Hoka Women's Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes

The lowdown on Hoka Women's Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes

If you're a trail runner, you need the right shoes to provide support and cushioning over uneven terrain. Hoka Women's Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes are popular high-end shoes, but are they worth buying? 

Hoka claims that these shoes are lightweight and breathable. The company also says Speedgoat 5s offer excellent traction in wet and dry conditions and provide grip on the uphill and stability on the downhill. 

To test these claims, the BestReviews Testing Lab tried these shoes in the real world to discover how the Hoka Women's Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes performed. 

Testing the Hoka Women's Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes

To get a real feel for how products perform, BestReviews Testing Lab's knowledgeable testers try things out in their day-to-day lives. This lets testers identify any features or flaws that can only be discovered with regular use. 

For this article, the BestReviews tester is a regular runner who runs an average of 25-30 miles a week, including a weekly 8-12 mile trail run. They used these shoes for their runs over an extended period and even ended up wearing them to run a marathon. 

What are Hoka Women's Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes?

Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes are shoes designed specifically for trail running. They provide a number of benefits for running on rough terrain, such as trails, rocks and dirt paths. They're designed with grip and stability in mind, so you're less likely to stumble or trip when running on uneven surfaces. 

They come in a range of mostly bright hues, which aren't to everyone's taste but some people love. They have a streamlined and lightweight design that makes them a pleasure to run in. 

See how they compare to other products in their space — check out our reviews for the best women's trail running shoes.

Hoka Women's Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes price and where to buy

Hoka Women's Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes cost $150-$250, depending on the color, size and where you buy them. They're available at Dick's Sporting Goods and Amazon. 

How to use Hoka Women's Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes 

There's no trick to using these shoes. Just put them on and run. They come minimally packaged, so there's little to do when you unbox them. Laces are included, but depending on the retailer, they may or may not come laced. Even if they do, you might want to re-lace them to fit your preferences before buying. 

Hoka Women's Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes benefits

Cushioning

These shoes have a large stack height to provide plenty of cushioning in the sole. This is a huge benefit for trail runners, helping to keep the feet as comfortable as possible. Of course, you’ll always get the natural foot fatigue that’s inevitable from running, but the ample cushioning in these shoes makes it much more manageable. 

They’re made for distance runners, even keeping feet reasonably comfortable over a marathon distance. Speedgoats offer significantly more cushioning than lower-end trail running shoes. However, you can expect a roughly comparable amount of cushioning in other shoes of a similar price. 

Support and stability

It’s important that trail running shoes support the foot and offer stability to help prevent injury when running on uneven surfaces. These trail shoes are extremely supportive and improve stability, so you can run with confidence. They offer more support than many on the market, making them an excellent choice. That said, it’s somewhat subjective and can depend on factors such as foot shape and running style. 

Width

Speedgoat 5s provide a little extra room to accommodate foot swell, so they’re comfortable for those who find some shoes too narrow. They’re also available in a wide option, although not in all colors. Not all trail running shoes have wide options, so this is a bonus for anyone with wide feet. 

Traction

You can expect excellent traction from these shoes. While no running shoes are perfect on wet surfaces, these are better than most. They help runners feel secure on slippery surfaces and outperform most road and trail running shoes in this area. 

They offer lots of grip both uphill and downhill. Runners feel secure on uphills and don’t notice their toes jamming into the fronts of these shoes on steep downhills, which can be a common problem with other running shoes. 

Lightweight and breathable

These shoes are extremely light and made from a breathable fabric. While you can find a handful of other running shoes as light as these ones, it’s certainly not the norm. So, if you’re looking for light shoes that can help you improve your performance, these are a solid bet. 

Flat tongue design

Hoka Speedgoat 5 shoes have a slim tongue that lays completely flat to improve comfort in the upper foot. This makes all the difference to how the shoes feel on your feet. Not all running shoes have this kind of tongue design. 

Hoka Women's Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes drawbacks

Color options

The Speedgoat 5s mostly come in bright color combinations. This is fine if you like the look of colorful running shoes, but some buyers would prefer a more subtle option. It would be nice to have the choice of a plain black or gray shoe. However, this is only a small niggle and the performance of the shoes makes up for it.

Price

While the Hoka Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes are about on par, price-wise, with others of similar quality, they aren’t cheap. If you don’t run often or you’re not looking to invest a decent chunk of money into running shoes, you might find them too costly. 

Should you get the Hoka Women's Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes?

If you’re looking for high-end trail running shoes, Hoka Women's Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes should be high up on your list. Just as Hoka claimed, they’re lightweight and offer excellent traction in wet and dry conditions, as well as when running uphill or downhill. They’re also surprisingly good for road running and hiking, even though that’s not what they’re designed for. 

There’s very little to say against these shoes, other than they may be too pricey for casual runners, in which case you might prefer a more affordable pair.