MICHAEL: While I didn’t seem to have the stability issues Allison mentioned, several other aspects of the Mafate X left me wanting more. Starting from the bottom up, this shoe is not just heavy (and it is certainly that), but it’s really bottom-heavy. The lightweight upper, contrasted with a massive block of foam underfoot, felt especially disjointed. Whenever the trail turned uphill, instead of running in the shoe, it felt like I was carrying the shoe, let alone trying to navigate the shoe through rock gardens and tight turns in the singletrack. For me, this foible alone immediately removes the Mafate X from race day consideration, no matter how long or technical the course is.
Ever since the release of the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro, I’ve become a bit of an old, grouchy man who likes to complain about gas prices, except instead of gas prices, I like to complain about carbon plates in trail shoes. For some shoes, carbon is totally awesome and makes sense. But like Allison, I, too, have a hard time questioning the use of a plate in the Mafate X specifically. I don’t think the plate is entirely negative, as it did help give the shoe a hint of pop on the toe-off and kept things slightly more stable, but honestly, at this weight, I kind of wish Hoka would have just taken a step back, changed the name from the Mafate X to the Stinson X, and really leaned more fully into the recovery shoe aesthetic.
While the fit of the upper was largely agreeable through the forefoot, I found the heel security to be absolutely terrible. Whether I was climbing or descending, with every step on the trail, my heel would nearly lift out of the shoe, and I tried everything to stop it. Seriously, at one point, I cinched the lacing chain so tight (with the runner’s knot) the eyelets were nearly touching, cutting off circulation in my foot and everything… and I still couldn’t stop the heel lift. It was really disappointing and definitely contributed to the feeling that I was having to lug around these massive blocks of foam up the trail. I’m not even sure the heel cup is the problem here; it may just be the natural stiffness of 49mm of foam combined with a plate.
Shop The Shoe – Men
Shop The Shoe – Women
