Hoka was one of many first manufacturers to launch a carbon plate working shoe designed for straightforward day by day coaching runs, with the Hoka Bondi X popping out in 2022. That was not a very good shoe. It was agency, missing in bounce, and usually not enjoyable to run in.
The Hoka Skyward X is a special beast. It’s bouncy, snug and nice enjoyable to make use of for simple and lengthy runs. It’s too huge and heavy for my style, and I didn’t get pleasure from it as a lot for quick runs, but when the value doesn’t put you off then the Skyward X is a springy possibility for day by 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 a bit cheaper than comparable super-trainers just like the Asics Superblast and New Steadiness SC Coach v2 within the UK, however dearer than those self same footwear within the US. Wherever you’re on this planet, nevertheless, it’s not an affordable shoe.
How I Examined This Operating Shoe
I ran simply shy of 40 miles within the Skyward X, utilizing it for a variety of marathon coaching runs together with a 15-mile future. I’ve additionally examined Hoka’s different carbon plate footwear, together with the Mach X and Bondi X, and a variety of super-trainers from different manufacturers.
Design And Match
There’s so much occurring within the midsole of the Skyward X, which incorporates two foams and a convex carbon plate. The principle 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 in the back of the shoe, and there’s a big plastic heel counter, each of which enhance stability.
The stack peak 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 trip is clean 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 dimension 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 trip. It’s not a full plate, and the gaps in it are seen within the giant cut-out on the underside of the shoe.
The Skyward X has a knit higher with quite a lot of padding on the tongue and collar for added consolation. I discovered it fitted nicely in my typical working shoe dimension and it’s not as slender as another Hoka footwear, such because the Mach 6. There’s good rubber protection on the forefoot and heel, with a thick outsole that ought to be sturdy, and which gripped nicely in moist situations. I’ve taken the shoe on some gentle trails too, with no indicators of wear and tear and tear from that rougher floor.
Operating Efficiency
The Skyward X is a giant shoe, however a deceptively clean 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 stunned by how clean and straightforward to select up it was for such a giant shoe.
All through my runs, I’ve persistently 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 will 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 very good job of propelling you in your manner effectively.
There’s an higher restrict to how briskly you’ll be able to 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 sort of tempo. It’s not as versatile as different super-trainers just like the Saucony Endorphin Pace 4 or Asics Superblast, however the Skyward X is extra cushioned and cozy. Cruising by simple runs within the shoe felt nice.
But, even with all its positives, it will likely be too huge a shoe for some. I favor the lighter, nimbler really feel of different super-trainers or extra common footwear, just like the Hoka Mach 6 and New Steadiness Insurgent v4, for many runs, together with simple plods. However in the event you love a cushioned trip, the Skyward X delivers.
Is The Hoka Skyward X Value It?
You don’t have to spend a lot cash to get a fantastic day by day coach. The Hoka Mach 6 or plated footwear just like the Saucony Endorphin Pace 4 provide extra versatility at a cheaper price than the Hoka Skyward X. In case you’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 cheaper price.
The Hoka Skyward X is one thing a bit totally different from most footwear, nevertheless, which can make its excessive worth extra palatable to some. It’s extra cushioned than different super-trainers, whereas nonetheless fairly versatile and steady sufficient for day by day coaching. I favor a lighter and smaller shoe, even for straightforward runs, and even in the event you love a max-cushioned shoe the Asics Superblast is one other cushioned (and costly) possibility that’s lighter and extra versatile than the Skyward X. The Hoka is bouncier and extra snug, and it received me over throughout my testing.