HOKA Mach 5

Name: HOKA Mach 5
Brand: HOKA
Rating: 4.7 (24 reviews)

Speed shoe · Neutral · Road · 7.5 oz · 30/25mm stack · 5mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The HOKA Mach 6 replaced it

How it ranks

The HOKA Mach 5 is one of the strongest running shoes in our data. Comfort and looks are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 67 runner reviews and 6 other rated shoes in the Mach product line.

Excellent

Overall

Excellent 95

Comfort

Excellent 95

Appearance

Excellent 94

Value

Excellent 93

Cushioning

Good 88

Durability

Below average 64

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

99 Very high

Very high 99

External retailer ratings

We break apart ratings from mass-market retailers and specialty running shops since they serve different audiences.

The middle of the bar marks the typical shoe at each type of retailer. The dot shows where this shoe ranks in comparison.

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

Our ratings
Product line track record
External ratings

What runners say

“Light but not minimal, cushion balanced, wide toebox, snug midfoot/heel”

5/5 Full review 10 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash

“Roomy toebox, amazing lockdown, super comfortable and breathable upper”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Brooks Ghost 14

“Upper fits like a glove, very light, rockered geometry guides effortlessly”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Mach 4

“Amazing on gravel roads, and feet didn't feel all the rocks like with other shoes”

5/5 Full review 27 mpw came from the HOKA Speedgoat 5

“Perfect utility shoe for all training runs—slow to fast, all distances”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Mach 4

“Incredibly versatile for long runs, tempo, track work—reliable shoe”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Clifton 8

“Cushion is soft but still feels very springy and responsive”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the HOKA Mach 4

“Gentle rocker sole bouncy enough for racing 5K to marathon”

5/5 Full review 10 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash

“Roomy toe-box but still secure in midfoot and heel”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the HOKA Mach 4

“Durability concern: soft midsole top layer, no rubber outsole”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3

“Enough cushion for recovery, lightweight and firm for faster work”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Clifton 8

“Need more traction when it rains—no rubber outsole”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the On Cloudmonster

“Insole issue: thin, holes misaligned, creases uncomfortably when warm”

4/5 Full review 10 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Rincon 3

“Durability varies: 200-400 miles before feeling flat”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Clifton 8

“Midsole weakened after 400+ miles”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 14

“Lacks some cushioning but light and not overly supportive”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Clifton 8

“Fits true to size”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Clifton 8

Prefer this shoe over another

62% 21/34

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 24.

Pros

Reviewers use it for easy days, tempo work and long runs alike.
It weighs 8 oz, and reviewers still call the cushioning soft and springy.
Reviewers praise the rocker and the roomy toebox with a secure midfoot.

Cons

The outsole is foam with no rubber, and six reviewers report it wearing down quickly.
One reviewer finds the thin insole creases and replaces it.

Mach 5 rates 95. This shoe has very high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the HOKA Mach

Each dot is one version of the Mach, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

74 2018 94 2019 72 2020 86 2021 95 2022 96 2024 88 2026

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Mach 7

2026 · 0 reviews

88 Good

79 Confidence
Mach 6

2024 · 28 reviews

96 Excellent

93 Confidence
Mach 5 This shoe

2022 · 67 reviews

95 Excellent

99 Confidence
Mach 4

2021 · 7 reviews

86 Good

87 Confidence
Mach 3

2020 · 1 review

72 Decent

73 Confidence
Mach 2

2019 · 9 reviews

94 Excellent

87 Confidence
Mach v1

2018 · 6 reviews

74 Decent

87 Confidence

Runner Ratings

67 ratings

5/5 43

4/5 22

3/5 2

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 7.5 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 8.2 oz · Women's 6.8 oz
Release: 2022 Q2
MSRP: $140
Stack: 30/25mm
Drop: 5mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Awesome shoe, Hoka Mach 5

5/5

Overall

This shoe is awesome, it is very light for the amount that you get in the shoe. A pretty roomy toebox with an amazing lockdown with the laces and a super comfortable and breathable upper.

The ride and energy is outstanding, it has two layers of midsole, the top layer of Profly+ is super bouncy and soft, while the stiffer lower part of the midsole provides a quick snapback and speedy feel to the shoe. I raced it in 5k and 10k and even without a carbon plate I felt propeled and got new PBs more often than not.

The outsole though was carved out of the bottom layer of midsole with was grippy but did erode quite quickly.

It is great value for money as it was only 150 Euros where I live.

I HAVE NEVER WORKED WITH ANY RUNNING SHOE COMPANIES.

Elliot. M · Jul 2, 2023

20 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Brooks Ghost 14

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 2/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 5/5

Daily workhorse + transition from super shoe use

4/5

Overall

The Mach has been my go-to daily trainer. I’ve done long runs, tempo and hill workouts, easy runs, and some steady efforts too.

I greatly enjoy the upper which fits my foot like a glove. It disappears on my foot immediately which when combined with the low weight of the shoe, you end up with a super smooth, ‘set it and forget it’ ride.

My only concern is durability due to the softer top layer of the midsole and complete lack of rubber outsole. However, I’ve only got around 60~ miles in it so it is hard to tell.

C · Jul 2, 2023

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Hoka Mach 5: Best do-it-all trainer

5/5

Overall

I am on my 4th pair of Mach 5’s, after running in the Mach 4’s previously. The Mach 5 is a perfect utility shoe for me. I use it for all of my training runs, slow, short, long, fast - no matter the distance or tempo, the Mach 5 exceeds. The upper fits like a glove, and it feels very light on foot, with a rockered geometry that guides you effortlessly to put one foot in front of the other. While some complain about the outsole durability, I have personally not had this problem, with my shoes lasting ~500 miles/pair on average. I couldn’t recommend them more!

Sean · Jun 24, 2023

50 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Mach 4

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 4/5

Really good daily trainer - it's so good, I have raced in it

5/5

Overall

The bright high school kid at the local running shop dragged out several of the usual suspects for me. I was searching for a replacement for one of the 2 road trainers in my rotation. They were all adequate but not ideal, and I was struggling to pick the winner when she suggested an alternative that she used as her daily trainer, the Hoka Mach 5. She explained she prefers it as an all-around asset in her limited closet of shoes. I instantly liked the shoe's name for its Speed Racer reference that she probably wouldn't get and agreed to give it a try. I've worn several different models of Hoka, some like the Speedgoat that I really liked and others like the Bondi that didn't work so well. All have plenty of cushion but sometimes their narrow toe box or bulky if light outsoles made them an adequate but not great fit. The Mach on the other is solidly in my Goldilocks zone for a daily trainer: light but not too minimal, enough but not too much cushion, wide enough not to impinge on my toes, snug enough through the midfoot and heel, and the gentle rocker sole make them bouncy enough for me for racing from 5K up to the marathon. Bonus! They aren't as fast as a plated race shoe, but for my foot they might work better unless it's an 'A' race.

Dan Shaw · Jun 19, 2023

10 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Great for faster mileage

5/5

Overall

Extremely light, fast turnover, cushion isn't top class but value is there. Great show.

zpack · Jun 19, 2023

50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 26

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 3/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

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HOKA Mach 5

Excellent