HOKA Mach 7 Review: Mach be nimble, Mach be quick!

All shoes are reviewed by the Fleet Feet tester team, which represents a wide variety of goals, foot shapes, running locations and terrains. Reviewers pound the pavement, climb the hills, tackle the trails, then come together to compare notes. Debates ensue over the feel of the cushioning, the purpose of the shoe, and how it compares to last year’s model. While each reviewer has their own individual preferences, we hope that capturing our debates will help you make an informed decision.

The HOKA Mach franchise was born as a counterpoint to the brand’s maximalist roots. If HOKA’s bestselling Bondi and Clifton are like cruising in a big, plush Boeing 787 Dreamliner (minus the safety recalls), the Mach is more of a light sport aircraft — sleeker, faster and built for agility.

The Mach 7, available March 1, keeps that lightweight, nimble feel with a supercritically foamed EVA midsole and a brand-new creel jacquard upper. But did the latest Mach help our Fleet Feet review team soar to new heights or leave us stuck on the runway? Read on to find out.

The HOKA Mach 7 maintains the same supercritical EVA midsole as the prior version. Supercritical foams are composed of multiple tiny cells that are created when an element, like a gas or liquid, has been brought to a temperature and pressure higher than its critical point. Imagine running on a million tiny air bubbles!

I enjoyed the firm yet peppy feeling of the underfoot cushioning. It works well for a variety of different runs — it’s comfortable enough for recovery runs when my legs and feet are beat up, but it’s lively enough to pick up the pace if I feel like it.

The shoe’s light weight definitely plays a role in maintaining that uptempo ride. And, with how nimble this shoe felt, we were all surprised when looking at the tech specs and noticing the stack height. Stack height refers to the amount of the material in the shoe (outsole, midsole and insole) between your feet and the ground. It’s a good indication of how cushioned the shoe feels.

“I’ve never been particularly good at estimating someone’s age. And I fear that fault is starting to creep into estimating a shoe’s stack height,” says Max, who’s been reviewing shoes for the past four years. “The Mach 7’s 37-millimeter stack doesn’t necessarily look or feel that high. If there are two words I’d use to describe the ride of the Mach 7 they’re nimble and lightweight – two words that don’t necessarily coincide with a 37-millimeter stack height. And that’s where the magic happens with this shoe. The ride is peppy, somewhat firm and I feel confident in my footing. The gusseted tongue provides a better lock-down fit than its predecessor, the rubber on the outsole, especially in the forefoot, grips the road like glue, and the moderate stack height is surprisingly stable when whipping around corners.”

Travis agrees, saying, “The Mach 7 has a firm, natural feel, which I really like and have been craving. With how light it is, it is easy to pick up the pace. It isn’t making me feel like I have jets in my shoes like some other speedier, carbon plated, models [check out HOKA’s Cielo X1 3.0) but it did make me feel lighter and a little more nimble.”

HOKA uses two types of rubber in the outsole; a sticky rubber in the forefoot for maximum traction at toe-off and a durabrasion rubber at the heel to minimize wear and tear. Travis noticed the Mach 7 handled the icy, wet sidewalks in Pittsburgh quite well.

The main updates to the Mach 7 come in the form of an updated creel jacquard upper to help dial in the fit.

“The Mach 7 keeps it simple. It packs enough comfort in the heel collar and tongue for longer efforts, but doesn’t necessarily pack anything “extra” to take that to the next level of premium plushness,” says Max. “Its new upper material is noticeably breezy and breathable – even more so than its predecessor, giving it a lightweight feel.”

While Max, our narrow-footed reviewer, found his perfect fit in the Mach 7, Travis found it to be a touch too narrow.

“I had to make sure to use a thinner sock to give myself as much room as possible, which for this cold Pittsburgh winter, was a little bit of a concern,” says Travis. “But I appreciated that the heel counter kept my feet nice and secure with no slippage.”

I typically go down a half-size (to a 6) in HOKA shoes, but I found the Mach 7 to feel perfect in my usual 6.5.

Good news for wide-footed runners — the Mach 7 is available in standard (B for women, D for men) and wide (D for women, 2E for men) sizing, so if you enjoy the feel of the midsole cushioning you’ll likely be able to find your perfect fit.

Unsure about the width of your feet? Your best bet will be to head into your local Fleet Feet. Fleet Feet outfitters use 3D fit id® foot scanning technology to gather information about your feet and the support they need by taking precise measurements of your foot length, width and arch height. You can learn a lot about your feet while you’re there!

At its roots, the Mach 7 is still the lightweight, springy trainer that runners have come to know and love from the Mach franchise. The major update to this model is the new upper material, and it appears the 7 has gained just the slightest bit of weight.

“The new update provides a better lockdown fit than the Mach 6, especially when picking up the pace and turning some corners, which I have to do often while running in Chicago,” says Max. “It feels a bit more protective as well, making it an option for some of my longer runs.”

We took a look at some similar models to see how the HOKA Mach 7 stacks up. Here’s what we found:

The HOKA Mach 7 fits in nicely with the New Balance Rebel v5 and the Saucony Endorphin Azura. All three shoes are lightweight with a springy ride, thanks to performance-focused midsole foams. The Mach 7 uses a supercritical EVA compound, while the New Balance Rebel v5 and Saucony Endorphin Azura use PEBA-based blends.

None of these three options have carbon-fiber or plastic plates; their responsiveness is fully delivered by the foam and the slight rocker geometry.

The Mach 7 is a versatile option, thanks to its light weight and lively cushioning. It can perform well during just about any run you take it on. Perhaps Max says it best:

“I’d recommend this shoe for someone looking for a daily trainer that’s a bit faster than some of those max-cushion daily trainers out there. This shoe is a breath of fresh air from those options. It’s like when baseball players on deck use a bat weight so that when they take it off, their actual bat feels like it’s moving faster. That’s what it feels like going from a regular trainer to the Mach 7.”

Travis recommends it to younger track and cross-country athletes looking for one shoe to run the bulk of their training in when they’re not spiked up. It’s comfortable enough for recovery days but, thanks to the peppy ride, you’ll be able to keep up with your faster teammates, too.