The Hoka Rocket X 2 is out there and right now you can find the previous
version, the Hoka Rocket X under 100€ or $100. But should you get it at this
price point in 2023?
Let’s find out!
Introduction
The Hoka Rocket X is a neutral racing shoe, designed for performance, and another attempt from Hoka to launch a super shoe and it’s the successor of the Hoka Carbon Rocket.
At its launch, Hoka stated that the Rocket X is a lightweight responsive race shoe, being the fastest of their line-up, and targeted for shorter distances. They didn’t specify the distance, but I’ll say up to the half-marathon. Despite this, elite (and non-elite) runners have used it in marathons and with great success. Aliphine Tuliamuk won the 2020 US Olympic Trials Marathon running with a pair of Hoka Rocket X.
I bought these shoes for races but they are now my go-to shoes for speed work sessions and I already logged more than 218 miles (350 km) with them.
Stats
Upper
The Hoka Rocket X has a very breathable and lightweight mesh upper like you would expect from a racer.
It has a thin tongue with no padding, but I had no issues with that. On the other hand, I had some problems with tongue height. The tongue ends exactly in the spot where the foot meets the leg and, in my first runs, I got some discomfort and blisters on that spot. Nevertheless, after some runs, the discomfort was gone and right now I have no issues with the tongue.
Regarding the laces, I got a secure fit with them and they don’t get loose while running but Hoka could have opted for shorted laces. Even with the runner's knot, I have more lace length than needed.
Looking now at the back of the shoe, we have a sturdy heel counter, unusual
on a carbon racer, and a lightly padded collar with enough cushion for that
extra comfort. The padding and heel counter will work together to give you a
secure lockdown and stable ride.
In the back is where you’ll find the
only reflective material in this shoe. More than enough for a racing shoe.
With this heel counter we are trading weight for comfort and stability, I am ok with this trade-off.
The toe box is roomy, more than I appreciate, and I can feel that my toes have too much space for a racing shoe, but in the end, it doesn’t bother me and one can always try to fix this with the lacing.
Finally, we have some Hoka branding overlays that will give more structure to the upper, but they are minimal.
Midsole
The Hoka Rocket X has a lightweight compression-molded EVA midsole so it’s old technology engineered to perform at its best.
It’s a single-density EVA foam and in the middle, you’ll find the carbon fiber plate.
The Rocket X features the traditional Hoka early-stage meta rocker that will help you keep that fast pace and a smooth toe-off.
This is not the squishy and bouncing foam that you would expect from a racing shoe. Instead, you get a firm, yet comfortable, midsole with a carbon fiber plate that will not give you that “pop” but it’s there to give you a smooth ride and to enforce the meta rocker.
The carbon plate doesn’t cover the heel entirely. The last centimeter doesn’t seem to be contemplated by the plate so if you’re a heel striker you’ll land first on a more comfortable foam. So, it’s safe to say that the firmness of the midsole is mostly due to the plate and its positioning.
The midsole gives this shoe a wide platform to land, from the rearfoot to the forefoot, which combined with the foam and plate firmness, makes this one of the best racing shoes for stability. Helping the stability is also the fact that there are no cut-outs in this midsole. So once again we have here a trade-off: weight for stability. I can’t say for sure that this was Hoka's idea because the plate sits near the outsole and not near the foot so having cut-outs in the sole is not an option in this layout.
Because of the midsole firmness, I found that there is no break-in period for this shoe, but nevertheless, the foam will soften a bit with usage.
Outsole
Earlier I mentioned some trade-offs that affect the shoe weight, but the outsole was where Hoka decided to keep the weight to a minimum.
We have a rubberized foam outsole with strategically placed rubber covering the forefoot and the higher impact zones in the rearfoot. This will help reduce weight and the rubber will improve the foam's durability.
The outsole rubber is very slim, but this is expected from a racing shoe. Despite that, the rubber is durable and it should last more than 300 miles (500 km).
I never ran with the Rocket X in the rain but I had no issues with the grip on slightly wet pavement nor did I have any issues making tight corners.
The only real issue that I found with the outsole is that it’s a small rocks magnet. The rocks will easily pierce the outsole and reach the carbon plate and they will stay there until you remove them. This will not impact the performance of the shoe. Mine has several small and almost unnoticeable holes in them with no impact on the ride of the shoe.
Fit
The Rocket X fit is amazing in my opinion. It’s not Mach 4 amazing, but when you put on this shoe you know that you are in a racer and ready for a fun time.
Just remember that the toe box is roomy and you might need to tighten the laces. Apart from the toe box, the rigid heel counter will secure your heel in place and you get a snug fit and a very secure lockdown.
I found the Rocket X to be true to size when choosing the size equivalent to 29cm (US 11).
Ride
The Rocket X is probably what you wouldn’t expect after reading what I wrote so far.
Despite being a firm ride, the Rocket X is also very comfortable. I would not suggest it as a daily trainer, but I do my speed sessions warm-ups and cool-downs with them and I just feel comfort under my feet.
This comfort is not only due to the midsole's high stack but also to the midsole's width and geometry. Of course, the upper is also contributing to this overall comfort feeling.
Hoka states that this is a short-distance racer I can confirm it. I raced with them in 10Ks and half-marathons and they were great on both distances, but I wouldn’t take it to the marathon.
Not only might the firm ride be too much if you’re not an elite runner but also the midsole will not give you that extra push that you’ll need in the marathon, especially after the “wall”.
The Rocket X has low energy return, and if you want to feel more responsiveness then you have to pick up the pace. At threshold paces, the foam/plate combination will become lively giving you a decent response.
I wrote that they are great for racing, but they are not the best. The Rocket X doesn’t have a supercritical foam midsole, so you don’t have the squish, bounce, and responsiveness that you’ll get from top-tier racing shoes. Also, they are comfortable, for sure, but they will not protect your legs as those supercritical foams will.
So, because of it, right now the Hoka Rocket X is my go-to speed session shoe and for that purpose, they are just awesome. For longer speed sessions, like fast finish long runs or progression runs I prefer to run with a more comfortable speed shoe that is more responsive at the same time, like the Saucony Endorphin speed 2.
This is not a lightweight racer, in reality, it’s heavy for a super-shoe, but you don’t feel the extra weight. The Rocket X runs lighter than the numbers, and if you consider the Rocket X as a speed shoe, then the weight is just fine and it’s lighter than the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2.
This shoe gives you a smooth ride and the early-stage meta rocker really contributes to your gait cycle and toe-off. Because this shoe doesn’t have an aggressive spring, it gives you a natural feel underfoot.
Verdict
When the Hoka Rocket X launched it was already one of the cheapest carbon-plated shoes (if not the cheapest). Right now, you can get it below $100/100€ and at this price point, it’s hard to get any better.
If you want one of the best value-for-money speed/race shoes up to the half-marathon, this could be it, but if you don’t mind paying more, then the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 or 3 will be a better option.
The Rocket X does not perform like the top-tier racers, but it's close and the natural foot strike will appeal to runners that don't appreciate running with a shoe that forces them to run in a specific manner.
As I wrote previously, this is one of my speed sessions shoes and I would
buy it again for that purpose.
It can also be your race shoe and, if
you don't mind with the firmness of the ride, your long run shoe.
Scoring
This shoe review scoring takes into consideration the shoes and technologies available at the time of the review. This score might not be comparable to future reviews of shoes that present unseen features and/or technologies.
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2 Comments
I am looking for a HOKA sneaker for daily walking, not as a runner. Will you recommend this one? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteNo, not this one. This one is purely for racing or speed sessions. Take a look at the Hoka Clifton 9, Hoka Bondi 8 or the Hoka walking shoe, the Hoka Transport.
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