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Hoka Skyward X 2 Review with all the details including comparisons to X 1 during an A/B run as well as compared to Hyperboost Edge, and Superblast 3, both different approaches to the 46mm plus heel height super trainer.
X 2 is slimmed down in weight, stack height, and platform width with a new more engaged carbon plate and a more dialed in fit.
Samples were provided at no charge for testing purposes with no additional compensation. The opinions herein are entirely the author's
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0:00
Hey, today we're going to go big and
0:02
we're going to go far in Hoka's Skyward
0:04
X 2. So, it gets lighter, a little bit
0:07
lower stack, a little bit more engaged
0:10
to its carbon plate. It's $225.
0:13
It comes out real soon. The new carbon
0:16
plate really kind of put me further
0:18
forward. You'll hear me comment that on
0:20
about that from the run. I'm also going
0:22
to do an AB with version 1 and as well,
0:26
I'm going to compare it to the
0:27
Hyperboost Edge from Adidas and the
0:30
Superblast 3 from
0:33
Asics.
0:36
Okay, let's get into some of the details
0:38
about our Skyward X 2 and we'll also
0:41
discuss how it's similar and different
0:43
from version 1 which I have here and
0:47
we'll also compare it to some other
0:50
approaches, if you will, to the super
0:53
trainer, the 45-mm or so heel height
0:57
shoe that Hyperboost Edge from Adidas
1:01
and also the
1:04
Superblast 3. They all kind of have
1:07
somewhat different approaches to
1:10
moving along a big shoe. So, let's get
1:13
into a few details here in terms of the
1:17
stack height of our Skyward X 2. We're
1:21
we're coming in in this version at um
1:25
46 mm at the heel, 41 at the forefoot
1:28
for the men's and the women's is 2 mm
1:32
lower. And also, we are 2 mm lower
1:37
in stack height than version 1. And what
1:41
this also leads to, along with making
1:44
the platform widths
1:47
to
1:48
about 5 mm narrower in version 2 is we
1:52
see a very nice
1:55
weight drop as we go
1:57
down 26 g. We go down 26 g. So, we're at
2:02
US um
2:04
8.5 sample here, 9.52 oz,
2:08
270 g and version 1 we were at
2:13
10.4 oz, 296 g.
2:17
So,
2:18
the uppers, let's talk a bit about the
2:20
uppers.
2:21
Very similar, I would say. Um
2:24
They do say the version
2:27
2 here is a jacquard mesh. Um
2:30
the
2:31
heel heel counters are
2:35
quite similar. I'd say the version 2 has
2:38
a little bit less stiffening cuz it
2:40
doesn't have that clip. There's
2:42
significant differences in the tongues
2:45
here.
2:46
Version
2:48
2 has a thin padded thinly padded kind
2:52
of leatherette tongue with padding
2:55
at the lace-up, more mesh, whereas
2:58
version 1 had a kind of a puffy thick
3:01
tongue.
3:03
Both have really good lace-up.
3:06
Um it's interesting to note that we have
3:10
no gusset at tongue here at all
3:14
and my foot hold's been really good. In
3:17
version
3:19
1, you see the red strap, we had a
3:21
gusset.
3:23
So, I think they may have kind of
3:25
tightened the weave here a bit,
3:28
but the foot hold is excellent. I have a
3:30
narrow to medium foot. It fits true to
3:32
size, no problem. I think it's in fact
3:35
maybe a a bit kind of less kind of
3:38
sloppy roomy.
3:40
I think the toe boxes are
3:42
pretty close. Maybe version 2 is a bit
3:44
narrower. I'm going to take them out AB
3:47
and give you that comparison real
3:50
in brief
3:51
how they actually feel on the run.
3:54
Terms of the foams,
3:57
no real change there. We have a
3:59
a top layer of PEBA
4:02
and a bottom layer of super critical EVA
4:05
in both of them.
4:07
Um
4:08
what does change, although underneath
4:12
you can see the plate changes to kind of
4:16
more a more zigzaggy form.
4:19
Hoka says the plate is more engaged now,
4:22
more engaged and
4:24
what that what that feels like and I'll
4:26
describe it from the run. I've taken two
4:27
runs now is that it's more
4:31
it it it kind of drives you forward a
4:33
bit
4:34
quicker.
4:35
In terms of the outsoles, you can
4:37
clearly see
4:38
V2 here has a bit more skeletal
4:41
coverage, although still plenty of
4:43
rubber.
4:45
The areas where there's no rubber, I
4:46
don't think they're going to see much
4:48
wear. We'll have to watch for
4:49
durability, but removing the rubber also
4:52
helps us
4:53
drop that 26 g in weight.
4:57
Um so, I'm going to take them out AB now
5:00
and then
5:02
and give then I'm going to give you
5:04
comments from the run with just
5:06
two two on my feet. What I can say
5:09
already is that it's a marvelously soft
5:13
and energetic shoe
5:15
relatively stable, especially if you're
5:17
moving along. It gets a bit soft at the
5:19
heel
5:20
if you're going slow, but this is a soft
5:23
and very friendly shoe.
5:25
Great for long runs or if you just want
5:28
the maximum of comfort. And before we go
5:31
out, let's let's just compare a bit some
5:33
of the kind of approaches, if you will,
5:36
to doing a a shoe which here has a 46-mm
5:41
heel, 41-mm forefoot, 5-mm drop. And
5:45
let's start with the another hot shoe of
5:47
the moment, the um
5:50
Hyperboost Edge. It is lighter.
5:54
Definitely lighter here. We're at uh
5:56
242 g, 8.54 oz.
6:00
45-39,
6:03
so we have a bit higher drop and a
6:04
millimeter or so less heel. But what
6:07
Adidas has done here is this is all
6:09
foam. There's no carbon plate as we have
6:12
here. And um
6:14
to stabilize what is a soft foam
6:18
underfoot, if you see if you watch me
6:20
pressing, jeez, it feels kind of firm.
6:22
Well, what they did is they wrapped the
6:24
entire
6:26
mid sole, the outer part of the mid
6:27
sole, in a sort of film. I guess under
6:31
compression, that maintains the
6:32
stability of the shoe.
6:34
They also went with a much fuller
6:37
coverage outsole
6:39
which is not traditional rubber. It's
6:41
the newer
6:43
cast polyurethane type material. Wear
6:46
should be really excellent there.
6:48
The little plastic thing here is they
6:50
say is decorative, but it is a hardened
6:53
foam or hardened plastic, a little teeny
6:55
shank there.
6:57
Terms of uppers
6:59
quite a contrast here. This is plush
7:03
friendly, of course heavier. It makes
7:05
the shoe heavier, this upper, versus
7:07
this kind of very closed, very
7:09
supportive
7:11
mesh where you can see breathable
7:13
material here, very similar kind of
7:15
light padded tongue.
7:18
More minimal collar padding. Some of our
7:22
women testers who are smaller in
7:24
stature, if you will,
7:27
have had irritation from the collars
7:29
here. They're very rigid and also one
7:32
person had issues down here. Maybe your
7:34
foot sat down too far. So, this is a I
7:37
would say a more supportive upper, but
7:40
it could have some issues. Whereas this
7:42
is much plusher.
7:44
You can see, you know, it's really this
7:47
is sort of a closed mesh. I think the
7:50
the Hoka will be a bit more breathable
7:51
than the Adidas this when summer comes,
7:53
but it's still cold here. Okay, let's
7:55
look at another one, another approach.
8:00
Here,
8:01
this is the Superblast 3. What
8:03
what Asics did here is went with two
8:06
foams, no plate and they use a pretty
8:09
dense and firm lower layer. You can see
8:12
the seam
8:13
of their
8:14
flight foam blast, kind of an EVA-based
8:17
foam. And then they paired it with their
8:19
super energetic leap foam, which is in
8:22
their top race shoes.
8:25
And what that does is give you quite a
8:27
contrast between a very soft landing and
8:30
kind of a firm stable at the ground.
8:32
Some people, and I'm not sure I totally
8:35
agree, say they prefer some of the
8:37
earlier versions where the foam
8:39
densities were closer, but this thicker
8:42
layer of firmer foam
8:45
similar outsole really to our Hoka, same
8:48
kind of idea.
8:50
Um
8:50
makes this kind of feel very kind of
8:53
stable at the ground as opposed to
8:56
higher up, although it's decently
8:58
stable. Uppers really nice, you know,
9:00
engineered mesh. A little bit I would
9:02
say definitely lighter than the Hokas.
9:05
Um
9:06
padding
9:07
fairly similar.
9:09
Um so, this shoe
9:12
because it weighs less, this this guy's
9:14
the lightest of the ones what we have
9:16
here.
9:17
46 at the heel, 46 and a half, 38 and a
9:21
half. So, we've got a um
9:23
an eight is an eight 8-mm drop shoe
9:27
versus a five here. So, you get a little
9:30
bit less forefoot cushioning.
9:32
Um and pretty much the same heel
9:36
cushioning. Um
9:38
the Hoka with its softer kind of ride
9:42
rolls better. This is
9:45
a rigid rocker shoe. This is
9:48
really really stiff. So, the rolling
9:50
action is from plunging into the soft
9:52
foam.
9:53
Whereas here, the rolling action is
9:55
enabled by the plate really. You can see
9:58
here's our Hoka foam, our super critical
10:01
PEBA up above,
10:03
and our
10:05
EVA
10:06
super critical EVA, which is relatively
10:08
firm, but more reactive. Whereas here,
10:11
we've got our
10:12
softish LEAP super critical foam, and
10:15
below that a really quite firm EVA.
10:19
Okay, so now I'm going to take them out
10:20
AB, and we'll
10:23
we'll get back to you. Please stay
10:24
tuned.
10:27
So, Hoka says
10:29
the carbon plate
10:31
engages you more, and I totally agree
10:33
with this. On my
10:35
left foot, I've got the uh
10:38
version one.
10:39
Feels quite a bit flatter on toe off.
10:42
Whereas in
10:43
version two, we really roll
10:46
forward.
10:47
Also, everything's just a bit more
10:49
dialed in. The
10:50
narrower platform,
10:52
lower
10:53
stack height, all kind of give it
10:55
a faster feel.
10:58
And now
10:59
I'm going to talk to you a bit about the
11:01
fit, but
11:02
while we're on technology,
11:06
at this building right here,
11:08
was the first transatlantic cable came
11:11
ashore all the way from Europe, the
11:13
first successful one,
11:15
and it was a very momentous thing.
11:17
So, let's talk about
11:20
relative [snorts] fit.
11:22
I said in terms of relative ride,
11:26
we're more dialed in.
11:28
Same with the fit. Um
11:30
I'm surprised that this
11:32
lighter
11:34
tongue, lighter upper,
11:35
no gusset,
11:37
it and this is my narrower
11:39
lower volume foot than my left in the
11:42
old version is much better held.
11:45
Not, you know, it's not not bad over
11:47
here, but considerably
11:49
more pulled together.
11:51
And then the other thing,
11:53
um
11:54
the toe box
11:56
uh I think is a little bit
11:58
a little bit narrower, but this is still
12:00
a very broad shoe. You can see and that
12:03
one's had some use.
12:04
The volume, the vertical volume
12:07
right in here, you can see there's some
12:08
folds.
12:10
Whereas here, we're snug.
12:12
We're well held. So, I think overall,
12:15
the new upper
12:16
dials in the fit, and with such a high
12:19
high stack height, you really need a
12:22
secure hold. You can't have any
12:23
sloppiness or you know, especially given
12:26
the foam is quite soft. And speaking of
12:28
the foam,
12:29
uh V V2 here, the two foams plus the
12:33
plate, um
12:35
a little bit more reactive,
12:37
little quicker off the ground,
12:39
maybe a teeny touch firmer cuz we have 2
12:42
mm less, but I think a superior approach
12:46
to what was already a really fine
12:48
uh midsole. Uh
12:50
this puts it
12:52
even more so and kind of into your tempo
12:55
a faster tempo long run kind of shoe.
12:59
Whereas here, we were a bit more mellow,
13:01
but it was still good at that. So, just
13:03
more dialed in. Talk fit of our Skyward
13:05
X 2. I'm in my usual US 8.5.
13:10
Not the widest toe box, but uh I think
13:12
kind of essential uh that it not be
13:15
super wide
13:16
given we got 46 at the heel, 41 up
13:19
front.
13:20
Um the mesh
13:22
is quite dense,
13:24
fairly fairly light thin, but um it's
13:28
all of a piece. There's no like
13:31
open airy places, and the hold is really
13:35
really good. You'll see it in the tongue
13:37
is slipped a little bit. There's no
13:39
gusset here at all. I was skeptical at
13:41
first that there wouldn't be enough
13:43
hold, but there's plenty over here.
13:46
Um this is my wider foot.
13:48
Um
13:50
You can see the tongue is well held.
13:52
Notable notable is
13:54
the very good rear hold here
13:57
from the rigid heel counter
14:00
and the padding, essential again for
14:03
such a big shoe.
14:04
Uh no loose ends so far in terms of fit,
14:07
just what you need for such a big shoe,
14:10
although we'll see how it performs in
14:12
warmer weather, but
14:14
very well done. Smooth, bouncy,
14:18
soft,
14:20
but with a much more
14:22
distinct action of the plate.
14:25
They say more engaged. I agree with that
14:27
compared to version one.
14:29
This compares
14:31
very nicely
14:33
to
14:36
a Superblast 3,
14:38
pretty much the same price.
14:41
Megablast without a plate, I find them
14:43
little unstable and sloppy. Yeah,
14:46
they're
14:47
definitely lighter.
14:50
Different kind of feel than
14:53
the Hyperboost Edge,
14:55
no plate,
14:57
but
14:58
similar kind of soft, bouncy,
15:00
and energetic ride. We're trotting along
15:03
here at the harbor,
15:04
about 8:52 pace or so, maybe under 8:50.
15:08
And how do we talk about the ride here?
15:11
Soft,
15:13
very energetic.
15:16
The plate, I can already feel
15:18
is more quote engaged. In other words,
15:21
I'm feeling a quicker
15:22
roll off the front.
15:26
Stability is decent,
15:28
although the heel is soft.
15:30
Kind of reminds me of the
15:32
Hyperboost Edge in that sense, and also
15:36
in the sense of the foam
15:38
softness.
15:39
Uh but that shoe doesn't have a plate.
15:42
It actually has a film around the
15:44
midsole to kind of stabilize it.
15:46
This is bouncier.
15:49
I'd say the Hyperboost
15:51
Edge is a little quicker
15:53
reacting.
15:55
Very smooth flowing.
15:58
Loved first version, but
16:01
it
16:02
sort of needed some jump geometry
16:05
tuning, and
16:06
losing 2 mm
16:08
of stack height come down to
16:10
46 41,
16:12
and all the weight
16:14
makes this snappier,
16:16
but still
16:18
soft,
16:19
pleasant,
16:20
and I'm running faster than I would
16:22
expect. Hi everybody.
16:25
The first Europeans
16:27
came to Rye
16:28
in the
16:30
early 1600s, even earlier. We can't see
16:32
the Isles of Shoals, but
16:34
even earlier in the
16:36
uh
16:37
1500s,
16:39
but the
16:40
native people were here
16:42
much much much earlier.
16:44
The famous Sweet Misery, it's been
16:46
sitting there for practically forever.
16:50
It's often in the
16:52
Tracksmith
16:53
catalog. A few more comments from the
16:55
run here as we're coming back from the
16:57
mouth of the harbor.
16:59
Uh
17:00
very very pleasant ride here.
17:03
Sometimes often, softness leads to
17:06
instability
17:08
or loss of energy,
17:10
but here we've got
17:11
two super critical foams, PEBA
17:13
underfoot, and then super critical EVA,
17:17
and I'm really liking their Hoka super
17:19
critical EVA. I liked it in the
17:22
Mach 7, I liked it in the Zinal 3.
17:25
It's
17:26
quite energetic, really energetic.
17:29
Yeah.
17:31
So, what we got is
17:32
lots of
17:33
soft rebound
17:35
with the
17:37
plate,
17:39
carbon plate,
17:40
but in a more kind of exo- skeletal
17:43
form.
17:45
Doing two things, I think. One,
17:48
allows
17:49
you to roll through the midfoot
17:51
cuz
17:52
it's really X-shaped there.
17:54
And then it's a bit more aggressive than
17:56
before up front,
17:58
but not as
17:59
aggressive as say the
18:02
uh rocker plating of say the Prime X
18:06
from Adidas was
18:08
or is.
18:09
So, we can
18:10
definitely
18:12
do all kinds of paces in this shoe from
18:14
recovery
18:16
to long
18:18
runs, long fast runs.
18:20
And I think
18:21
folks who
18:23
don't worry about the
18:25
illegal nature of the
18:27
46
18:28
mm heel,
18:30
could find this
18:32
excellent choice
18:33
for a marathon.
18:35
I mean, the weight is
18:36
more than a super shoe, 9.5 oz, 270
18:41
g, but you've got more cushion,
18:43
more rebound,
18:45
a very
18:46
dynamic plate that
18:48
won't be in the way
18:50
when you get
18:52
tired,
18:53
as they sometimes can be.
18:55
So, this is just a really
18:58
well well
18:59
executed update.
19:01
Lower stack,
19:02
26 g lighter weight,
19:05
my US 8.5,
19:07
redesigned plate,
19:09
comfortable upper
19:11
that's supportive enough.
19:14
It's a good one.
19:20
Thank you very much for watching.
19:23
Uh we're going to have a
19:25
full multi-tester review
19:27
of the Hoka Skyward X 2, $225,
19:32
releasing soon
19:34
over on RoadTrailRun
19:36
in written form.
19:38
Have a great run. I'm going to keep
19:40
going.
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