It’s race day and Hoka has finally delivered on the best distance plated racing shoe they have ever attempted. The Hoka Rocket X2 is the perfect mix of material choices, structure, and design and leads to a performance and comfortable race day experience. It also never stops being a Hoka, and it makes us forget all about some of those other recent Hoka carbon attempts, looking at you, Carbon X 3.
Quick Details, Specs, and Availability
- Weight – 8.3oz or 235g for a US Men’s 9
- Cushion – 36mm of cushion and a 5mm heel/toe drop
- Pricing – $250 USD
- Colors – 1 color
Performance Review
Let me paint you a little picture of my Hoka training set up. I have my Clifton 9s as my daily trainer, tackling those easy every day runs with a little bit of tempo work mixed in. I have my Mach 5s for my faster speed days because while Hoka has some faster shoes, I prefer the feel of this PROFLY midsole underfoot. For recovery days, I have a Bondi 8 with its nice wide stable platform and a ton of cushion to allow my legs to recover. But race day was missing and thankfully, the Rocket X 2 arrived to solve all of that.
Note, I actually quite enjoyed the original rocket X. Yes, it did feel more like a prototype, like we were seeing the beta of a shoe, but it did function really well, and it ran really fast. On race days, however it just wasn’t that comfortable of a shoe. The upper was a little loose, and while it performed, for most normal people like myself, I’m not an elite racer, I needed a little more support and a little more inherent stability overall. The Rocket x 2 also brings all of that.
As we start at any upper, that synthetic material is designed to envelop your foot and keep you held securely in place. The design does give some level of support, and those overlays you see provide some level of lateral stability. Even small touches like the gusseted tongue ensure a better overall fit and prevent any sort of unnecessary adjustments during a long race. Down in the midsole, the rubber and the carbon really hit the road.
And by this I am referring to the PROFLY-X midsole that is paired with their winged carbon plate. This PEBA foam-based midsole delivers a high level of responsiveness, but adds to that even more when paired with that sandwiched carbon plate. This leads to a decent amount of softness when your foot contacts the ground, but then an immediate desire to elongate and push you forward. This energy return delivers the performance one expects from a distance, plated racing shoe.
Bottom line, count me in on the Hoka Rocket X 2.
Construction and Materials
Upper
The HOKA Rocket X 2 features a technical synthetic mesh upper that offers a snug and supportive fit, securely enveloping the foot. Its gusseted tongue design effectively prevents tongue migration, ensuring optimal comfort and stability throughout your runs.
Midsole
The HOKA Rocket X 2 incorporates PROFLY-X™ construction, which ensures cushioned landings and propulsive toe-offs, allowing for a balanced and efficient stride. Its highly-resilient PEBA foam offers soft and responsive cushioning, providing a comfortable and high-rebound experience with every step. Additionally, the carbon fiber plate integrated into the shoe delivers enhanced propulsion, giving you an extra edge during your runs.
Outsole
The HOKA Rocket X 2 incorporates zonal rubber placement, strategically positioned to optimize weight savings without compromising on durability and traction, resulting in a lightweight and responsive running experience.
Overall Conclusion
If you were looking for a race day shoe that still maintains everything you love about Hoka, but in a speedy little package, they look no further than the Hoka Rocket X 2. This shoe has plenty of legs to it, a nice light design, and solid material choices, making it one of the better distance carbon plated racers on the market right now. You definitely won’t see as many of these as those Nike ‘flys at the starting line, but we would honestly choose these for more of our runs, given the upper structure, and a better underfoot feel. We will say it again, Hoka has finally delivered a beautiful race day shoe that feels entirely Hoka.
Learn more on the Hoka website
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Check Out Other Reviewers Thoughts
As always, we gather together some of our favorite reviewers so you can get a well-rounded view of the shoe. Here are our favorites.
