REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight daily trainer
Smooth rockered ride
Versatile
REASONS TO AVOID
Very narrow fit
Toe box is an odd shape
Hoka Mach 6 Review
One of the most versatile and reliable daily trainers out there, this shoe strikes a great balance of comfort and performance for runners it fits well
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
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Our Verdict
The Hoka Mach 6 is one of the most versatile trainers we've run in. With plenty of cushioning underfoot for long efforts, the Mach 6 is at home on the roads. It's also very lightweight, and the relatively firm supercritical foam in the midsole provides good pop. We've loved using it for long runs, workouts and easy jogs. Thanks to the smooth rocker, fast turnover is easy and feels natural. It's a great shoe, but it's held back by an odd fitment. If you like narrow, tight-fitting shoes, you'll likely love the Mach 6. But if you have normal to wide feel, you'll likely feel uncomfortably constrained in this shoe, especially during longer efforts. We think the shape of the toe box was a poor choice; the taper pulls our big-toe towards the middle of the foot in an unnatural position. However, if you prefer snug fitting shoes, the Mach 6 will make a great training companion for every run.
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 This Product
Hoka Mach 6 | |||||
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| Awards |  | |  |  | |
| Price | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $139.95 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $169.95 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $140 List $139.99 at Amazon | $135 List $135.00 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Perfect for a wide range of runs, this shoe is an approachable, reliable training partner | A daily trainer that can handle most runs, the Novablast 4 is fun and extremely comfortable | An all-around standout that can handle easy days as comfortably as hard workouts | Bouncy, responsive and well-cushioned, this shoe is performance-oriented but still versatile | A daily trainer that blends comfort and versatility at a reasonable price |
| Rating Categories | Hoka Mach 6 | Asics Novablast 4 | Saucony Endorphin S... | New Balance FuelCel... | Puma Velocity Nitro 3 |
| Cushioning and Landing Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Responsiveness (25%) | |||||
| Stability (20%) | |||||
| Upper Comfort (15%) | |||||
| Weight (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Hoka Mach 6 | Asics Novablast 4 | Saucony Endorphin S... | New Balance FuelCel... | Puma Velocity Nitro 3 |
| Sizes Available | 7-14 US, regular & wide | 6 - 15 US, regular | 7-15 US, regular | 7-16 US, regular & wide | 7 - 14 US, regular |
| Style | Daily | Daily/cushioning | Plated daily | Daily | Daily |
| Measured Heel Stack Height | 38 mm | 43 mm | 38 mm | 36 mm | 39 mm |
| Measured Heel-to-Toe Drop | 4 mm | 7 mm | 6 mm | 5 mm | 10 mm |
| Plate Type | None | None | Nylon | None | None |
| Rocker Angle | 21.0 deg | 22.5 deg | 25.0 deg | 19.5 deg | 18.0 deg |
| Rocker Apex Location | 62.81% | 66.53% | 67.74% | 62.18% | 66.67% |
| Measured Weight | 8.69 oz | 9.76 oz | 9.73 oz | 7.98 oz | 10.07 oz |
| Upper | Creel jaqquard | Engineered woven/knit | Engineered mesh/knit | Engineered mesh | Engineered knit |
| Midsole | Supercritical EVA | FF Blast + Eco | PWRRUN PB | FuelCell | Profoam |
| Outsole | Rubber | AHAR Lo | Rubber | Rubber | PumaGrip |
| Heel Tab Type | Extended heel pull | Finger loop | None | None | None |
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Mach 6 is a complete redesign from the previous version. The ethos of the shoe is still there; lightweight, fast, versatile. In many ways, we think the Mach 6 is an improvement on the 5, as long as it fits well.
Performance Comparison
If it fits you, the Mach 6 is an excellent do-it-all trainer.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
Cushioning and Landing Comfort
Supercritical foam is a welcome addition to the Mach series. The entire midsole of the Mach 6 is composed of a lightweight and energetic compound that we found to be very comfortable. In the lab, we measured 38mm of stack height at the heel and 34mm in the forefoot. That's plenty of padding for 90+ minute runs. The new compound feels slightly firmer with more bounce than in the Mach 5, particularly in the forefoot. That isn't a negative; it gives the shoe added versatility for faster paces without sacrificing much, if any, comfort.
The addition of the supercritical foam is welcome, and it works well with the rockered ride.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The overall ride of the shoe is smooth, with a smooth rocker that feels natural. We did find that when running on heavily cambered road surfaces, the outside of our downhill foot experienced a little more pressure than is typical. That's likely a result of the narrow midfoot.
The Mach 6 definitely has more bounce than its predecessors, which we appreciate. The Mach 5 also struggled with durability, both thanks to the exposed foam midsole and the midsole compound itself. We found that the Mach 5 lost most of its liveliness within the first 150 miles. The Mach 6 does seem to be more durable; so far we have over 100 miles on the shoes without any noticeable loss of pop.
Responsiveness
The Mach 6 can turn it over. The midsole compound has solid energy return and feels firm but energetic underfoot. Paired with the forefoot rocker, faster paces feel good in this shoe.
As far as non-plated options go, the Mach 6 is among the most responsive. If you're used to performance oriented plated daily trainers or super shoes, you'll likely be unimpressed by the feel of the Mach 6 at paces faster than 5K, but the difference is much less noticeable at paces closer to threshold. We found that this is a shoe that works very well for long tempos or long runs with faster sections.
The Mach 6 has a smooth early rocker that feels great at a range of paces.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The excellent versatility of this shoe largely stems from it's responsiveness. The natural ride makes it a great choice for easy runs, and it can still pick it up for harder efforts. If it fits you, that balance makes it one of the best choices for training with a one-shoe rotation.
This is a very versatile shoe and can handle any type of run with ease.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
Upper Comfort
The upper is our only true issue with the Mach 6. The materials are comfortable, breathe well, and provide good stability. The fit is very snug, though. It's one of the narrowest-fitting shoes in our lineup, and its tapered toe box can lead to some discomfort.
The upper fit will likely be too snug for many runners.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
While we didn't experience any rubbing or hot spots, we noticed some discomfort from the tightness of the upper during long runs, particularly in the mid-forefoot area. Runners who prefer narrow, spike-esque lockdown in their daily trainer will likely love the way this shoe feels. We also noticed that the shape of the toe box feels unnatural. Starting at the metatarsal of our big toe, it feels like the shape of the upper and midsole push our toe laterally toward the middle of our foot. It's a strange fit that feels a little unnatural. No other shoes in our lineup have a taper that is this pronounced.
Hoka used a creel jacquard-engineered mesh upper to provide excellent breathability and solid stability. The shape of the heel collar is excellent and provides strong heel retention without rubbing. The tongue is gusseted and protects the top of the foot quite well. Overall, the upper is great… if it fits your feet.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Lateral Stability and Support
The Mach 6 is a neutral daily trainer, but thanks to the more firm and connected ground feel, it provides decent support. It's closer to stable neutral than truly neutral, especially when compared to similar shoes like the Rebel v4.
Runners who seek stability-oriented features should look elsewhere. Additionally, runners with wider feet may find that the small sidewalls, which are in place to aid overall stability, actually cause discomfort.
You can see the small sidewalls around the heel and midfoot here.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Our favorite change from the previous version of this shoe is the addition of the outsole. The fully exposed midsole from the Mach 5 is gone, replaced with a rubber outsole that covers the most common contact patches. While traction on crushed gravel is massively improved, we still found the Mach 6 struggles on wet and cold roads. The outsole does significantly reduce the premature wear we experienced with previous models.
Weight
Coming in at a svelte 8.69 ounces in a US M 10.5, the Mach 6 is a very lightweight daily trainer. This aids in its versatility, allowing it to disappear on your foot at paces heavier trainers struggle with.
Even with the welcome addition of the rubberized outsole, Hoka managed to cut some weight from the previous version. We have nothing to complain about here.
The rubberized outsole is a needed upgrade from the previous model.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Should You Buy the Hoka Mach 6?
The Mach 6 has a strong appeal for runners who want their shoe to be able to handle any type of run. The lightweight and responsive ride doesn't come at the expense of cushioning. However, we think the fit really limits who this shoe will work for. If you have narrow feet, or like a very snug feeling upper, you won't be disappointed by this shoe. If you prefer a more normal upper fit, you should either look elsewhere, or order the Mach 6 in wide. While we didn't test the wide version, it likely will resolve some of our concerns.
What Other Running Shoes Should You Consider?
The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 is the closest to the Mach 6 of the daily trainers we've tested and scores a touch higher in most metrics. It's similarly versatile and is actually lighter, but it has a much more normal fit that we think should work for most runners. Runners looking for a rockered ride but with tons of plush cushioning for easy cruising might find the New Balance Fresh Foam X More v4 to their liking.
—
Nathaniel Bailey
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