In production · road · Long run / Tempo · $225
Carbon-plated max cushion — a rolling, protective long-run cruiser.
Built for long run, tempo, at a target pace of 7:30–10:00 /mi on road.
Hoka tuned this midsole very soft (5/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. At 44 mm of heel stack this sits in max-cushion territory; legs stay fresher on long efforts, but the platform is tall. Combined, the ride reads as snappy at 4/5 responsiveness.
A full-length carbon plate stiffens the forefoot and works with the foam as a lever: it smooths the transition off the toes and cuts the effort of holding fast paces. It also asks for speed — at easy paces a carbon plate feels stiff and does little for you, and it is the main reason super-shoes wear out sooner than trainers.
A low 5 mm drop encourages a midfoot landing and keeps the ankle working through a fuller range. The rocker is aggressive: the sole is curved and stiff enough to tip you into the next stride on its own, which saves the calf on long runs but feels strange when you slow right down. The forefoot is stiff, so it rolls rather than bends — a lever, not a slipper. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.56 per mile at $225.
For the foams and plates Hoka uses across its line, read the Hoka brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
290 g / 10.2 oz
15 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
44 mm
8 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
5 mm
1 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$225
65 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
5 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~400 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Hoka line it is heavier than the brand's median (275 g / 9.7 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (38 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Hoka Skyward X 2
281 g / 9.9 oz · 44 mm · 5 mm drop · Carbon · $230
Hoka Skyward X 2: 44 mm heel stack, 5 mm drop, 286 g — specs from independent lab testing.
New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer v3(2024)
278 g / 9.8 oz · 41 mm · 6 mm drop · Carbon · $180
Enormous plated trainer that turns easy long runs into a bouncy ride.
Hoka Skyward X(2024)
306 g / 10.8 oz · 49 mm · 5 mm drop · Carbon · $225
Absurd stack, carbon plate and a wing-shaped midsole for cushioned long runs.
Asics GlideRide Max
289 g / 10.2 oz · 44 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $170
Max-cushioned rocker that rolls easy miles forward with minimal effort.