My Experience with Hoka Challenger ATR 7s: A Camino Report

[David Tallan]

There has been some discussion about the life expectancy of Hoka shoes, so I made a little note to myself to report on the condition of my Hoke Challenger ATR 7s when I got back from my Caminos thus summer.

Well, I'm back, so here is the report.

In these shoes, I walked the Madrid, San Salvador, Primitivo, and Finisterre/Muxia caminos, plus some extra at the beginning from my old front door to the official beginning of the Madrid, a number of detours, and some of the Frances to stitch together the Madrid and San Salvador. All in all, that was probably just shy of 1,000 km of routes, although the actual amount of walking (which also includes walking around towns and villages) was over 1,200 km. And a bit of training walks before my Camino to ensure they worked for me.

The shoes did not fall apart, did not come apart at the seams. As mentioned above, this included the Salvador and the Primitivo, so there was hiking as well as walking, and walking on all kinds of surfaces including plenty of asphalt and also plenty of rock.

There was definitely wear on the treads. The treads in the centre are pretty much gone, but this model doesn't have much tread in the centre to begin with.

In general, I would say there is still some life in this shoe yet. Not too bad, and not like some of the horror stories I was reading. Maybe I just got lucky.

 

[jfgough]

Thanks for the review David, and giving me a bit more confidence. This is what I am wearing on the trails around my home in the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia. I bought a new pair for my Camino Frances which I start on 30 August.
I was contemplating bringing a pair of Bondi 7s as a backup/town shoe. Not sure if its worth the weight.
Your thoughts?
Thanks and Buen Camino!

 

[NcFinn]

There has been some discussion about the life expectancy of Hoka shoes, so I made a little note to myself to report on the condition of my Hoke Challenger ATR 7s when I got back from my Caminos thus summer.

Well, I'm back, so here is the report.

In these shoes, I walked the Madrid, San Salvador, Primitivo, and Finisterre/Muxia caminos, plus some extra at the beginning from my old front door to the official beginning of the Madrid, a number of detours, and some of the Frances to stitch together the Madrid and San Salvador. All in all, that was probably just shy of 1,000 km of routes, although the actual amount of walking (which also includes walking around towns and villages) was over 1,200 km. And a bit of training walks before my Camino to ensure they worked for me.

The shoes did not fall apart, did not come apart at the seams. As mentioned above, this included the Salvador and the Primitivo, so there was hiking as well as walking, and walking on all kinds of surfaces including plenty of asphalt and also plenty of rock.

There was definitely wear on the treads. The treads in the centre are pretty much gone, but this model doesn't have much tread in the centre to begin with.

In heneral, I would say there is still some life in this shoe yet. Not to bad, and not like some of the horror stories I was reading. Maybe I just got lucky.
View attachment 153705 View attachment 153706 View attachment 153707

Thanks for this feedback. After a couple pairs of Hokas that seemed rather poor quality I switched to Salomon. Training in them now. Not near as cushioned but very comfy so far.

 

[David Tallan]

Thanks for the review David, and giving me a bit more confidence. This is what I am wearing on the trails around my home in the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia. I bought a new pair for my Camino Frances which I start on 30 August.
I was contemplating bringing a pair of Bondi 7s as a backup/town shoe. Not sure if its worth the weight.
Your thoughts?
Thanks and Buen Camino!

I've never carried a backup running shoe. My backups have always been hiking sandals. And I've never tried the Bondi 7s, only the Bondi 6s. I really liked the Bondi 6s, though. More cushioned than the Challengers, although perhaps with a little less tread. I think they would be my choice for the Camino Portugues.

 

[KariannNor]

Thanks! This was great news! have been worried for a long time about whether the Hokas will withstand it. My experiences of the last few weeks (and now your post!) has given me the confidence to go for a couple of weeks old pairs. My backups will be Ecco sandals, almost half a kilo heavy, but worth it I think..

 

[jfgough]

I've never carried a backup running shoe. My backups have always been hiking sandals. And I've never tried the Bondi 7s, only the Bondi 6s. I really liked the Bondi 6s, though. More cushioned than the Challengers, although perhaps with a little less tread. I think they would be my choice for the Camino Portugues.

Thanks for the reply. I'm trying to avoid packing my fears. Im not a sandals guy, so an extra shoe would be for around town.

 

[Compass Chris]

I have a couple of pairs myself (the was a sale on!). I’ve only done a couple of hundred kms in both. Previously I wore Cliftons on the Camino. They lasted well, and were very comfy, but the sole wasn’t firm enough for rocky surfaces; I could feel those rocks. The ATR sole is better on rough surfaces, but the lugs do wear faster than a flatter sole, and the centre soft section of the sole gets scuffed up faster. So wear vs suitability, I prefer them for mixed surfaces (what they are designed for anyway) and happy enough with the lifespan. Hoka generally have a end of year sale, that’s the time to buy.

 

[Anamya]

Wow, they look quite good for a pair of shoes that walked 1200km! Thanks for the report!

 

[DTCamino]

I have a couple of pairs myself (the was a sale on!). I’ve only done a couple of hundred kms in both. Previously I wore Cliftons on the Camino. They lasted well, and were very comfy, but the sole wasn’t firm enough for rocky surfaces; I could feel those rocks. The ATR sole is better on rough surfaces, but the lugs do wear faster than a flatter sole, and the centre soft section of the sole gets scuffed up faster. So wear vs suitability, I prefer them for mixed surfaces (what they are designed for anyway) and happy enough with the lifespan. Hoka generally have a end of year sale, that’s the time to buy.

I wear only the Challengers when hiking or walking the Camino. My feet are wide and the Challenger 7 and 6 in wide aren’t as wide as the 5’s. Like you wrote they go on sale and so I’m bought a few, and I’m down to my last 2 pair of 5’s, which will do the Madrid in September and the Lana in April. After that maybe the 8 will be out and I’ll try those out…

 

[Anik2001]

Thanks for the feedback on the Challengers. I wore the Stinson ATR 6 on the Francés last summer and can still wear them, still in good shape though the treads are mostly gone now. I already bought a new pair for my camino next summer (hopefully Madrid, San Salvador and Primitivo).

 

[Elle Bieling]

Great report, thank-you! I just bought the Hoka Anacapa Breeze and am heading back onto the Portugues, so your report is encouraging indeed. I have never bought Hoka's before, but am all too familiar with how the hobblestones in Portugal beat up my feet and legs! So, they should hold up!

 

[Tacey]

There has been some discussion about the life expectancy of Hoka shoes, so I made a little note to myself to report on the condition of my Hoke Challenger ATR 7s when I got back from my Caminos thus summer.

Well, I'm back, so here is the report.

In these shoes, I walked the Madrid, San Salvador, Primitivo, and Finisterre/Muxia caminos, plus some extra at the beginning from my old front door to the official beginning of the Madrid, a number of detours, and some of the Frances to stitch together the Madrid and San Salvador. All in all, that was probably just shy of 1,000 km of routes, although the actual amount of walking (which also includes walking around towns and villages) was over 1,200 km. And a bit of training walks before my Camino to ensure they worked for me.

The shoes did not fall apart, did not come apart at the seams. As mentioned above, this included the Salvador and the Primitivo, so there was hiking as well as walking, and walking on all kinds of surfaces including plenty of asphalt and also plenty of rock.

There was definitely wear on the treads. The treads in the centre are pretty much gone, but this model doesn't have much tread in the centre to begin with.

In general, I would say there is still some life in this shoe yet. Not too bad, and not like some of the horror stories I was reading. Maybe I just got lucky.
View attachment 153705 View attachment 153706 View attachment 153707

There has been some discussion about the life expectancy of Hoka shoes, so I made a little note to myself to report on the condition of my Hoke Challenger ATR 7s when I got back from my Caminos thus summer.

Well, I'm back, so here is the report.

In these shoes, I walked the Madrid, San Salvador, Primitivo, and Finisterre/Muxia caminos, plus some extra at the beginning from my old front door to the official beginning of the Madrid, a number of detours, and some of the Frances to stitch together the Madrid and San Salvador. All in all, that was probably just shy of 1,000 km of routes, although the actual amount of walking (which also includes walking around towns and villages) was over 1,200 km. And a bit of training walks before my Camino to ensure they worked for me.

The shoes did not fall apart, did not come apart at the seams. As mentioned above, this included the Salvador and the Primitivo, so there was hiking as well as walking, and walking on all kinds of surfaces including plenty of asphalt and also plenty of rock.

There was definitely wear on the treads. The treads in the centre are pretty much gone, but this model doesn't have much tread in the centre to begin with.

In general, I would say there is still some life in this shoe yet. Not too bad, and not like some of the horror stories I was reading. Maybe I just got lucky.
View attachment 153705 View attachment 153706 View attachment 153707

Thank you very much, David! I just got a pair of GTX for the Rota Vicentina.

all the best, Tacey

 

[caminoresearcher]

These are exactly the shoes I wore on my Camino Portugués this spring (I also added an insert for extra support) and they worked wonderfully. They will definitely be my choice moving forward. As a hybrid, I liked that they were built to deal with a variety of surfaces, which I definitely encountered. When others complained of feeling pain or fatigue in their feet when they arrived at the end of the day, I didn’t experience this. Thoroughly impressed.

 

[SoundguyO]

Thanks for this great report David! I just purchased another pair of Hoka Challenger ATR 7 after 4 months of solid training walks in my current pair. I was concerned about getting mid way thru my CF (staring in mid September) and having to tape them together to finish...

 

[BennyB]

Those Hoka ATRs definitely stand out. They take a licking and keep on trekking for sure. This old man highly recommends them.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

I

There has been some discussion about the life expectancy of Hoka shoes, so I made a little note to myself to report on the condition of my Hoke Challenger ATR 7s when I got back from my Caminos thus summer.


View attachment 153705

Although I can see in this picture that the insides of the back of the shoe near the heel wore out just like they quickly did in the last two pairs of Hokas I had. The first pair I used for hiking, but the second pair was just walking around town. Not much mileage at all.

The threads were fine but it was the uppers that started wearing out in just a few months oif light use which I thought was a bit disappointing for a shoe with a cost between 150 and $200. I had a Bondi 7 and an Arihi 6. Maybe the Challenger is a more robust shoe.

Each user has a different experience, but a lot of people sure complain about Hokas quickly falling apart. Glad you were satisfied with your purchase.

 

[David Tallan]

I

Although I can see in this picture that the insides of the back of the shoe near the heel wore out just like they quickly did in the last two pairs of Hokas I had. The first pair I used for hiking, but the second pair was just walking around town. Not much mileage at all.

The threads were fine but it was the uppers that started wearing out in just a few months oif light use which I thought was a bit disappointing for a shoe with a cost between 150 and $200. I had a Bondi 7 and an Arihi 6. Maybe the Challenger is a more robust shoe.

Each user has a different experience, but a lot of people sure complain about Hokas quickly falling apart. Glad you were satisfied with your purchase.

The insides at the back of the shoe, that wore out on these shoes, seem to wear out very quickly on all my shoes. Maybe it is something in how I wear them. It didn't seem to affect things too much or lead to blisters.

What I was worried about, after reading other posts, was the uppers coming apart from the soles, or developing holes, which I have also seen in some others. I was alert for that, but it didn't seem to happen with this pair.

Maybe I just got lucky, but after reading those threads earlier with the complaints, I made a calendar reminder to myself to pot a report after my Caminonwith what my experience was.

 

[Martin-B]

I did the Via Francigena this year wearing a mix of Hoka shoes, one pair of Stinson ATR and a pair of Speedgoat 5 gtx. I would estimate that I covered 650 miles approximately in each, if there was some bias i would say I wore the speedboats a little more. The Stinsons uppers failed eventually around the toe box, splitting all the way through in various places. The soles were very worn but still retained a bit of tread, The Stinsons were very comfortable on pavement, gravel and tarmac but hindered by poor grip on everything else.
The Speedgoats uppers are as good as new, very impressed, a couple of holes worn through the inner lining at the heel. Sole unit has good grip but by the end were effectively slicks though I have to say still gripped well on everything except mud.. overall the Speedgoats were a much more durable product though the Stinsons were more comfortable on the long days of 30+ miles due to more room in the toe box. I have in the past used Altra Olympus which compare well with the Hoka's if you can live with the zero drop.
A fan of Salomon footwear for more technical days. Any questions PM me and I'll answer as soon as I can.

 

[David Tallan]

Speedboats should read Speedgoat, predictive strikes again

You are probably still in the window when you can edit your post if you want to correct it. Almost all my posts are edited by me shortly after posting to correct typos and this sort of thing.

 

[Martin-B]

You are probably still in the window when you can edit your post if you want to correct it. Almost all my posts are edited by me shortly after posting to correct typos and this sort of thing.

Thanks for that, I didn't know you could do that but then again I'm not exactly knowledgeable when it comes to forums, I've learnt something new so it has to be a good day!!

Cheers

 

[Colette Z]

There has been some discussion about the life expectancy of Hoka shoes, so I made a little note to myself to report on the condition of my Hoke Challenger ATR 7s when I got back from my Caminos thus summer.

Well, I'm back, so here is the report.

In these shoes, I walked the Madrid, San Salvador, Primitivo, and Finisterre/Muxia caminos, plus some extra at the beginning from my old front door to the official beginning of the Madrid, a number of detours, and some of the Frances to stitch together the Madrid and San Salvador. All in all, that was probably just shy of 1,000 km of routes, although the actual amount of walking (which also includes walking around towns and villages) was over 1,200 km. And a bit of training walks before my Camino to ensure they worked for me.

The shoes did not fall apart, did not come apart at the seams. As mentioned above, this included the Salvador and the Primitivo, so there was hiking as well as walking, and walking on all kinds of surfaces including plenty of asphalt and also plenty of rock.

There was definitely wear on the treads. The treads in the centre are pretty much gone, but this model doesn't have much tread in the centre to begin with.

In general, I would say there is still some life in this shoe yet. Not too bad, and not like some of the horror stories I was reading. Maybe I just got lucky.
View attachment 153705 View attachment 153706 View attachment 153707

Good to know and thanks. I’m a Bondi girl but will walk the Le Puy to (God & body willing) to Santiago early Sept in STINSONS ATR 6’s. I need a plusher shoe vs Challenger ATR and the lugs should be ok but I do believe I’ll need a second pair if I am able to go beyond SJPDP

 

[asl]

There has been some discussion about the life expectancy of Hoka shoes, so I made a little note to myself to report on the condition of my Hoke Challenger ATR 7s when I got back from my Caminos thus summer.

Well, I'm back, so here is the report.

In these shoes, I walked the Madrid, San Salvador, Primitivo, and Finisterre/Muxia caminos, plus some extra at the beginning from my old front door to the official beginning of the Madrid, a number of detours, and some of the Frances to stitch together the Madrid and San Salvador. All in all, that was probably just shy of 1,000 km of routes, although the actual amount of walking (which also includes walking around towns and villages) was over 1,200 km. And a bit of training walks before my Camino to ensure they worked for me.

The shoes did not fall apart, did not come apart at the seams. As mentioned above, this included the Salvador and the Primitivo, so there was hiking as well as walking, and walking on all kinds of surfaces including plenty of asphalt and also plenty of rock.

There was definitely wear on the treads. The treads in the centre are pretty much gone, but this model doesn't have much tread in the centre to begin with.

In general, I would say there is still some life in this shoe yet. Not too bad, and not like some of the horror stories I was reading. Maybe I just got lucky.
View attachment 153705 View attachment 153706 View attachment 153707

Great to see and read how well the Challenger's performed. Sadly, the women's shoe hasn't faired too well for me. Only 3 training hikes and the fabric around the collars are badly frayed. Doesn't give me confidence in how the rest of the shoe will hold up when time comes to walk 500 miles.

 

[Anik2001]

Good to know and thanks. I’m a Bondi girl but will walk the Le Puy to (God & body willing) to Santiago early Sept in STINSONS ATR 6’s. I need a plusher shoe vs Challenger ATR and the lugs should be ok but I do believe I’ll need a second pair if I am able to go beyond SJPDP

These are what my Stinsons look like, after walking the Francés last summer and I’ve also kept wearing them for the last year, mostly for hikes in the woods. Loved them on camino!

 

[Brent Mills]

There has been some discussion about the life expectancy of Hoka shoes, so I made a little note to myself to report on the condition of my Hoke Challenger ATR 7s when I got back from my Caminos thus summer.

Well, I'm back, so here is the report.

In these shoes, I walked the Madrid, San Salvador, Primitivo, and Finisterre/Muxia caminos, plus some extra at the beginning from my old front door to the official beginning of the Madrid, a number of detours, and some of the Frances to stitch together the Madrid and San Salvador. All in all, that was probably just shy of 1,000 km of routes, although the actual amount of walking (which also includes walking around towns and villages) was over 1,200 km. And a bit of training walks before my Camino to ensure they worked for me.

The shoes did not fall apart, did not come apart at the seams. As mentioned above, this included the Salvador and the Primitivo, so there was hiking as well as walking, and walking on all kinds of surfaces including plenty of asphalt and also plenty of rock.

There was definitely wear on the treads. The treads in the centre are pretty much gone, but this model doesn't have much tread in the centre to begin with.

In general, I would say there is still some life in this shoe yet. Not too bad, and not like some of the horror stories I was reading. Maybe I just got lucky.
View attachment 153705 View attachment 153706 View attachment 153707

David, the pics that you’ve attached seem to show two different pairs of shoes (the colours on the soles are different). Did you bring two pairs of Hokas and rotate them? If you did, is there about 600km on each pair. I ask because I’m doing the Via de la Plata this Spring and planning which footwear to use.

 

[David Tallan]

David, the pics that you’ve attached seem to show two different pairs of shoes (the colours on the soles are different). Did you bring two pairs of Hokas and rotate them? If you did, is there about 600km on each pair. I ask because I’m doing the Via de la Plata this Spring and planning which footwear to use.

Just one. The sole is orange on the side but the tread on the bottom is mostly blue. (The yellow sole photos in the thread are someone else's Stinsons.) You can see it more easily in this photo of new Hokas I found on the web, taken from a different angle.

 

[BennyB]

On my Camino I made sure to obtain my Hoka ATRs one size up. With the Darn Tough full cushion socks I wanted to make sure there was enough room for the late morning/afternoon foot swelling. It worked like a charm. Also, I used after market insoles from REI.

 

[Brent Mills]

Just one. The sole is orange on the side but the tread on the bottom is mostly blue. (The yellow sole photos in the thread are someone else's Stinsons.) You can see it more easily in this photo of new Hokas I found on the web, taken from a different angle.
View attachment 161150

Thanks David.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Ok, so I am going to start the Mozarabe mid January for a finish in Santiago via the VdlP from Merida and the Invierno from Ponferrada. I have been a loyal The Northface walker for like 15 years... but recently they are starting to hurt my feet (hedgehog, future light, etc)... I also usually have to replace those shoes every 800 km or so. I received a gift card for x-mas so the risk isn't too huge. I want to test out new shoes on the camino before my planned PCT next year.

Is there anything I should know before hitting "buy now?"