HOKA Mach 6 vs Mach 7: What Changed, and Which Fits Your Foot?
HOKA changed little that it puts in numbers, and underfoot the lab agrees. The upper is another matter: the Mach 7 measured wider than the 6 at the big toe but the narrowest of the 34 shoes we review at the ball of the foot, and both measured about 9.5 mm of drop against HOKA’s 5.
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That makes the 7 the better Mach for crowded or drifting toes and the 6 the better one for a bunion, a tailor’s bunion or a broad forefoot. If you have a Haglund’s bump or an irritable Achilles, try the 7’s stiffer heel counter before you commit.
This is a spec comparison. We have not measured, worn or scored either shoe. The brand figures below are HOKA’s own for the Mach 7 and, for the Mach 6, its launch figures as a review site recorded them; the lab figures are RunRepeat’s, from one pair of each. We keep the two apart because they are not the same tier of evidence.
What HOKA says changed
Very little that HOKA puts in numbers. It lists both shoes at a 5 mm drop, charges $145 for the 7 (the 6 launched at $140) and tells buyers of the 7 to go up half a size. Its page for the 7 says it is “built with the same proven materials” with a refined jacquard upper, and gives no stack height. RunRepeat, which cut both open, reports the same supercritical foam carried over, with a new upper and a grippier outsole.
| Specification | Mach 6 | Mach 7 |
|---|---|---|
| List price | $140 | $145 |
| Stated heel-to-toe drop | 5 mm | 5 mm |
| Stated weight, men’s | 8.2 oz (232 g), US 10 | 8.37 oz (237 g) |
| Midsole | Supercritical EVA | Same foam, per RunRepeat |
| On sale on 28 September 2026? | Replaced by the Mach 7 | Yes, at HOKA and running shops |
Sources: HOKA’s US Mach 7 page and its Mach 6 page (now marked unavailable, still listing 8.20 oz and 5 mm), read 28 September 2026; the Mach 6’s launch price and the US 10 size from Believe in the Run. HOKA gives the Mach 7’s weight without a size and publishes no stack height for it, so we leave stack to the lab below.
What the lab measured
RunRepeat cut, weighed and measured one pair of each. Underfoot almost nothing moved: the heel, forefoot and drop are within half a millimetre, and both measured about 9.5 mm of drop against HOKA’s 5. What changed is the upper. The 7 is 2.8 mm wider at the big toe but 3.0 mm narrower at the widest point, and its heel counter scored the maximum for stiffness.
| Measurement | Mach 6 | Mach 7 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toe-box width at the big toe | 70.1 mm | 72.9 mm | 2.8 mm wider |
| Width at the widest point | 95.5 mm | 92.5 mm | 3.0 mm narrower |
| Toe-box height | 30.0 mm | 29.1 mm | 0.9 mm lower |
| Heel stack | 36.0 mm | 35.6 mm | Much the same |
| Forefoot stack | 26.4 mm | 26.2 mm | The same |
| Measured drop | 9.6 mm | 9.4 mm | The same |
| Weight | 232 g | 224 g | 8 g lighter |
| Midsole hardness (Asker C, higher is firmer) | 39.5 AC | 41.7 AC | About 6% firmer |
| Energy return at the heel | 65.4% | 60.6% | Less bounce |
| Heel shock absorption | 135 SA | 137 SA | Much the same |
| Force to bend the forefoot | 13.7 N | 14.2 N | Much the same |
| Heel counter stiffness (1 to 5) | 4 | 5 | Stiffer |
| Insole thickness | 4.5 mm | 4.4 mm | The same |
| Force to twist (torsional rigidity) | 4 of 5, older test | 13.6 Nm | Not comparable |
Source: RunRepeat lab, one pair of each, read 28 September 2026, with the same toe-box, cushioning and bending tests on both shoes. Hardness is on the Asker C scale and shock absorption in RunRepeat’s SA units; the lab now measures torsional rigidity in newton-metres and tested the older shoe on a 1-to-5 scale, so the two cannot be compared (the median of the 24 shoes we review with the newer test is 14.5 Nm). Medians of the lab-measured shoes we review (34 for the toe-box figures, 35 for the rest): 72.8 mm at the big toe, 95.2 mm at the widest point, 27.0 mm of toe-box height, 38.7 mm of heel stack, 8.5 mm of drop, 137 SA and 15.3 N.
What a foot and ankle surgeon takes from this
The toe box moved from the ball of the foot to the toes. At the widest point the 7 measured 92.5 mm, the narrowest of the 34 shoes we review that the lab has measured there; the 6, at 95.5, was just above the median. That line is where a bunion or a tailor’s bunion presses, so for either the Mach 6 is the kinder shoe. At the big toe the 7 gained 2.8 mm, and its toe box is still one of the tallest we have figures for at 29.1 mm, which helps a big toe that drifts, hammertoes and crowded lesser toes. Compare both on our toe box width chart.
Neither is a 5 mm shoe. HOKA lists 5 mm for both; the lab measured 9.6 and 9.4 mm, a conventional drop. That is good news for Achilles tendinopathy or a tight calf and a trap for anyone sent to the Mach for a low drop to protect the ball of the foot. Our heel-to-toe drop chart shows how often labels and lab figures part company.
A stiffer heel counter, a firmer ride. The 7’s heel counter scored 5 of 5 for stiffness against the 6’s 4. That holds a heel steady, and it is also the part of a shoe that rubs a Haglund’s bump or an insertional Achilles; RunRepeat’s testers warned it may irritate sensitive Achilles tendons. The foam measured about 6% firmer and returned less energy, 60.6% against 65.4%, while heel cushioning barely moved and sits near the median. At 224 g the 7 was the lightest of the 35 shoes we review.
Which should you buy?
Choose the Mach 7 if…
- Your toes feel crowded, or your big toe drifts toward the others: 2.8 mm wider at the big toe.
- You want the lightest of the 35 shoes we review, 224 g.
- You like a firmly held heel: its counter scored 5 of 5.
Look for a leftover Mach 6 if…
- A bunion or tailor’s bunion rubs: the 6 is 3.0 mm wider at the ball of the foot.
- A Haglund’s bump or insertional Achilles pain objects to a stiff heel counter. The 6 was one step softer, 4 of 5, the most common score among the 35 shoes we review.
- You liked its bouncier foam: 65.4% energy return against 60.6%.
Orthotics and inserts
Both insoles come out, and both measured about 4.5 mm. The toe boxes are tall, 30.0 and 29.1 mm, so a full-length orthotic has height to work with, but the Mach 7’s narrow widest point leaves little room beside a device with a broad forefoot. HOKA’s half-size-up advice for the 7 buys length, not width. Our Orthotic Volume Rating explains how to check the fit.
Questions runners ask
Is the HOKA Mach 7 better than the Mach 6?
It depends where your foot needs room. The lab found the 7 wider at the big toe but 3.0 mm narrower at the widest point, the narrowest of the 34 shoes we review there. It is also lighter, with a stiffer heel counter and slightly firmer foam. Underfoot the two are nearly identical.
What changed from the Mach 6 to the Mach 7?
Mostly the upper. RunRepeat reports the same supercritical foam and a grippier outsole. In the lab the heel, forefoot and drop stayed within half a millimetre, while the toe box got wider at the big toe and narrower at the widest point, and the heel counter got stiffer. HOKA raised the price from $140 to $145.
Is the Mach 7 narrower than the Mach 6?
At the ball of the foot, yes: 92.5 mm against 95.5, the narrowest of the 34 shoes we review with that measurement. At the big toe it is wider, 72.9 mm against 70.1. HOKA sells the Mach in a Wide, which is the better answer for a bunion.
Is the Mach 7 really a 5 mm drop?
Not in the lab. HOKA lists 5 mm for both shoes; the lab measured 9.4 mm on the Mach 7 and 9.6 mm on the Mach 6.
Should I size up in the Mach 7?
HOKA itself advises going up half a size. That adds length, not width, so if the 7 pinches at the ball of the foot, a Wide will help more than a bigger size.
Is the Mach 6 discontinued?
HOKA replaced it with the Mach 7 in 2026. Leftover Mach 6 pairs may still turn up at discount retailers, in a thinning range of sizes.
Read the full analysis
Our spec analysis of the HOKA Mach 7 carries its full figures and sources. For HOKA’s cushioned daily trainer, see Clifton 10 vs 11, and for the whole range, HOKA.
Sources
- HOKA, Mach 7 men’s product page ($145, 5 mm drop, 8.37 oz, no stack height, half-size-up advice, “same proven materials”) and Mach 6 page (unavailable; 8.20 oz, 5 mm, supercritical foam), read 28 September 2026.
- Believe in the Run, HOKA Mach 6 review ($140, 8.2 oz / 232 g in men’s US 10, 37 and 32 mm, 5 mm drop, supercritical EVA), read 28 September 2026.
- RunRepeat, HOKA Mach 6 and HOKA Mach 7 lab reviews (the Mach 7 review dated 10 May 2026), read 28 September 2026.
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