All New Hoka Mach 6
Big things coming from Hoka this Spring; among them is the new Mach.
The Mach is completely revamped from previous iterations. Sporting a new single-layer supercritical EVA foam and outsole rubber, this update has me really excited for a return to form of lightweight trainers. They have moved away from the dual molded midsole that (I believe) has been with the Mach line since it released in early 2018, and added outsole rubber for the first time as well too.
Durability of equipment is a concern for any sport, and presents an interesting paradox of 1) making equipment that lasts, but will sit unchanged in a landfill for 100+ years or 2) making equipment with an environmental basis, but breaks down too soon to be considered the same "quality/usefulness" as the prior. Durability has been at the forefront of my mind in recent years as the run industry turns towards softer cushioning and lower weight models. While that may sound good on paper, a lot of that weight saving comes at the cost of outsole rubber, upper structure, heel counter, upper overlays, etc. The usual guide for training shoe milage is anywhere from 300-500 miles; quite a large range already. Throw in the loss of rubber coverage on recent model updates, some shoes now last for 100-150 miles less than that range.
That being said, seeing Hoka add outsole rubber to the new Mach is a welcomed surprise. While the cushion height remains the same, it is now all a supercritical EVA vs Profly+ & rubberized foam as the "outsole" like version 5. It's always hard to recall the initial try on from last summer (especially without running in them), but I'd imagine they will be just a touch softer than v5 due to the loss of that rubberized foam section.
Overall, the updates look great, and hopefully a sign of things to come from other brands revamping their lightweight trainer category. If you're looking for a shoe this marathon season that could potentially pull off the triple crown as a trainer/workout/racer, then be on the lookout for the Mach 6 release March 1st.