Hoka Mach 2 - Women's Review

The Hoka Mach is a lightweight, comfortable shoe that maintains a minimalist feel without sacrificing landing support.

Performance Comparison

Landing Comfort

Landing comfort is a large category and one that we take seriously. We've been stacking up the miles recently, and nothing diminishes our stoke more than blisters and sore toes. For this metric, we looked at all the ins and outs of cushioning. We'd like to remind you here that landing comfort is almost always in direct competition with responsiveness. Our favorite shoes have a blend of both, which isn't always easily read in numerical scores.

In typical Hoka fashion, the Mach is pretty dang comfortable. While the manufacturer markets this shoe as more responsive than comfort, on our scale, we'd still mark it as highly cushioned. Compared to its brethren, the Mach is less cushioned than both the Bondi and Clifton.

With a 5mm heel-toe drop, this shoe has great potential for the average runner who keeps the mileage low and is looking for equal amounts of bounce and cushion. As far as underfoot comfort goes, this shoe is on par with some of our award winners, like the Brooks Adrenaline GTS.

Responsiveness

If landing comfort tells us how cloud-like something feels when we land, responsiveness tells us how much horsepower we have. While some shoes are meant to support, others dream of speed. To test this metric, we evaluated how springy and bouncy each shoe was in direct comparison to its competitors.

Hoka claims this shoe is on the responsive end of its spectrum, but we determined it is right in the middle. Landing comfort and responsiveness are often fighting for importance, and we found the Mach to be a nice blend of the two. While not as bouncy as the Salomon Sonic RA Pro 2, this shoe is the speediest of all the Hoka models we tested by far. In most of our reviews, we want high scores in every metric. For this review, however, moderate scores in both responsiveness and landing comfort indicate a well-rounded shoe that favors most runners.

Upper Comfort

Our testers liked a lot of things about the Mach, but upper comfort just wasn't one of them. We realize that weight has to be cut somewhere, and it's evident that the ounces were shed in the upper of this shoe. Just like the other Hoka models in this review, there was very minimal padding in the upper part of this shoe.

We'd love to have seen a bit more cushioning in the tongue of the Mach. When we wanted to lace up for our long runs, we found ourselves reaching for a heavier, more padded shoe like the Brooks Glycerin. The tongue and heel are minimal, though made of soft materials.

Luckily, this also added in some improved breathability. Our testers really liked these shoes on warm days and found the thin upper provides ample airflow. Overall, the Mach has an above-average but not stellar upper that was clearly used to cut ounces.

Stability

Stability is a strange category, and not everyone is going to want a high score here. Some shoes are designed for support and are ideal for runners who pronate. Others are designed to be neutral, offering a bit of lateral support but nothing meant to correct your gait. While the Mach is a neutral shoe, not meant for pronating runners, it did have a nice amount of support on the sides that any runner could appreciate.

The midfoot of the Mach fits nicely and is neither too wide nor too narrow; our feet felt secure but not constricted. The arch appears neutral as well; it is great for many runners, but not those with high arches. The sides of the shoe are reinforced with a sturdy mesh that lets our feet feel sheltered but not cramped. While the support on this shoe is relatively minimal, this is an excellent option for runners looking for a more minimal feel that lets their feet splay out naturally.

Weight

We tend to associate Hoka with heavier, burlier shoes, so we were pretty shocked when we picked up the Mach. At just 6.8 ounces, this is one of the lightest shoes we've gotten our hands on. Weight can be significant for a variety of reasons, ranging from the requirements of your body to your simple need for speed. Our testing team agreed that, while good to consider, we'd recommend looking at weight as a secondary category after your more primary needs have been met, like comfort and the responsiveness/landing comfort balance.

We would like to note, however, that for the weight, this shoe was more comfortable than many others in its weight class. The Sonic is a bit more responsive, while the Mach has a nicer landing comfort, and the Escalante fell a bit flat in both categories. If maximum comfort is what you're looking for, though, you might have to sacrifice the ounces.

Best Applications

Thanks to the Mach's light weight and minimal support, our testers believe this is a great shoe for runners who want a more natural feel. The minimalist movement is in, and companies like Hoka and Altra are taking the bait. If ounces mean everything to you, this shoe is very comfortable, especially when compared directly to other models in the same weight range.

Value

Coming in hot with a retail price of $140, these shoes are on the upper end of the cost scale. It's hard to determine if something is “worth” its price, especially since running shoes are so incredibly individual. We believe there are shoes just as well-rounded as the Mach for not quite as high a price, like the Brooks Adrenaline GTS ($130). That being said, this shoe is noticeably lighter than any other we tested, so if ounce-counting is your thing, this shoe is more comfortable than the light yet cheap Altra Intuition.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, we have plenty of great things to say about the Mach. It's super light and great on the landing comfort, and many runners will like the minimalist fit of the upper. For those looking to shave ounces above all else, this could be a great fit.