Women’s HOKA Challenger 8 Review

Bottom Line

The HOKA Challenger 8 earns a top spot in our guide to the best women’s trail running shoes for its ideal blend of comfort and performance. We tested it on various types of trails, from crushed-gravel paths to technical singletrack. Throughout testing, this shoe outperformed our other popular offering from HOKA, the Speedgoat 7, in responsiveness, breathability, and comfort. 

The Challenger 8 fits our feet with a roomy toe box and a heel and midfoot that are just snug enough to provide a secure ride on technical bits and descents. However, some may find the wide width a bit narrow and the midfoot a tad too snug. Our testers also noted that the Challenger 8 runs a tad long. 

The cushioning is generous enough for comfort; however, we do feel slightly unstable on steeply cambered terrain. In addition, the Challenger 8 impressed us with its responsiveness and bounce, making long runs feel nearly effortless. The mesh upper offers fantastic breathability and keeps our feet cool even in the mid-Atlantic summer heat. 

How We Tested

Over months of testing, the HOKA Challenger 8 was put through its paces by our gear analysts on some truly challenging terrain and faced a diverse set of weather conditions. 

Our testers took them for recovery runs on the dirt roads of the rural Midwest in late spring when temps were cool and humidity was low. Then we headed south, logging long days running on gravel trails and smooth singletrack in southern Virginia as early summer heat blossomed.

After that, we slipped them on to tackle a 100-mile-long section hike on central Virginia’s Appalachian Trail, which became a multi-day rainfest, where we tackled mud, rocks, roots, and more. We rounded out our testing by logging easy runs on urban trails in Philadelphia during a sweltering heatwave with unrelenting humidity that challenged both the breathability and thermoregulating capacity of our footwear.

Traction

Our testers find the traction on the Hoka Challenger 8 to be extraordinarily grippy. With deep lugs that really dug into all surface types, from mud to gravel to compact dirt we always feel secure. The 4mm of Durabrasion rubber outsole gripped everything we took it on, including wet rocks and logs during our weeklong rainy section hike of the Appalachian Trail.

Like the ever-popular Speedgoat, this HOKA model truly delivers excellent performance on the most challenging singletrack. What sets the Challenger 8 apart from other shoes is how it seamlessly transitions from more compact surfaces to technical ones.

Our testers find it to be grippy and offer just the right amount of traction whether we were on urban trails, pine needle-laden singletrack, or deep mud. They never feel like overkill on smoother terrain, and they perform just as well on more difficult singletrack. What more can you ask for in a shoe that can handle a varied route?

Comfort

Overall, our testers find the HOKA Challenger 8 to be one of the most comfortable shoes we’ve tested. This is due in part to the wide width actually fitting wide feet well, without weird pinch points we experienced in other shoes.

While the midfoot is secure and the heel cup cradles us just right, we don’t experience tightness or restriction that would be a problem. HOKA uses its Active Foot Frame design to ensure the fit stays secure no matter how many miles you log.

Additionally, our testers find there to be just the right amount of soft CMEVA foam underfoot for comfort without drowning out the sensation of what we are running on. We did note that while the width felt true, the Hoka Challenger 8 seems to run slightly long, which could be a hazard for some or lead to a more forward slide of the foot without using lacing techniques to mitigate it.

Weight

While the Hoka Challenger 8 is not a particularly heavy shoe, weighing 18oz per pair, it isn’t among the lightest we tested. However, on our feet they felt much lighter than their actual weight. Our testers think this is largely due to the CMEVA foam’s excellent responsiveness (more on that below), which improves comfort and minimizes energy loss, keeping our feet energized throughout our runs.

While weight may be a deciding factor for some people choosing among trail-runner options, we think the slight weight penalty on the Challenger 8 is well worth it, given that this shoe excels in nearly every other category.

Durability

The extremely light and breathable mesh of the Hoka Challenger 8 seemed unlikely to be durable over the long haul. However, our testers logged hundreds of miles across a wide range of conditions and didn’t note anything beyond the expected level of wear and tear. While we wouldn’t claim that the Challenger 8 is more durable than average it definitely holds its own with regard to longevity. 

Our only two critiques are that the soft midsole seemed to compact slightly faster than expected and that the highly perforated, breathable upper was prone to snags and could tear if you caught it just right on an obstacle, such as a stub when scrambling over a fallen log.

Aside from those cautionary notes, we are so far pleased with the long-lasting performance of the Challenger 8 over several months of testing on sometimes rugged terrain.

Breathability

Breathability is one area where the HOKA Challenger 8 truly shines. With a highly perforated mesh upper, fast-drying padding, and less absorbent fabrics, this shoe keeps our feet cool and comfortable. During our high-humidity runs in early summer during a Philadelphia heatwave, our feet were never swampy thanks to the upper’s maximum breathability.

Even during long runs, we don’t worry about moisture buildup causing hot spots or blisters.

We also noted during our rainy section hike of the Appalachian Trail that, despite all-day drenching rain and creek fords, the Challenger 8 retained less water than most shoes and dried faster than average, drying a significant amount overnight when the rain stopped. 

We also noted that the heel collar uses thinner, less absorbent padding so that this part of the shoe doesn’t stay saturated and potentially cause chafing even after getting fully drenched.

Responsiveness

Another metric in which the HOKA Challenger 8 outperformed much of the competition was responsiveness. The Challenger 8 is definitely one of those hybrid trail shoes that can handle nearly any surface well.

The CMEVA foam’s excellent responsiveness is especially noticeable on more compacted surfaces such as gravel paths, dirt roads, and hard-packed singletrack. On Virginia’s Creeper Trail, a gravel multi-use path, our testers felt maximum energy return with every stride. This meant that even after a long run, we felt fresh.

This carried over onto more technical trails as well, even though we weren’t moving as fast. The Challenger 8 felt surprisingly nimble, even though it has a thicker foam than we typically like. After 20+ mile-long days on the Appalachian Trail, our feet were still comfortable.

While the foam’s thickness sacrifices ground feel, it isn’t so much that we feel completely disconnected. This allows us to adapt to rocks and roots accurately while on the move.

Should You Buy the HOKA Challenger 8?

The Hoka Challenger 8 is an impressive do-it-all trail runner that will appeal to a wide variety of runners. With a thick, soft cushion, sticky outsole, and great lugs it will comfortably transition from paved or gravel paths to rugged singletrack and back again without breaking stride. 

Runners who train in hot and/or humid and wet conditions will find the excellent breathability to be a boon and those who prefer a greater heel-to-toe drop will appreciate the 8mm the Challenger 8 offers.

Those who run on predominantly rugged, rocky, or obstacle-laden trails may find that the upper is more susceptible to tears and abrasion. While the Challenger 8 can certainly withstand those conditions, a steady diet of them could be detrimental. This shoe is best suited for those who run a variety of terrain. 

Given their one-shoe-for-everything design and lower-than-average price point, runners looking to make a single shoe investment will find a lot of value here.

What Other Women’s Hiking Shoes Should You Consider?

Here are some similar trail runners that give the Challenger 8 a run for its money. All our testing review can be found in our gear guide to the best women’s trail running shoes.

Hoka Speedgoat 7 Review: If you’re looking for an even wider toe box and chassis, check out this longtime top pick. These shoes are at home on rugged trails and have the most room in the footbox of everything we tested. Choose from two widths.

Topo Athletic Traverse Review: Built for rugged terrain, the Traverse pairs a roomy toe box with aggressive traction, excellent stability, and protective cushioning for confidence on technical trails.

Topo Athletic Terraventure Review: If you prefer a lower-profile trail shoe with excellent ground feel, the Terraventure 5 delivers. Its Vibram outsole provides reliable traction in everything from dry dirt to muddy trails, while the moderate cushioning and roomy toe box strike a comfortable balance between protection and trail feedback—all at a budget-friendly price.