Hoka was one of many first manufacturers to launch a carbon plate operating shoe designed for straightforward each day coaching runs, with the Hoka Bondi X popping out in 2022. That was not a superb shoe. It was agency, missing in bounce, and usually not enjoyable to run in.
The Hoka Skyward X is a unique beast. It’s bouncy, comfy and nice enjoyable to make use of for simple and lengthy runs. It’s too massive and heavy for my style, and I didn’t get pleasure from it as a lot for quick runs, but when the worth doesn’t put you off then the Skyward X is a springy choice for each day coaching.
Hoka Skyward X: Value And Availability
The Skyward X launched in April 2024 and prices $225 within the US and £185 within the UK. That stunning disparity in costs means it’s just a little cheaper than related super-trainers just like the Asics Superblast and New Stability SC Coach v2 within the UK, however costlier than those self same footwear within the US. Wherever you’re on this planet, nevertheless, it’s not an inexpensive shoe.
How I Examined This Operating Shoe
I ran simply shy of 40 miles within the Skyward X, utilizing it for a spread of marathon coaching runs together with a 15-mile long term. I’ve additionally examined Hoka’s different carbon plate footwear, together with the Mach X and Bondi X, and a spread of super-trainers from different manufacturers.
Design And Match
There’s quite a bit occurring within the midsole of the Skyward X, which accommodates two foams and a convex carbon plate. The primary foam is a bouncy Peba-based materials, with a supercritical EVA foam used to create a body that makes the Skyward X extra steady. Your foot additionally sits throughout the foam behind the shoe, and there’s a big plastic heel counter, each of which improve stability.
The stack top is excessive—48mm on the heel and 43mm on the forefoot within the males’s shoe, and 46mm on the heel and 41mm on the forefoot within the ladies’s—with a 5mm drop, and the journey is easy due to the rocker design. All that stack provides as much as a heavy shoe: The Skyward X is 11.3oz/320g in my UK measurement 9, which is heftier than most different super-trainers, with the equally stacked Asics Superblast weighing 8.8oz/251g.
Hoka says the convex carbon plate, which bows upwards within the middle, creates a extra cushioned and “suspended” really feel to the journey. It’s not a full plate, and the gaps in it are seen within the massive cut-out on the underside of the shoe.
The Skyward X has a knit higher with a whole lot of padding on the tongue and collar for added consolation. I discovered it fitted nicely in my ordinary operating shoe measurement and it’s not as slim as another Hoka footwear, such because the Mach 6. There may be good rubber protection on the forefoot and heel, with a thick outsole that needs to be sturdy, and which gripped nicely in moist circumstances. I’ve taken the shoe on some mild trails too, with no indicators of damage and tear from that rougher floor.
Operating Efficiency
The Skyward X is an enormous shoe, however a deceptively easy and fast one. My first run in it was 15 miles the place many of the first half was downhill and the second half uphill. It protected my legs nicely when pounding down hills; even when going uphill I used to be shocked by how easy and simple to choose up it was for such an enormous shoe.
All through my runs, I’ve constantly discovered myself shifting sooner than I anticipated for the hassle stage put in. That’s partly as a result of it’s more durable to guage pace when you could have such little really feel for the bottom as a result of it’s such a cushioned and tall shoe, but in addition as a result of the froth and plate mixture does a superb job of propelling you in your means effectively.
There’s an higher restrict to how briskly you possibly can run comfortably within the shoe. I did a few progressions runs, together with one wherein I completed at round my marathon tempo of 3min 30sec/km and it felt cumbersome for that form of tempo. It’s not as versatile as different super-trainers just like the Saucony Endorphin Velocity 4 or Asics Superblast, however the Skyward X is extra cushioned and cozy. Cruising by means of simple runs within the shoe felt nice.
But, even with all its positives, it will likely be too massive a shoe for some. I want the lighter, nimbler really feel of different super-trainers or extra common footwear, just like the Hoka Mach 6 and New Stability Insurgent v4, for many runs, together with simple plods. However if you happen to love a cushioned journey, the Skyward X delivers.
Is The Hoka Skyward X Price It?
You don’t have to spend a lot cash to get an excellent each day coach. The Hoka Mach 6 or plated footwear just like the Saucony Endorphin Velocity 4 supply extra versatility at a lower cost than the Hoka Skyward X. For those who’re planning to simply use it for straightforward and lengthy runs then a extra regular cushioned shoe just like the Brooks Glycerin 21 will do a superb job at a a lot lower cost.
The Hoka Skyward X is one thing just a little completely different from most footwear, nevertheless, which can make its excessive value extra palatable to some. It’s extra cushioned than different super-trainers, whereas nonetheless fairly versatile and steady sufficient for each day coaching. I want a lighter and smaller shoe, even for straightforward runs, and even if you happen to love a max-cushioned shoe the Asics Superblast is one other cushioned (and costly) choice that’s lighter and extra versatile than the Skyward X. The Hoka is bouncier and extra comfy, and it received me over throughout my testing.