Hoka One One Cavu and Mach Preview

2018 is an exciting year for Hoka One One! For fans of lightweight, responsive cushioning there are two new models on the way that will have you feel like you’re flying on raceday or quick training runs. They are called the “Cavu” and the “Mach.” Both of these shoes feature an updated midsole that improves on the technology put forward in the very-popular Clayton and Clayton 2. The old midsole was called Pro2Lite and the new is called ProFly. This technology gives the heel softer foam for a more forgiving landing and a firmer forefoot for a responsive, efficient toe-off. The foam used in the ProFly is reportedly more resilient than the old Pro2Lite. They also have brand new engineered knitted uppers that are expected to give the shoe a socklike fit. Sounds good to me! The stack heights of the Cavu and Mach are very similar to each other and to the Clayton 2. The Men’s Mach has a heel/forefoot of 24mm/19mm, The Women’s Mach, a heel/forefoot of 22mm/17. The Mens Cavu has a heel/forefoot of 24mm/20mm, the Women’s Cavu a heel/forefoot of 22mm/18mm. This compares to the men’s and women’s Clayton 2 at 24mm/20mm and 23mm/19mm respectively. The weight of the Cavu and Mach is 8.2oz for Men. The Women’s Mach weighs in at 6.7oz while the Cavu is 6.6oz.

As a big fan of the Clayton 2, I suspect the better dual-density foam and the much-improved upper will really shine on fast days and on big downhills. The Outsole hasn’t been changed much but the changes that Hoka did make sound very promising. When I first ran in the Clayton 2, I found them torsionally inflexible which wasn’t to my liking but after a few dozen miles, they opened up nicely. With the Cavu and Mach, they made deeper grooves in the outsole and trimmed midsole down along the heel so I would imagine that the shoe will break in even more quickly. They kept the fantastic RMAT the same except on the Cavu there is a patch of exposed foam in the middle of the shoe, presumably to reduce weight. In case you aren’t familiar with Hoka’s RMAT compound it is a hybrid blend of rubber and foam. This compound works magic on the road because it keeps the durability of rubber with the lightness of foam. Reviewers that got early access to these models report that the Mach is suitable for both fast running and relaxed paces with a smoother transition than the occasionally clunky Clayton 2. The Cavu has been reported as superbly responsive at speed but not so smooth at relaxed paces. So if quick training is your thing or you are just looking for a light trainer, the Cavu and Mach are for you!