The trails were muddy this morning after last night’s rain so I took my HOKA Challenger 6s out for another test run.

It was very clear that the compromises to make a hybrid shoe have affected technical performance. I was running up and down wet, slippery rocks and boggy sections where the limitations were evident.

There is less “ground feel” and less grip so I had to be very cautious.

These sections were only a small part of the route so I think the compromise is worth it. The shoe handles the flatter trails and fire road perfectly well and feels great on tarmac.

I’m planning to use the Challenger 6 for long runs and the Salomon Sense Ride 4 for shorter, faster routes.