Published on November 23, 2024

HOKA 2025 Trail Line Up Preview: Make it Mafate

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HOKA 2025 Trail Line Up Introduction

HOKA have long established pedigree on the trails. From soft daily miles to course records at UTMB, HOKA has the shoe for you. This year’s releases at TRE were all things Mafate. Below, you can find out what the major changes are. Spoiler alert: they’ve lost the speed addition to the name.

HOKA Mafate X

HOKA’s 2025 trail line up flagship shoe has seen countless updates over the years: overlay tweaks, lug spurs, stack changes. We’ve seen it all, or have we?

Enter the Mafate X, the monster truck of trail shoes, built for endless gravel-grinding adventures. This is the shoe for the trail runner who wants everything (and we mean everything) all in one: cushion, pop, grip, and even a dash of whimsy. It’s the dream boat with no claims to be the lightest ship in the fleet, but arguably the most plush. If your ultra involves road miles, you’ll be grateful for the massive 49mm heel stack and 41mm forefoot. That’s cushion for days.

And because Hoka knows you’ve been eyeing that Tecton X plate, the Mafate X brings you your own carbon plate for that extra pop. A 8mm drop gives you the agility to make the most of it. Oh, and the lugs? They’re little pizzas and tacos smiling up at you, because you did say you wanted it all. Don’t miss the ride coming May 15, 2025 retailing at $225 / EUR 220.

HOKA Mafate 5

Big changes are coming in Fall/Winter of the HOKA 2025 trail line up for the non-carbon-plated cousin of Hoka’s legendary Mafate. The designers have flipped the script, quite literally, by reversing the order of the midsole foam in the Mafate 5. This time, firmer foam is positioned underfoot, with softer foam closest to the ground. Why? Because the soft foam is designed to flex and mould to the trail as you go, delivering a unique damping effect that’ll cushion those long hauls like never before.

And because we all know long-distance adventures demand durability, the rockered midsole gets a fresh redesign to maintain its integrity for longer, keeping your toe-off smooth and strong mile after mile.

AUTHORS

Alex Filitti

30 years old

Marathon

2:49:25

Alex is the founder and CEO of Meta Endurance. He is based in Brussels, Belgium like the company’s HQ. Formerly a duathlete, he now trains for road running races. In his free time, he still rides bikes and plays other sports like tennis and golf. Alex is geeky about many things, including running shoes.

Andy Wright

46 years old

Marathon

2:44:06

Andy is our editor and a road, XC and occasional trail runner. He lives and trains in Folkestone, England. He competes for fun, occasionally for times and prefers the team running events of relays and cross country. When not running, he is a full time primary school teacher and is learning how to be a dad.

Josh Burton

21 years old

10km

31:20

Josh is our community manager and a road and track contributor. He lives and trains between Bath and Brighton in the UK and he studies architecture. He is focusing on middle-distance track races and competed in his first half-marathon in 2024.

Esther

43 years old

Esther is a trail running contributor near Chamonix, France, with a love of medium to long distances. She values views over PBs and recently completed the Tour des Fiz “5 Refuge” trail. In 2021, she won the 9-day DGR vertical challenge. Outside running and teaching, she enjoys watercolours and time with her 3 kids.

Ivan Corda

48 years old

Marathon