off and the rocker is smooth throughout your stride. It's well balanced and stable thanks to a slightly lower stack (25.7mm in the forefoot and 30.6mm in the heel) than other Women hokas.
Incredibly stable
It has this big dovetail heel for a more stable ride and I agree the shoes feel super stable but I don’t know if the heel has anything to do with that. Maybe if you are going down steep hills or running on varied terrain it helps. But, these are road shoes so that’s less realistic than if these were trail shoes.
I can’t say this funky heel is not working, but as a forefoot striker I don’t think I was utilising it much and the shoes were still incredibly stable.
HOKA Mach 4 Schuhe für Damen in Blue Flower Citrus Größe 40
If you have a wider foot, you will need to break these in, or get a 2E. They fit tight, which is great if they fit right. They don’t stretch a tonne, so break in could be longer for those who don’t find the fit ideal right out of the box.
Unbelievably lightweight
At 7.85 ounce (223g) the Mach 4 is insanely light. I actually can't believe the scale. When I look at these they seem like they are going to be heavier.
The upper is not extremely thin or transparent, it’s got this big extended heel and elf tab, but man are they light (20% lighter than our average shoe), which I like!
One interesting thing about the Mach 4 is it has wiggled it’s way into this ultralight category without skimping on:
- upper materials,
- zapatillas de running Women hoka ONE ONE hombre entrenamiento pie normal talla 43.5
- ankle padding.
I’m impressed with how nimble they feel even if I’ve criticised their identity a bit.
Durability issues
Hoka designed this shoe around a dual-density midsole without a real rubber outsole, which I think will cause issues for the longevity of this shoe.
The upper Profly foam is nice and soft at 21.8HA on the durometer (which is about 20% softer than average midsoles). The Women hoka Carbon X uses the Profly foam as well, it’s a high-performance material, but Women hoka adds a carbon plate to the Carbon X to add response and stability.
On the Mach 4 they added a thick rubberized foam outsole with a much denser material (40.5HA) to help stiffen the shoe. It does the job, keeps things light and stable, but even just after a few runs, I am seeing some wear.
This second layer of foam has a purpose, but it’s not as dense or durable as a traditional rubber outsole and feels more like you’re just running on exposed midsole material.
Good grip
I didn’t have any grip issues and I tested this throughout a late spring snow weather that was on and off for a few days, so I was running in cold weather on some wet surfaces.
BUT, as that outsole material wears down easily, I’d be wary.
HOKA Tecton X Schuhe in Thyme Fiesta | Not sure whether Mach 4 is a daily trainer or a tempo shoe
I ran these multiple times because I just couldn't figure out where they land in my lineup.
I took them to the gym for some speed work and although they are kind of right at that point where they can be pushed, they are still more of a training shoe than a speed shoe.
I ran them at a mild 8/min pace for mile after mile outdoors, and I kept thinking, “Boy I wish I was in my Cliftons,” but then I’d forget and they’d feel good for a while, and I’d focus again, and think they could be softer…
I really struggled to decide if this was a speed/tempo shoe or a daily trainer. It’s light and nimble, but not overly soft, or overly fast.
I do like it and if it was my only shoe I think I would be happy with it, but with faster shoes and more cushioned shoes on the shelf, I’d struggle to pick these for my everyday runs.
Mach 4 looks great
I like the looks of the Mach 4, they are Champions (or at least my black colorway is), and they are not very Women hoka-like in terms of super high stacks and wide bases.
These look much more streamlined than the clodhoppers I usually Hommes with Women hoka and I like that.
They also have a large reflective element that wraps around the heel to about the midfoot which should make it easy for traffic coming from the sides or from behind to see you.
Conclusion
At £130, I think there’s value here for the runner that wants just one shoe that can do a little bit of everything. But, if you have a rotation of shoes, I just don’t know where you slot the Women hoka Mach 4.
Ultimately, I can’t really find much to complain about, but I also can’t find much to rave about. It’s a solid everyday trainer that doesn't evoke love or hate, and in the end, that’s not a terrible position to sit.