Hoka Evo Speedgoat vs Topo MTN Racer 2

I want a shoe that has the cushion and drop of my Hoka Speedgoat with the toebox of my Altra Olympus 4.0.

It is highly cushioned. On the positive side, the shoe seemed well built, it was light and had a pleasant appearance. Would I recommend the shoe, I hesitate because it was my personal preferences that lead me to return the shoe, but it seemed like a solid product.

Beware they do run very narrow at the toe and are not for everyone. If you needed the extra toe room you could look to the Hoka EVO Speedgoat,. EVO Mafate 2 or the Mafate Speed 3, all of which are high cushioned but have a stretchy bit of fabric over the toe, which can make the fit more accommodating.

This year I tried the ALTRA Olympus 4 and lone peak 5. Some of the sloppiest fitting shoes I’ve ever tried. Tried the HOKA speedgoat4 and while these were great for in town casual walking. These were a nightmare on the trail

extended scree or volcanic above treeline where a lower stack height for stability and rigidity is desired.

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I’ve done a couple ultras in loose snow, which felt a lot like running in sand to me. I’ve used both the SpeedCross and Hoka SpeedGoat. The ‘goats might have had the advantage due to the much wider sole helping with flotation, but I felt they got a lot heavier when wet. In all instances I studded the soles with about 8 sheet metal screws at the end of some select lugs, which I felt helped with a little extra grip even when ice wasn’t an issue

I probably preferred the Mtn Racer 2 to either of the Altra models in this respect. Altra's proprietary outsole is often criticized for its lack of grip on wet surfaces. Topo seems to use Vibram across their lineup, which is typically lauded for its grip in wet conditions. In fairness, I have never noticed an issue with my Altras in wet conditions and didn't test these shoes in wet conditions

For years I wore boots (really heavy), then shoes (heavy) and now trail runners (not so heavy). I prefer the Hoka One Speedgoat trail runners. They are good for dry conditions, have great grip and stability (for me). I have never had ankle stability issues, so it works great

Pros:wide forefooot, good but not great stability Cons: grip is not as expected and forefoot protection is poor Would not recommend it for the price

, (4) have great cushioning for all-day wear on sharp surfaces, and (5) are not so heavy that I feel like I'm fighting the shoe when picking up the pace. I've run in Altra Timps and Lone Peaks, Brooks Caldera 4, La Sportiva Jackal, Salomon Sense Ride 3, and Topo MTN Racer 1s and none of these had all-day underfoot cushioning and protection against sharps like the Speedgoats. The durability of my Speedgoats have been good.

For construction the seams look more robust, and the Vibram sole in my experience holds up better than standard Altra. Altra uses Vibram on their high priced Olympus 4 and that is one of the toughest shoes I have ever run in, hands down. I believe a 5mm drop is the sweet spot for most of us, take your time getting adjusted to them, you'll feel less calf burn and wonder why your quads have gotten weaker, this is normal!

I run in the Speedgoat 3s and the Speedgoat 4 is a step back for me with regards to weight since it got heavier. The Speedgoat Evo on the other hand, is a huge improvement and superior to the Speedgoat 3 and 4.

To be honest, I can’t feel much of a difference in the Mtn Racer 2’s fit through the heel relative to the first version of the shoe — but the extra heel counter certainly doesn’t hurt.WeightThe Mtn Racer 2 is fairly average as far as weight is concerned — there are plenty of lighter shoes available with fairly similar specs, but the Mtn Racer 2 isn’t the heaviest mid / high-cushion shoe around, either. For a more direct comparison, here’s how the Mtn Racer 2 compares to similar shoes from a few other brands (all stated weights are based on a US Men’s size 9):258 g / 9.1 oz — Hoka One One Torrent 2269 g / 9

For 3 season hiking I chose Hoka speedgoat 3, followed very closely by the brooks cascadia. They're both VERY comfortable shoes that are light and breath + dry very well. Lightness + Breathability + Drying quickly > a heavy gnarly boot that tries to keep you clean and dry but inevitably will get water logged from sweat anyway or the elements, just might take longer vs a trail runner. Also 1 pound on your foot is 5 pounds on your back

So, the super thing about these is also the ventilation and the way they super wrap around your heel and ankle. That being said, you can't tell the difference in having no rock plate like the Terraventure does. That being said, they have just enough cushion and protection to keep your foot super stable and shielded from anything super sharp. So, I find myself super choosing these when I'm hiking rocky terrain