I’m backpacking and so I can travel with only two pairs of shoes. This is one of them, the other is a pair of Chelsea boots. The ATR6 are comfortable and durable - perfect for running on road, hiking and walking around the cities. And they don’t look too dorky. It’s a great do-it-all shoe and perfect for backpacking.
On my regular route, I have to start in the city and then run in the forest with steep hills. So, such universal shoes can be a good solution for me. Thanks for the review, great landscapes!
Thanks for sharing! Ya if you need to do both this shoe can work for sure. Super technical stuff can be done, but the grip on a true trail runner will be better. Thanks for watching.
Yes I commute to trails from road alot,sometimes I drive to trail,but I like this shoe and I had the 5 now the 6,its a soft shoe but there is softer,I think this is perfect for me almost 60 yrs old I need some cushion so I can continue to run,if I go to strictly a trail shoe its fun at first feeling light and nimble, but after awhile my feet and joints hurt more,so I would say for most people that this is a great shoe,if your young and think your fast then maybe not,but for health ,longevity, and not to much cushion and not to technical of trails this is it,go for it atr6
Paul well said! I've actually been running in my challengers a lot lately as there's been snow on the roads here in Colorado, and I actually think they are great winter road shoes where I want a little more traction than traditional road shoes, but am not venturing off onto any trails, works great!
Great review! I have a kind-of a similar shoe - Ecco Terratrail. Lot's of cushioning plus road/trail sole. Works nice in the city, when you need to run a mile on the road, before you actually reach the ground/rocks in a park. For casual runners it can work nicely when you have combined terrain in the same run.
Currently i am using the Salomon X ULTRA ADV Running Shoe . Excellent shoe for running or hiking on trails. Never ever have i fallen or slipped while using this shoe . But i feel what this shoe lacks is cushion but other then that its a Excellent shoe . After seeing this review i will be buying the Atr 6 without any hesitation.
I just bought this and am excited to try it out. We have lots of local parks within running distance that have nice little trails, so I plan on exploring those with these shoes.
The reason I switched to max cushion shoes was osteo-arthritis of the knees. Max cushion are the only shoes I can run in. If not for HOKA, I wouldn't be running at all.
Great to hear! Thanks for commenting. I've been running a bit more in these lately on some shorter trails runs where I am running from the house, and although I still feel they are a bit sluggish, I do like how they feel on runs where I run on a lot of different surfaces.
Just got a pair to be a swap over shoe for the 2nd half of my ultras. Love the extra padding vs what I wear for the start of my ultras. Got a couple of races coming up where the starts are really technical and the ends a bit easier so these will be perfect
I have a really cool route I do around my house where it’s a few miles on the road (lots of hills) that leads to endless trails then loops back on a dirt road. I’ve done it in road and trail shoes. Road shoes are fine but get worn out too quickly and I hate running on the road with my trail shoes. Hoping these will be the perfect shoe for this route!
Needed a shoe like this because my newly joined running club has some routes that incorporate light trail and road. The downhill portions scared me into buying the ATR 6. I didn't feel like my regular running shoe have enough grip for downhill trails and I feared having a nasty fall. Just got the ATR 6's today, looking for good things for next Saturdays run. I hope the grip will handle my downhill portions. Speed is not an issue for me, I am 12 minutes a mile Clydsdale. :-)
Mine have broken in a bit over time, but it's taken a lot of miles for me to start to really like these. I've been wearing them on snow road runs though here in the mountains, and they are great for that!
Its not supposed to be a tech trail shoe. Its good for what its meant to be for...There was a time when there were no trail shoes...we all ran trails in road shoes.....this is trying to bridge the gap between road and trail. You want trail...go with the Speedgoat....you want road go with the Clifton....if you can t afford two pairs of shoes...then the Challenger is for you.
Randy I totally agree with you that it's not trying to be a technical trail shoe, but my gripe was that because it's trying to do everything it's not doing anything that well. I mean yes, you can run trails in road shoes and run roads in trail shoes, so it works, but I have to be sensitive to every aspect of these products when I test them, so I wanted to be as honest as I could be.
Just took these out on a 8 mile mixed road, trail, mud run yesterday and it did it all. It's kinda like my touring recovery day trail shoe where I don't really want to push to hard but I want to go wherever my legs take me, walk, run, road, mud!
Hello! Would you say it's less "sluggish" than the bondi 7? I wear the bondi for recovery runs so can tolerate the support over speed. Wondering if this one is faster/more responsive! Thankyou:)
You get the award for random question of the day for sure! I think they will work well, I mean they have more grip than a standard road running shoe or sneaker, so if you need a little more grip then this would work!
You said you had a wider foot, did you go with the wide version of the shoe or just the regular? I sometimes find wide shoes to be too wide but I've heard the toe box on this model runs small. Thoughts?
Rob, I went with the standard 9D and it worked fine after break in. Hoka used to feel narrow to me, but the 2020 lineup has fit me fairly well in standard widths.
Where would you compare this to the feel of a Clifton? It’s been my primary DT. Would love something that I could use primarily on buffedout trails, commute to trails and hit a few rocky climbs without tearing up my Cliftons
Great question. I would say they are not as soft and buttery feeling as the cliftons. I loved the cliftons ride, but they are close and would be a good secondary shoe for dirt and light trails if the clifton is your primary road runner.
Mike, I did not time my runs since the shoes are just one small part of being fast one day vs another, but some shoes you can just tell they feel slow or fast. These felt like they wanted to plod along rather than explode down the trail. This is not a bad thing, not everyone wants to go fast. These would be great for recovery runs or really long runs in my opinion.
I am looking for a cushioned , responsive road to trail shoe. Is there any other than this one? I need it for a 50 miler. Easy terrain, as it is a dirt road. Any suggestions welcome please.
It's a bit awkward your review, when the shoe is a mix for terrain and road. Of course it is in the middle then. It is not possible to make a perfect road and terrain shoe in to one. I rather have this shoe to run terrain and road, than bring two pairs of shoes and change them in between the different usage. Anyway, good depthreview.
Disagree for me. I'm wearing semi-thick hiking socks, and I have fairly big/thick feet. They don't feel tight. I easily get PF so this shoe is perfect for me. And it comes in wide. Why am I typing all this.
I’m backpacking and so I can travel with only two pairs of shoes. This is one of them, the other is a pair of Chelsea boots. The ATR6 are comfortable and durable - perfect for running on road, hiking and walking around the cities. And they don’t look too dorky. It’s a great do-it-all shoe and perfect for backpacking.
they defo look dorky on this reviewer. Must be the way he laces them
On my regular route, I have to start in the city and then run in the forest with steep hills. So, such universal shoes can be a good solution for me. Thanks for the review, great landscapes!
Thanks for sharing! Ya if you need to do both this shoe can work for sure. Super technical stuff can be done, but the grip on a true trail runner will be better. Thanks for watching.
Do you always talk about your clothes in terms of solutions?
@@Frip36 Only for clothes that I'm using for outdoor stuff.
Yes I commute to trails from road alot,sometimes I drive to trail,but I like this shoe and I had the 5 now the 6,its a soft shoe but there is softer,I think this is perfect for me almost 60 yrs old I need some cushion so I can continue to run,if I go to strictly a trail shoe its fun at first feeling light and nimble, but after awhile my feet and joints hurt more,so I would say for most people that this is a great shoe,if your young and think your fast then maybe not,but for health ,longevity, and not to much cushion and not to technical of trails this is it,go for it atr6
Paul well said! I've actually been running in my challengers a lot lately as there's been snow on the roads here in Colorado, and I actually think they are great winter road shoes where I want a little more traction than traditional road shoes, but am not venturing off onto any trails, works great!
I use these slightly differently, I use them for road running in icy or snowy conditions. They work awesome for that
Good to know! That would be a great use, as a road shoe with some actual lugs and traction.
Great review! I have a kind-of a similar shoe - Ecco Terratrail. Lot's of cushioning plus road/trail sole. Works nice in the city, when you need to run a mile on the road, before you actually reach the ground/rocks in a park. For casual runners it can work nicely when you have combined terrain in the same run.
Thanks for the tips on other shoes in this category!
Reason I switched to max-cushioned shoes (Hoka and MBT in particular) is that the rocker-sole is a big help for those of us with ankle arthritis.
Great thought to add. MBT! Don't see people mentioning them every day, I've got a few pairs myself. Thanks.
Currently i am using the Salomon X ULTRA ADV Running Shoe . Excellent shoe for running or hiking on trails. Never ever have i fallen or slipped while using this shoe . But i feel what this shoe lacks is cushion but other then that its a Excellent shoe . After seeing this review i will be buying the Atr 6 without any hesitation.
The ATR 6 has plenty of cushion. Check out the ATR 6 on RR: runrepeat.com/hoka-one-one-challenger-6-atr
I feel the same.
I just bought this and am excited to try it out. We have lots of local parks within running distance that have nice little trails, so I plan on exploring those with these shoes.
The reason I switched to max cushion shoes was osteo-arthritis of the knees. Max cushion are the only shoes I can run in. If not for HOKA, I wouldn't be running at all.
Love this review. I have similar feet and have really enjoyed the ATR5 for trails for longer runs. Good to know what the 6 might be like!
Great to hear! Thanks for commenting. I've been running a bit more in these lately on some shorter trails runs where I am running from the house, and although I still feel they are a bit sluggish, I do like how they feel on runs where I run on a lot of different surfaces.
Just got a pair to be a swap over shoe for the 2nd half of my ultras. Love the extra padding vs what I wear for the start of my ultras. Got a couple of races coming up where the starts are really technical and the ends a bit easier so these will be perfect
I actually think this will be a good use of these. Add some padding and go slow to the finish, may be a great product for you!
I have a really cool route I do around my house where it’s a few miles on the road (lots of hills) that leads to endless trails then loops back on a dirt road. I’ve done it in road and trail shoes. Road shoes are fine but get worn out too quickly and I hate running on the road with my trail shoes. Hoping these will be the perfect shoe for this route!
Jordan, sounds like these will be ideal! They can handle dirt roads no problem, and some mild technical trail.
Needed a shoe like this because my newly joined running club has some routes that incorporate light trail and road. The downhill portions scared me into buying the ATR 6. I didn't feel like my regular running shoe have enough grip for downhill trails and I feared having a nasty fall. Just got the ATR 6's today, looking for good things for next Saturdays run. I hope the grip will handle my downhill portions. Speed is not an issue for me, I am 12 minutes a mile Clydsdale. :-)
I think you'll enjoy, they are not fast, but they trod along nicely on mixed terrain.
@@RunRepeatcom I like to say, "I'm a 64 year old, 180lb Clydesdale, I don't have "the need for speed!" :-)
Just got them and wearing around the house. Like he says, heel cup is really firm. Feeling some pain in left heel.
Mine have broken in a bit over time, but it's taken a lot of miles for me to start to really like these. I've been wearing them on snow road runs though here in the mountains, and they are great for that!
Would love to see Challenger 6 vs Stinson 6 comparison!
Ohhhh, we'll see what we can do!
Its not supposed to be a tech trail shoe. Its good for what its meant to be for...There was a time when there were no trail shoes...we all ran trails in road shoes.....this is trying to bridge the gap between road and trail. You want trail...go with the Speedgoat....you want road go with the Clifton....if you can t afford two pairs of shoes...then the Challenger is for you.
Randy I totally agree with you that it's not trying to be a technical trail shoe, but my gripe was that because it's trying to do everything it's not doing anything that well. I mean yes, you can run trails in road shoes and run roads in trail shoes, so it works, but I have to be sensitive to every aspect of these products when I test them, so I wanted to be as honest as I could be.
Would you go the torrent 2 or atr 6 ?
perfect thanks yes need one for ll road and trail
Just took these out on a 8 mile mixed road, trail, mud run yesterday and it did it all. It's kinda like my touring recovery day trail shoe where I don't really want to push to hard but I want to go wherever my legs take me, walk, run, road, mud!
Hello! Would you say it's less "sluggish" than the bondi 7? I wear the bondi for recovery runs so can tolerate the support over speed. Wondering if this one is faster/more responsive! Thankyou:)
really random but, could this make a good disc golf shoe? lots of grassy trails
You get the award for random question of the day for sure! I think they will work well, I mean they have more grip than a standard road running shoe or sneaker, so if you need a little more grip then this would work!
You said you had a wider foot, did you go with the wide version of the shoe or just the regular? I sometimes find wide shoes to be too wide but I've heard the toe box on this model runs small. Thoughts?
Rob, I went with the standard 9D and it worked fine after break in. Hoka used to feel narrow to me, but the 2020 lineup has fit me fairly well in standard widths.
Where would you compare this to the feel of a Clifton? It’s been my primary DT. Would love something that I could use primarily on buffedout trails, commute to trails and hit a few rocky climbs without tearing up my Cliftons
Great question. I would say they are not as soft and buttery feeling as the cliftons. I loved the cliftons ride, but they are close and would be a good secondary shoe for dirt and light trails if the clifton is your primary road runner.
@@RunRepeatcom Thanks for the info. Just ordered a pair of the 5's on sale so I hope they're nicer to my feet than my current trail shoes.
I have had problems with plantar fascitiis and the atr 5 allowed me to keep hiking at 78.
That's awesome, keep at it!! I hope I am still doing it at 78.
You said the shoe felt slow. Did you time your runs to see if there is a difference?
Mike, I did not time my runs since the shoes are just one small part of being fast one day vs another, but some shoes you can just tell they feel slow or fast. These felt like they wanted to plod along rather than explode down the trail. This is not a bad thing, not everyone wants to go fast. These would be great for recovery runs or really long runs in my opinion.
I love my ATR 5.
Hoka challenger ATR 6 or Hoka Speedgoat 4?
Great review
Thanks!
I am looking for a cushioned , responsive road to trail shoe. Is there any other than this one? I need it for a 50 miler. Easy terrain, as it is a dirt road. Any suggestions welcome please.
My favorite so far is the nike pegasus trail. Its nice and soft .
It's a bit awkward your review, when the shoe is a mix for terrain and road. Of course it is in the middle then. It is not possible to make a perfect road and terrain shoe in to one. I rather have this shoe to run terrain and road, than bring two pairs of shoes and change them in between the different usage. Anyway, good depthreview.
There’s so much cushion on that shoe. Your foots can’t even move I prefer to feel the ground xero.
Ya it really is a plush shoe, there's nearly zero ground feel.
Disagree for me. I'm wearing semi-thick hiking socks, and I have fairly big/thick feet. They don't feel tight. I easily get PF so this shoe is perfect for me. And it comes in wide. Why am I typing all this.