Hoka Anacapa 2 Mid GTX vs Hoka Challenger ATR 7
Weight and specs compared for 2026 — and which one to choose.
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These are two different kinds of shoe.
The Hoka Challenger ATR 7 is a trail running shoe; the Hoka Anacapa 2 Mid GTX is a mid-cut hiking boot. The lighter one saves 366 g a pair, but they are built for different kinds of hiking, so the lightest is not automatically the better buy.
What the extra 366 g of the Hoka Anacapa 2 Mid GTX buys you
- A waterproof membrane (GORE-TEX), so wet grass, puddles and rain stay outside.
- A higher cut that covers the ankle.
- Deeper lugs (5 mm against 4 mm), for more grip in mud and on loose ground.
What the Hoka Challenger ATR 7 offers besides the lower weight
- No membrane, so it breathes better in the heat and dries faster after a stream crossing.
Weights are per pair as Alpinetrek lists them, usually for a medium size, so a few grams either way can come from the size they weighed. The other specs were checked on 19 October 2026 against Alpinetrek (Hoka Anacapa 2 Mid GTX) and Alpinetrek (Hoka Challenger ATR 7). "Not stated" means the source does not mention it, not that the shoe lacks it. List prices are the full price shown by that source, not a sale price; where sources disagree we show none.
Choose the Hoka Anacapa 2 Mid GTX if…
…you carry a multi-day pack on rough or wet ground and want the ankle covered and a stiffer sole.
Choose the Hoka Challenger ATR 7 if…
…you move fast on trails, run some of it, and want the lightest and most flexible shoe; it gives little ankle support under a heavy pack.
Building a pack? Add either one to your HikeLoad list, or drop its weight into the base weight calculator, and see what it does to your total weight.
See where both rank against everything else in this category on the lightest footwear page, or browse the full gear weight database.