Hoka Challenger ATR 6 vs Challenger 7
Updated September 10, 2026. Specs are men's US 9.
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THE SHORT ANSWER
The Challenger 7, by default. Amazon's Hoka Challenger ATR 6 stock is gone in both men's and women's sizes, so what follows is a record of what changed, not a choice you still have.
- Hoka Challenger 7Sizes running outMen's at AmazonWomen's
Availability last checked Aug 9, 2026. Prices and stock change without notice.
Every spec, side by side
| Spec | Challenger 6 | Challenger 7 |
|---|---|---|
| FIT AND WEIGHT | ||
| Weight | 9.6 oz | 8.8 oz |
| Both men's 9 figures, the 6 from Road Trail Run's scale and the 7 from RunRepeat's lab, which for once agrees exactly with Hoka's own number. Losing most of an ounce while the stack grew is why RTR called the update an engineering achievement. | ||
| Widths | D, 2E | D, 2E |
| Upper | Double-layer engineered mesh, recycled yarn | Single-piece engineered mesh with printed overlays |
| Where the weight went. Testers flagged the same two costs, a forefoot that runs narrow and a heel that feels overbuilt. | ||
| CUSHIONING GEOMETRY | ||
| Heel stack | 29 mm | 31 mm |
| Two more millimetres of a lighter CMEVA blend, quoted midsole-only in both cases (the full-stack re-quote comes one version later). RunRepeat measured the softness at 46 percent under the trail-shoe average, so the 7 is where the Challenger got soft. | ||
| Forefoot stack | 24 mm | 26 mm |
| Drop | 5 mm | 5 mm |
| MATERIALS | ||
| Midsole | CMEVA | CMEVA, lighter reformulation |
| VALUE | ||
| List price at launch | $130 | $145 |
| OTHER CHANGES | ||
| Outsole | Full-contact zoned rubber, 4 mm lugs | Recut lug pattern, flatter in the centre, angled at the edges |
| Still Hoka rubber rather than Vibram, and still around 3 mm of measured lug. Grip on smooth and mixed ground stayed the point; wet rock stayed the weakness. | ||
| Name | Challenger ATR 6 | Challenger 7 |
| Hoka deleted the ATR suffix from the official name, and almost nobody followed: Doctors of Running, REI and half of Amazon still list the shoe as the Challenger ATR 7. Worth knowing when you search for it. | ||
Weighing whether to switch at all, rather than which of these two to buy? What replaced the Hoka Challenger ATR 6 covers the verdict on the update, what loyalists made of it, and the closest alternatives from other brands.
Buy the Challenger 6
Old stock goneAmazon's stock of the Hoka Challenger ATR 6 is gone in both men's and women's sizes, and discontinued stock does not come back.
Old stock is gone. See what replaced it
Buy the Challenger 7
Sizes running outDiscontinued at retail. Amazon carries what remains, so treat an in-stock size as a closing window, and expect prices to swing.
Availability last checked Aug 9, 2026.
Questions runners ask
- Which is lighter, the Hoka Challenger ATR 6 or the Challenger 7?
- The Challenger 7, by 0.8 oz in a men's US 9 (8.8 oz vs 9.6 oz).
- Did the price change between the Hoka Challenger ATR 6 and the Challenger 7?
- Yes. List price went up $15, from $130 to $145. Street prices differ: the older shoe usually sells under list once its successor ships.
- Do the Hoka Challenger ATR 6 and Challenger 7 come in the same widths?
- Yes. Both run in D, 2E for men's sizes, so a width that fit in the Challenger 6 carries over to the Challenger 7.
- How do the stack heights compare?
- 29 mm heel and 24 mm forefoot on the Hoka Challenger ATR 6, against 31 mm and 26 mm on the Challenger 7. That is 2 mm more under the heel and 2 mm more under the forefoot. See the stack height note in the table above: the published figures changed convention mid-lineage.
- Is the Challenger 7 still the newest Challenger?
- No. The Challenger 8 replaced it in 2025, so the Challenger 7 now sells as an older model and usually below its $145 list price.