What replaced the Hoka Challenger ATR 6?
Updated September 10, 2026. Specs are men's US 9.
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THE SHORT ANSWER
The Hoka Challenger 7 replaced the Challenger ATR 6 in early 2023 and dropped the ATR from the name. It cut nearly an ounce while adding 2 mm of foam, which Road Trail Run called a notable engineering achievement, moved to a single-piece mesh upper, recut the lugs, and raised the list price $15 to $145. The 5 mm drop and the door-to-trail character carried straight over.
- Hoka Challenger 7Sizes running outMen's at AmazonWomen's
Availability last checked Aug 9, 2026. Prices and stock change without notice.
At a glance
- The Challenger 7 is 0.8 oz lighter
- 2 mm more heel stack
- Drop is unchanged at 5 mm
- New midsole foam
- List price up $15
Every spec side by side, with the reason behind each change: Challenger 6 vs 7.
Stay on your shoe, or switch?
Refined, same shoeThe formula, executed better. An ounce off, 2 mm on, a cleaner upper, and the same 5 mm drop and easygoing manner underneath. Road Trail Run scored it 9 out of 10 and called it across-the-board excellence, Doctors of Running gave it a B+, RunRepeat a 79. The complaints stayed small and specific: a narrow forefoot, a thin insole, and an outsole that a minority of owners had come apart early. This is the version the 8 gets measured against.
Stick with the Challenger 6 if
- The 6's roomier double-layer upper fit you; the 7's forefoot runs narrower
- Your 6s are holding up, since nothing about the geometry or the drop changed
Old stock is gone; see alternatives below.
Move to the Challenger 7 if
- You want the same shoe most of an ounce lighter with a touch more foam
- You run long on mixed ground, where the softer midsole earns its keep
Where the Hoka Challenger is now
Two updates on, the Challenger 8 (2025) is what sits on shelves today. Against the shoe you own rather than the one that directly replaced it:
- Weight is unchanged
- 13 mm more heel stack
- Drop moved from 5 mm to 8 mm
- List price up $25
What loyalists said about the update
The best-liked Challenger, and the one with the superlatives. A Running Warehouse tester wrote that version 7 surpassed her favorite trail shoe of all time, the Speedgoat 2; a redditor who raced two 50ks and a 50-miler in it reported no blisters through the rain; another logged 700 km without abnormal wear. Reddit aggregates 68 percent positive across 31 reviews, with the GTX at 74. The floor of the distribution is durability: Zappos runs 4.2 stars across 1,379 reviews, and its one-star tail is soles detaching inside a month and a thin insole that hurts by end of shift.
Still want the original?
Buy remaining Challenger 6 stock
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. The best current match is the Hoka Speedgoat 7.
Ready to move on?
Beyond the Challenger 7, these come closest to what the Challenger 6 did.
- 9.6 oz
- 5 mm drop
- 40 mm heel
- $165 list
The in-house sibling and the natural next step when the trails get serious. The Speedgoat runs Vibram Megagrip and 5 mm lugs on a locked-down fit; the Challenger runs Hoka's own rubber, shallower lugs and a relaxed one. The old rule was Challenger for smooth and mixed surfaces, Speedgoat for technical ground, and the 8 sharpened it: reviewers who took the 8 onto rock reported feeling it through the sole.
Against your Hoka Challenger ATR 6: the same weight, 11 mm more heel stack, the same drop, $35 more at list.
- 9.2 oz
- 8 mm drop
- 42 mm heel
- $155 list
The road twin, and after the 8 the resemblance is close to literal: both now quote 42 mm heels on 8 mm drops within 0.3 oz of each other. Reviewers have always used the Clifton as the reference point for the Challenger's fit and manner. If your miles are pavement with occasional gravel, the Clifton is the same comfort with less rubber; if dirt is a weekly habit, the Challenger is the one that grips it.
Against your Hoka Challenger ATR 6: 0.4 oz lighter, 13 mm more heel stack, 3 mm more drop, $25 more at list.
- 10.2 oz
- 0 mm drop
- 30 mm heel
- $165 list
The other cushioned crossover, from the opposite school. The Timp puts 30 mm of foam on a zero-drop, foot-shaped platform; the Challenger 8 puts a quoted 42 mm on an 8 mm drop with a conventional taper. They solve the same problem, comfortable miles on mixed ground, with geometries so different that moving between them is a re-learning project rather than a swap. One more asymmetry: the Timp went trail-only at its 6, so the Challenger is now the more road-capable of the two.
Against your Hoka Challenger ATR 6: 0.6 oz heavier, 1 mm more heel stack, 5 mm less drop, $35 more at list.
Questions runners ask
- Is the Hoka Challenger ATR 6 still available?
- No. Amazon's stock of the Hoka Challenger ATR 6 is gone in both men's and women's sizes, and old-model stock does not come back. Your move is the successor or a close alternative.
- Is the Challenger 7 a downgrade from the Hoka Challenger ATR 6?
- No. Most runners rate the Challenger 7 as the same shoe done slightly better. The changes are real but none of them alter what the shoe is.
- How much lighter is the Challenger 7?
- 0.8 oz lighter in a men's US 9: 8.8 oz against the Hoka Challenger ATR 6's 9.6 oz.
- Is the Hoka Challenger still made?
- Yes. The current version is the Hoka Challenger 8, released in 2025, 2 versions on from the Hoka Challenger ATR 6.
- What is the closest current alternative to the Hoka Challenger ATR 6?
- The Hoka Speedgoat 7. The in-house sibling and the natural next step when the trails get serious. The Speedgoat runs Vibram Megagrip and 5 mm lugs on a locked-down fit; the Challenger runs Hoka's own rubber, shallower lugs and a relaxed one. The old rule was Challenger for smooth and mixed surfaces, Speedgoat for technical ground, and the 8 sharpened it: reviewers who took the 8 onto rock reported feeling it through the sole.