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Leave It to Hoka to Make the Ultimate Entry-Level Trail Shoe

The brand’s latest design optimizes its most revered trainer for dirt — and then some.

hoka trail shoe challenger 8Hoka

By Jack Seemer

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Roads. Sidewalks. Trails. If the surface is runnable, Hoka probably makes a shoe for it.

However, the brand’s upcoming model is designed tackle all three in one fell swoop, appealing to both beginners and seasoned runners in the process.

Hoka Challenger 8
Don’t mistake its nondescript appearance for a lack of versatility. The Challenger hides some features that make it suitable to a range of running surfaces.
Hoka

Entry-level traction

The Challenger 8 is the latest installment in Hoka’s most versatile shoe family, with the newest version effectively arriving next month as a hardwearing Clifton in everything but name.

Hoka Challenger 8
From the top, no one would blame you for mistake it as the Clifton.
Hoka

The Clifton, of course, is Hoka’s revered daily trainer — not to mention one of the best-selling shoes on the planet. Recently updated for 2025, the Clifton 10 features an 8mm heel-to-toe drop (the highest in its decade-long run).

Hoka Clifton 10 shoe
The Clifton 10 (pictured), released in 2025, features an 8mm drop.
Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Here, the Challenger 8 follows in the Clifton’s footsteps, adopting the same 8mm drop for a more responsive feeling underfoot — up from 5mm on the Challenger 7.

Hoka Challenger 8
Like the new Clifton, the Challenger features an 8mm drop and CMEVA foam throughout the midsole.
Hoka

It also features the same compression-molded EVA (CMEVA) throughout the midsole, as well a redesigned engineered mesh upper with a new heel pull for easy entry.

Hoka Challenger 8
The redesigned upper includes new heel pulls for easy entry.
Hoka

While Hoka’s choice of foam may disappoint trail veterans treated with newer, lighter, more responsive innovations, CMEVA is tried-and-true workhorse that welcomes runners of all skill levels, while simultaneously keeping the price in check.

Where the Challenger 8 begins to chart its own course is on the bottom of the shoe. Hoka updated the 4mm lugs for multidirectional traction, without overbearing the outsole, and also added a screen-printed toe cap for abrasion resistance.

Hoka Challenger 8
The 4mm lug pattern provides multidirectional traction without feeling out of place on the roads.
Hoka

In other words, the shoe can comfortably take on gravel and dirt but it won’t feel out of place on the roads, should someone’s route encompass a little bit of all three.

Pricing and availability

The Challenger 8 will be available from July 1 in four launch colorways ranging from black to Jade green. It costs $155.

About the Author:

Jack Seemer is the executive editor at Gear Patrol, with over a decade of experience in product journalism. He currently reports on a wide range of topics, including footwear, watches, EDC, cookware and more.

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