Speedgoat 6 Trail Running Shoe (Men)

I bought these shoes for my son for his 23rd birthday because we were climbing a mountain for his birthday. He pulled them out of the box, on his birthday morning, put them on, and noticed the flap that holds the laces down was totally broken and could lift off the tongue of the shoe. He ended up wearing them anyway, due to not having any other shoes to wear. Pretty let down that Nordstrom Rack would send me a shoe (that most likely was returned because of the malfunction) and they just packaged it up and sent it back out for someone else to deal with. The shoe itself is great. The rating is more for Nordstrom Rack for sending out a broken shoe.

I found a pair of Hokas ( I’ve been looking for) but unfortunately when examining the bottoms I could tell by the darker, miscolor that they’ve been worn outside the carpeted store! It was the only pair in the store. When I went to checkout & pay, I asked the salesgirl if by chance I could get some type of discount. Unfortunately she said she couldn’t do that. Thought it was worth a try-she even acknowledged they were used! I still purchased them!

I tried the Mafate Speed 4 (returned) because so many runners were raving about the midsole. I guess it's fine if you like a plush Clifton vibe with no ground feel. The Speedgoat 6 is a technical beast ready to tackle the most challenging terrains. It especially excels on steep climbs and descents. I also feel that this shoe is more durable than the Mafate, especially the upper. If you like that Clifton marshmallow feel, get the Mafate. If you prefer a high=performance technical trail runner, that will put a spring in your step, opt for the Speedgoat.