Mafate 5 vs Agility Peak 6

The Hoka Mafate 5 is a max-cushion trail running shoe built for the long haul: big vertical days, rough ground, and ultra distances where your legs need a buffer between them and the mountain. With a 45mm heel stack and an 8mm drop, it sits at the plush, protective end of Hoka's trail range, and the Vibram Megagrip outsole means it can actually cash the cheques that cushion writes on technical terrain. It is not light. At 332g it asks you to trade nimbleness for comfort, and for the runner it suits, that is exactly the right deal. Think of it as the burly ultra companion to the more agile Speedgoat 7. If your idea of a good day out is six hours on wet, rocky, root-strewn trails and arriving home with your feet still speaking to you, this is the shoe we would point you to. Racers and short-loop speed hounds should look elsewhere.

The Agility Peak 6 is Merrell's do-it-all trail running shoe, the one you reach for when the route mixes mud, rock and long slow miles. It sits in the cushioned-but-planted camp: a generous FloatPro midsole under an aggressive 5mm Vibram Megagrip outsole, with an 8mm drop and a 38mm heel stack that soaks up rough ground without floating you off it. This is not a racer and it does not pretend to be. It is a dependable daily trail trainer built for grip, protection and staying comfortable when the run drags on. We rate it as one of the best value all-rounders in its class, and RunRepeat's 84/100 backs that up. If your trails are technical, wet or steep and you want one shoe that copes with all of it, the Agility Peak 6 is an easy shoe to recommend. Compared with the pricier Hoka Speedgoat 7, it trades a little plushness for a firmer, more connected feel underfoot.