Hardwear
Product 2018
Man
Hoka One One present the Mach in their Fly range. A superb shoe with a refined look, both punchy and classy. Hoka has put this model in the triathlon range. The first remark when we take them out of the box is they are featherlight: 220g for a size 42 2/3.
The Hoka ADN imposing sole is a successful visual deception, these shoes don’t actually have thick soles and you very quickly forget you are wearing them.
Hoka uses a special mesh on this range, breathable and slightly stretchy especially on the edges of the shoes. When you tighten the laces you feel the structure of the Mach marry your autonomy. There are no pressure points, you lose a tiny bit of precision but it’s nothing.
Lacing up is easy as the flat laces slide well. They tighten well with the pressure evenly spread on the top of the foot despite the thin tongue. The length of the laces are just right.
The most important for triathlon concerning the shoe is this one: should you adopt a quick lace style Salomon, or a Boa system? Which is the fastest? Boa is fast to tighten, but if you want to loosen, you have to loosen completely and retighten from the beginning. Hoka has chosen to be traditional, and it seems very efficient.
There is a small strap at the heel to aid putting the shoes on, very practical, and indispensable for transitions.
Ok now let’s get to the essential, the sole. The Mach has a 5mm drop. The cushioning is noticeable under the whole length of the foot, good filtering without being too robust. You can run for miles, without suffering in the heels. You don’t lose contact with the ground and the rebound is efficient.
At the same time we couldn’t help testing another shoe in their Fly range, the Cavu. Which is very similar to the Mach but 120 euros (the Mach is 150€).The Cavu also has a 5mm drop (24mm at the heel and 20mm at the forefoot); similar to the Mach: 24mm and 19mm. Let’s carry on the comparisons and see which comes out on top.
The Mach and the Cavu are exactly the same weight but don’t have the same foot strike, the Mach is wider at the front: 5mm at the front and 2-3mm at the rear. The Cavu therefore has more precise foot positioning and the rebound is better because there is less cushioning. They also have better torsional rigidity.
So we therefore recommend the Mach for runners who need or prefer more cushioning, well spread but efficient for covering the miles, with quality foot strikes, but which degrade a little over time due to the cushioning squishing down.
The Cavu is more reactive with a more direct ground contact. But the difference between the two models is not necessarily easy to notice immediately. The Mach has grippier lugs.
We certainly liked the Hoka One One Mach that enabled us to train well with a comfortable cushioning. For competition it is comfortable with a rebound that is less powerful due to the cushioning under the forefoot. A very good product, well-finished and with a striking design.
19 mm5 mm 
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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