Hoka Mach 5 review

The Hoka Mach 5 is one of the top-pick options if you're looking for: 

• a road running shoe that's lively and enjoyable for fast and easy runs
• a lightweight yet cushioned trainer that can go the distance
• an excellent value for money (£20 cheaper than the average price of speed trainers)

This Hoka shoe is an amazing all-rounder: responsive for fast days, cushioned for long runs, and comfortable enough for easy days and walks.

Although it's a well-loved shoe, the Mach 5 also has its share of flaws. The biggest one is the lack of rubber outsole which leads to both a lack of durability and grip on wet pavement.

We highly recommend speed trainers like the ASICS Novablast 3 and the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3. Both are similar in performance to the Mach 5 but come with a protective rubber layer at the bottom.

And if you want to stick to Hoka, we encourage you to check out the top-tier Hoka Mach X. 

Running in the Mach 5, our feet felt quite pampered and well-protected from impact. Even though it's not a max-cushioned shoe, it certainly delivered enough cushioning to make us forget about hard heel landings.

Using a calliper, we measured heel thickness at 30.7 mm. It's not enough to make it a max-cushioned shoe but is close to the average of running shoes.

Measuring the forefoot stack, our calliper showed 25.0 mm. This is about the same as the average road shoe.

Checking the heel-to-toe drop of the shoe, it appears to be close to the brand's official statement (which is 5 mm). Based on our own stack measurements, we found it to be 5.7 mm.

We noticed that the Mach 5 is softer than its predecessor, which also made it homier to the foot. But it's not so soft that it compromises stability.

This proves to be true in our durometer measurements. Showing 15.0 HA in the midsole, the shoe got 29% softer compared to the Mach 4, which also puts it among the softest running shoes on the market. The Hoka Mach 5 is 60% plusher than the average!

This speed trainer from Hoka also uses a little trick to make its ride feel extra soft. Instead of having a hard rubber outsole, it features a firm rubberized EVA foam as a secondary cushioning layer. It is more durable than the primary ProFly+ but is not as hard as a typical rubber outsole.

In terms of softness, that made us feel as if we were landing directly on exposed foam.

But if you're planning to expose this Hoka shoe to cold temperatures, be prepared that the ProFly+ foam gets considerably denser.

Running on chilly days, the shoe might take some breaking in. In our freezer test, the Mach 5 got 60% firmer compared to room temperature.

The Mach 5 features a pretty standard, moderately padded insole. Measuring its heel thickness, we got 4.2 mm - the same as the average.

The Mach 5 feels amazingly energetic! It even made us run at a faster pace than we initially intended!

There is a welcome bit of bounce but nothing extra.

The upgraded ProFly+ foam deserves a huge thumbs-up from us!

The shoe's midsole is slightly rockered. It features what the brand calls "meta-rocker geometry" which makes each step feel buttery smooth.

The shoe's midfoot kept us securely locked in and the toebox felt roomy enough for our medium-width feet.

Looking at the numbers, however, the forefoot part of the upper appears to be narrower than the average but still in the medium-width range. At its widest, the toebox is 95.4 mm wide (2.7 mm narrower than average).

At the back, a firm h

For a neutral shoe, the Mach 5 offers a wonderfully stable ride. There is a slight flare in its heel which we found especially handy when cornering.

The Mach's high level of torsional flexibility helps us remember that this is a neutral shoe after all.

Twisting it in our manual test, we found that it comes on a very flexible side. On a 1-5 scale, where 1 is the most flexible, we rated it as 2.

So, if you are someone with flat feet or pronation concerns, it's better to skip the Mach 5 in favour of the Hoka Arahi 6.

At the back, a moderately stiff heel counter helps in keeping the heel in place. Giving it a squeeze, we rated its stiffness as 3 out of 5 in our subjective assessment (5 is the stiffest).

Even though it has a little give to it, the shoe's heel counter never lets our heels lift or slip out of the Hoka Mach 5.

The shoe's form-fittin

The primary source of stability in this neutral Hoka shoe is the width of its platform.

Measuring the widest part of the forefoot, we got a fairly average result of 113 mm. However, the shoe's heel width left us truly impressed!

The heel landing area of the shoe's sole is significantly wider than the average. According to our calliper, the heel is 96.7 mm wide (6.6 mm wider than the average!).

In the era of hyper-cushioned, stiff, and aggressively rockered running shoes, the Hoka Mach 5 felt like a nice break. It has a pretty flexible nature which contributes to the shoe's overall comfort. It bent in all the right places helping our foot feel free and manoeuvrable.

Measuring the forefoot flexibility in the lab, we found that it only takes 20.3N to bend the Hoka Mach 5. This makes the shoe 50% more flexible than the average road shoe!

The fact that the Mach 5 is well-cushioned doesn't seem to affect its lightness. In fact, it is even a little lighter than the average speed trainer in a men's US size 9.

Lighter weight paired with the shoe's snappy ride is a fabulous combination!

Taking the Hoka Mach 5 through our smoke breathability test, we can claim that it's got a slightly above-average level of ventilation in the upper. It is not the most ventilated one, but great for moderate temperatures.

You can also see that the toebox and tongue parts of the shoe's fabric are on the transparent side.

There is no rubber outsole on the Hoka Mach 5. Technically, the shoe uses a layer of rubberized foam as a substitute for the rubber outsole.  So, we ended up measuring the firmness of this bottom compound.

No wonder our durometer showed such a low number!

At 57.0 HC, this Hoka shoe's bottom is 40% softer than average! And that's pretty dangerous for the shoe's long-term durability as softer materials wear out much faster on the harsh pavement.

Thus, we cannot expect more than 300 miles from this trainer.

From our experience, the Mach 5 has great traction on dry pavement. But come rainy days and its exposed foam gets dangerously slippery.

Comfort aside, another upper perk of the Mach 5's upper is that it's reflective. 

Putting the shoe on, we were in awe of its supremely comfortable upper. The shoe has light padding through the heel and collar, which never caused rubbing or hot spots. The padded tongue also acted like a light pillow that prevented lace pressure.

We measured the shoe's tongue at 4.3 mm, which is typical for a speed-oriented running shoe. The average across all types of running shoes is 5.8 mm.

Comfort aside, another u

The shoe's form-fitting upper is also complemented by the semi-gusseted tongue (attached to the sides). It held our feet securely all throughout the run.