The RW Takeaway: Wear-testers immediately relished the Mach 5’s comfort, but it was the shoe’s springy ride that eventually won over our gear editor.
- New Profly+ midsole foam provides durable, responsive cushioning
- Creel mesh upper has a slightly narrower fit in saddle area
- New flat gusseted tongue sometimes goes askew midrun
Price: $140
Type: Road
Weight: 8.2 oz (M), 6.8 oz (W)
Drop: 5 mm
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Pros
- Soft and responsive Profly+ midsole
- Breathable creel mesh upper
Cons
- Narrower fit than previous version
Like pro runners in a starting corral, we had nervous anticipation—ours for the release of the Mach 5. It’s a hard following for a shoe so beloved for its smooth ride, that caters to all (newbies, Brooks Ghost riders, Nike Peg pacers). The Mach 4 won our Gear of the Year award last year, and some of us (raises hand) stocked up on not one but two extra pairs.
As if the brand sensed our anticipation, Hoka released the supercharged Mach Supersonic as a precursor to the Mach 5. The Mach 4 had racing shoe DNA—elements of the 4 were influenced by Hoka’s carbon-fiber-plated racers, the Carbon X and Rocket X. The Supersonic looked sportier with a more streamlined silhouette, a contoured collar, and heel pull tabs wide enough to thread your fingers through.
Taking after its immediate predecessor, the Mach 5 has replaced the Mach 4’s Profly midsole foam with Profly+, which delivers higher energy return. Also adapted from the Supersonic is the narrower fit around the saddle. Placing my Mach 4 and Mach 5 beside each other, it’s a noticeable change: The 4’s lacing system is more gappy, and the overall shape is boxier, even though the shoes share the same last.
The Mach We Love
Runner-in-Chief Jeff Dengate and I speculated on why the 5’s ride felt off—initially. Like my experience testing the Supersonic, the first couple of runs in the 5 just didn’t have that smooth rocker flow or high rebound I experienced in the Mach 4. Jeff pointed to the tighter midfoot as the culprit. However, I theorize that it’s the density distribution in the new midsole foam. The original Profly foam is softer in the heel and firmer in the forefoot. Jeff and I are both midfoot-strikers, so perhaps it just takes some Profly+ fine-tuning to make the Mach feel more pre-Sonic.
I found one way to change my mind about a shoe: pack that pair, and only that pair, for a short vacation. Like easing into zero-drop trainers, it took a couple runs on an unfamiliar city’s greenway for me to finally be won over by the Mach 5. I noticed a shift when my pace became faster. It’s no Mach 4, but it’s a Mach I still love, and testers unfamiliar with the fourth version were instantly enamored with the fifth.
“I really like this shoe,” said one tester. “It’s comfortable, supportive, and stylish, has a great ride and nice traction—so many boxes got checked! The tongue is the only thing, in my opinion, that keeps it from being perfect.” Indeed, this tester wasn’t the only one who expressed distaste for the new lay-flat gusseted tongue. It’s a small critique on a shoe otherwise so excellent.
Another Tester’s Take
Lianne G. | Tester since 2019
Arch: High | Pronation: Neutral | Footstrike: Midfoot
“Finally, a Hoka for me! I love this shoe. It’s everything I thought I wanted the Saucony Endorphin Shift to be—sufficiently cushioned for recovery runs, yet light and snappy enough to pick up the pace. The Mach 5 is an excellent daily trainer. I ran about half of my runs on pavement. The remained was predominantly on a packed rail-trail surface with a smattering of grass and track in there. I ran over 150 miles in this shoe over the course of the testing period, typically at paces around 7:45-8:15 per mile, with a bit of modest speedwork around 6:00 pace. It was a little bit of a warmer shoe than the Saucony Endorphin Speed, Speed 2, and the Newton Fate 7. But even in the high temps and humidity we experienced throughout the testing period, my feet were never at risk of blistering.”
Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
