Hoka ATR Challenger 7 vs. Speedgoat 5 | Best Trail Running Shoes

A comparison of the Hoka ATR Challenger 7 and the Speedgoat 5.

00:00 - Intro
00:55 - Technical Specs
01:54 - Uppers
02:57 - Ride
04:22 - Terrain and Conditions
05:21 - Distance
06:12 - Roundup

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#hoka #challenger7 #speedgoat5

[kenkretz]

Thanks for the info. It's been a while since I watched this. I love the challengers and hesitated on getting a pair of speedgoats. Finally did and I am actually enjoying them a lot. They give me a little extra grip and confidence on rough trails but I still enjoy the challengers for trails that are a little less technical.

[MihaiGoRunning]

Great review, Ben! Thanks for sharing, I'm also a great fan on Hoka's on both trail and flat! On trail I'm now on Speedgoat 5 too!

[jboisvert]

I own the ATR5 and looking forward to upgrade to the ATR7 so good review. Regarding the Speedgooat 5 versus the 4, I absolutely agree with your analysis. I just acquired the Speedgoat 5 and I was quite surprised that it was less cushioned than the 4.

[ChloeHamard]

Very thorough review, which I'm sure many trail runners will find useful! Even though I mainly do road running, I always find it interesting to hear runners's opinions and comparisons on all kinds of shoes/gear. Sounds like the Speedgoat have good durability, 300 miles is pretty good, hopefully you'll clock at least as many miles in the other ones!

[dougiedoesstuff]

Interesting review. Never considered the ATR since I am a total SG fanboy and have been since SG2. As far as Ultras go, I would never choose anything else other than Speedgoats. This is mainly because I have never had any problems with blisters in the long races in them (for transparency, I got blisters off my first pair of SG5s until I broke them in which none of the previous models had need of) having done a 71 mile of 100 mile DNF in SG4s, and 2 50 + mile events in SG5s. I totally agree that SG5s are not as bouncy or comfy as SG4s although the do feel noticeably lighter (because the are!). Keep up the good work. Cheers

[BenNotley]

So glad that you have made this video Ben! I was thinking about getting a pair of the ATRs to have in back up for a potential shoe change at the 50 mile point in the NDW. Thanks for sharing your thoughts buddy! 😎🤘

[xavierabramowitz]

I ran a 76 km trail with the challenger 4, I had big issues, blisters on both small toes. It didn’t go well at all. I have ran 3 60 to 75 races in the speedgoat 3, 4 and 5 and had no problem at all. I have stopped running in the challenger for that reason even if they are good shoes. I have not tried any versions after 4 though. I only use one pair of trail shoes at a time and therefore my choice goes for the speedgoat

[bensmith]

Thanks for the review Ben. I don’t have either but have SG4 and ATR6. Both rubbish in the mud but decent apart from that. As per your comments I use ATR more in Summer and SG in winter. Ps I’ve found all my shoes pretty slippy on icy fresh tarmac….the path down to waterhall was a nightmare whatever shoes I had on…

[DevRunner]

Great advice here Ben! It really helped me to get to know these shoes as alternates to the Torrent! Keep pushing!

[OlgasBritishFells]

I've never had Hoka. I might need something cushioning, always helpful. Good review, Ben. I am terrible with shoes, that's why probably I get injured.

[trailsagerunning]

Fantastic comparison Ben. I have been running in the Speedgoats for a while and just got the new Torrents. I had not considered the ATR but they seem good for dry conditions and mix terrain. I must say, I'm not a fan of the new elf ear heel tab design.

[CameronMulder]

I have the ATR7 and I like them but have found the shoes to be a bit narrow and wish it was like a quarter size bigger. I did initially find them a bit firm but they broke in overtime and now give a satisfying cushion while running. Overall they have been great on both trail and road so I am happy with them, just wish they fit me a little better.

[mthuthuzelimsobantu]

Agree with the debri-funneling action of the now fashionable heel design cant wait till it's time moves on.

[ludwingadrian]

I have the challenger 7's and love them. A bit hesitant to take them on technical trails. Would you recommend i take them to the hardergrat trail in Switzerland?

[SimonHart]

Have you found the exposed EVA foam part has showed signs of wearing away quickly? I'm only on run no. 3 and it's showing signs of wearing away at the edges on both shoes already. I want to love these as I'm mostly a light trail runner and love the comfort but I don't want to change them every 250k etc.!

[anaruth]

I wonder why the challengers are marketed as ATR shoes. For asphalt a softer, more squishy ride is needed than on trail, where you want more stability and protection. When I tried both shoes, Speedgoats were the squishy and bouncy ones, while Challengers felt quite stiff. Surprisingly I got the same feeling with Clifton (soft) and Bondi (stiff). Is it just me or it really is the other way round it's supposed to be?

[ironmantooltime]

I've got speedgoat 3 and atr 6. I don't like using the speedgoats on the road as it wears the lugs out! I also think the vibram megagrip is excellent in wet mud but maybe not very thick mud, but then you might want spikes? Running an ultra that turned wet they felt like they stuck to the mud it was incredibly reassuring. ATRs are my go to mixed shoe, I've had loads and they're often on discount. Will need to size up my next pair. Torn between another pair of 6 or the 7s. I heard the 7s were appreciably lighter and bouncier but that 300g weight doesn't seem so?

[TishBorkowski]

Does one have a larger toe box than the other? or are the toe boxes pretty similar? Thanks! very useufl!

[bev]

Now that is an extremely useful comparison, thanks so much Ben. Would any shoe be able to grip on a frosty road though??? Hmm dunno about that as frost is worse than snow for slip! Last year I was tossing up for a long time between the SG4 and the ATR6 and finally went with the ATR6 since my trails here are pretty easy and I always have to run on the roads to get there. Personally I find I definitely prefer much more cush though so my go-to is the NB More Trail V2. Actually I JUST now got back from a very hilly 25km in those, well, hilly for me anyway ... and that's thanks to you Ben, you've really motivated me to tackle hills a lot more, that's for sure!!

[maxkuhn]

Excelente review! In your opinion, what is the most comfortable between them?