Hoka was one of many first manufacturers to launch a carbon plate working shoe designed for straightforward each day coaching runs, with the Hoka Bondi X popping out in 2022. That was not a great 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, comfy and nice enjoyable to make use of for straightforward 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 choice for each day coaching.
Hoka Skyward X: Worth And Availability
The Skyward X launched in April 2024 and prices $225 within the US and £185 within the UK. That shocking disparity in costs means it’s a bit of cheaper than related super-trainers just like the Asics Superblast and New Steadiness SC Coach v2 within the UK, however dearer than those self same sneakers within the US. Wherever you might be on the 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 variety of marathon coaching runs together with a 15-mile long term. I’ve additionally examined Hoka’s different carbon plate sneakers, together with the Mach X and Bondi X, and a variety of super-trainers from different manufacturers.
Design And Match
There’s so much happening within the midsole of the Skyward X, which accommodates 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 secure. Your foot additionally sits inside the foam in the back of the shoe, and there’s a big plastic heel counter, each of which enhance 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 girls’s—with a 5mm drop, and the experience is clean because of 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 experience. 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 numerous padding on the tongue and collar for added consolation. I discovered it fitted effectively in my standard working shoe dimension and it’s not as slim as another Hoka sneakers, such because the Mach 6. There’s good rubber protection on the forefoot and heel, with a thick outsole that needs to be sturdy, and which gripped effectively in moist circumstances. I’ve taken the shoe on some gentle trails too, with no indicators of damage 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 a lot of the first half was downhill and the second half uphill. It protected my legs effectively 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 constantly discovered myself shifting sooner than I anticipated for the trouble degree put in. That’s partly as a result of it’s more durable to guage velocity when you might have such little really feel for the bottom as a result of it’s such a cushioned and tall shoe, but additionally as a result of the froth and plate mixture does a great job of propelling you in your method 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 by which 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 Velocity 4 or Asics Superblast, however the Skyward X is extra cushioned and comfy. Cruising by means of simple runs within the shoe felt nice.
But, even with all its positives, will probably be too huge a shoe for some. I want the lighter, nimbler really feel of different super-trainers or extra common sneakers, just like the Hoka Mach 6 and New Steadiness Insurgent v4, for many runs, together with simple plods. However if you happen to love a cushioned experience, the Skyward X delivers.
Is The Hoka Skyward X Value It?
You don’t have to spend a lot cash to get an amazing each day coach. The Hoka Mach 6 or plated sneakers just like the Saucony Endorphin Velocity 4 provide extra versatility at a cheaper price 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 cheaper price.
The Hoka Skyward X is one thing a bit of completely different from most sneakers, nevertheless, which can make its excessive value extra palatable to some. It’s extra cushioned than different super-trainers, whereas nonetheless fairly versatile and secure 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.
