Hoka Mach X 2 Review
The Hoka Mach X 2 is a performance road running shoe, often described as a racer-trainer. It has been significantly updated and is now more of a speed-oriented shoe compared to the original Mach X.
The Mach X 2 weighs 227 grams for a women’s UK 5 and 260 grams for a men’s UK 8. To achieve these weights, the upper has been stripped down to resemble a racing shoe. The Jacquard mesh and overlays used in the original Mach X have been replaced by a very airy woven mesh. The heel cup has no plastic reinforcement and is soft and flexible, designed to snugly fit around your heel. The only padding in the heel cup consists of thin pads on either side, located just above the heel bone. The lacing is slightly offset, meaning the laces cross the highest part of your foot. When tightened, I found the heel fit snug, and the lockdown over the top of my foot was very effective. There is also an extra lace hole for a tighter heel fit or to butterfly lace the shoes.
The foam in the midsole has changed, along with the stack height. The Mach X 2 has 5mm more stack in the heel than the original version, which gives the women’s Mach X 2 a stack height of 38 mm in the heel and 33 mm in the forefoot, and the men’s 44 mm in the heel and 39 mm in the forefoot. This results in a 5mm heel-to-forefoot drop. Like all Hoka shoes, the low drop and rocker-shaped midsole are designed to reduce heel striking and promote more of a midfoot landing. This encourages better posture, making runners lighter on their feet and promoting the use of the hamstrings and glutes, which helps reduce wear and tear while improving speed.
The midsole features a soft Peba foam closest to your foot, providing a cushioned feel. Beneath this layer is a PEBA plate, which adds propulsion, stability, and durability by spreading the force throughout the midsole. Below the plate, a firmer EVA foam adds further stability and durability. The overall look and feel of the Mach X 2 are sleek and speedy rather than like a typical everyday training shoe. Despite the high stack height, the shoe doesn’t feel bulky.
Hoka shoes are similar in length to New Balance and Karhu. If you wear Brooks, Saucony, Altra, or Topo, I recommend trying a half size larger in Hoka to match the length. Hoka shoes also tend to run narrow. The Mach X 2 is available in two widths for both men and women. If you have wider feet and haven’t worn Hoka before, the wider option may be the best choice. The Mach X 2 has a straight big toe line, allowing for a strong push-off.
When I first laced up the Hoka Mach X 2, the fit felt snug. However, while walking, the midsole felt soft and squishy, which isn’t my usual preference as I tend to favor firmer shoes. A few hundred yards at a slow pace felt uncomfortable—very soft and unstable. But as I picked up the pace, the shoe transformed. At a steady running speed, I noticed the midsole’s bounce, and the rocker helped me pull my leg back, creating a smooth stride. My current steady run loop is about eight miles on undulating terrain, allowing me to test the Mach X 2 on uphill, downhill, and flat sections. Initially, I worried the soft midsole would struggle on hills, but the Mach X 2 performed better than expected. Instead of sinking into the midsole, I felt upright and able to run over the hills. On descents, the midsole’s compression was noticeable, but it didn’t slow me down, and the downhill miles were as fast as usual.
The combination of the soft midsole and the aggressive rocker made the Mach X 2 feel unstable at first. However, the secure fit from the woven upper and offset laces kept my foot from moving around. I didn’t slip forward on descents, and my feet stayed stable even on sharp corners at speed. The thick, soft midsole reduces ground feel, which made me cautious, particularly on wet tarmac, but I experienced no slipping as the rubber outsole provided solid grip. Over time, I’ve become more confident using the Mach X 2 for steady runs on undulating country roads. I’ve also tried them on slow recovery runs but found them too soft, and the rocker didn’t feel smooth. I would suggest the Mach X 2 is better suited for steady or faster runs.
Interestingly, after my steady runs, my legs felt less fatigued when using the Mach X 2 compared to other shoes. The heavy-legged feeling I usually get after long steady runs was absent, possibly due to the cushioning or the rocker improving my gait.
As we approach winter in the UK, it’s worth noting that the open weave of the upper may make the Hoka Mach X 2 a cold shoe for running in lower temperatures. Investing in warm winter running socks might be a good idea.
In summary, the Hoka Mach X 2 is a well-cushioned road running shoe designed to make running at pace that bit easier. It’s cushioned enough for regular use but I wouldn’t be doing slow jogs and recovery runs in it. More ‘comfy-and-quick’.
Other Considerations
Brooks Hyperion Max 2: A firmer and much more stable feel to the ride but, the midsole still has a nice bounce to it. They also have a plastic plate sandwiched within the midsole to add stability and spring. The Hyperion Max 2 feels more like a performance trainer where as the Hoka Mach X 2 feels like a performance shoe that you could also use for other slower runs. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-hyperion-max-2-review/
Altra Escalante 4: In the era of fancy foams and go faster plates, it’s easy to forget that racer/trainers used to be firm and responsive. The Escalante 4 has a broad rounded toe box and is zero drop. It is designed to allow your feet to function in the shoes and to encourage the runner to run with a more upright posture and midfoot landing. As the midsole is 22mm thick and there is no heel to catch the ground ahead of the midfoot I find that it is easy to run quick in the Escalante. What different is that your feet also get a workout and for this reason it can take a day or so longer to recover from a long steady run than it would in a shoe that has a soft midsole foam and a rocker that does some of the work. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-escalante-4-review
Karhu Fusion 4: I would describe these as a training shoe that can be used for faster runs due to the bouncy nitrogen infused foam. They are easy to run slowly in yet respond when you pick up the pace. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/karhu-fusion-4-review/
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4: The Rebel v4 is designed to be the road running shoe you can do everything in. They are softly cushioned but, not as soft as the Mach X 2 and these is no plate in the midsole. Like all shoes of this type they feel better at a steady pace and above as you then hit the rocker in the right place and the shoe rolls better. Like the Brooks Hyperion Max 2 these feel more stable than the Mach x 2 especially at slower paces. Available in two width men’s and two width women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/new-balance-fuelcell-rebel-v4-review/
Hoka Mach 6: The Mach 6 falls more inline with the Hyperion Max 2 and the New Balance Rebel. It has a soft bouncy foam but, feels stable at slower paces and although it does tend to urge you on a bit due to the rocker it doesn’t have quite the same urgency as the Mach x 2 and therefore feels more comfortable and stable at slower paces. This makes it a more versatile shoe and perhaps the better of the two Hoka shoes if you are wanting a shoe to use for all of your running. That is slow recovery runs, steady runs, intervals and long runs. The Hoka Mach 6 is available in two width men’s and two width women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-mach-6-review/
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