Hoka Mach X Review
Ready for launch day, we have our Hoka Mach X review. The Hoka Mach X is a daily training shoe designed to give a good level of extra propulsion over the typical everyday running shoe. In effect they’re offering a stable cushioned ride with the ability to easily run quickly in the shoes.
Running shoes we call ‘super shoes’ are race day shoes designed to give the maximum level of propulsion. They do a lot of the work that your feet, ankles and lower legs would normally do. Although there is a learning element due to the improved posture that these shoes help you run with, if you run in them regularly then your feet, ankles and lower legs will get weaker. This is more likely to lead to injury and/or you end up running slower, both back in your non-carbon shoes and even the carbon ones as the natural spring from your feet and legs is diminished.
For this reason, brands have developed shoes that allow you run with the same improved posture that a ‘super shoe’ would give you but still give your feet, ankles and lower legs enough stimulus to function.
Along with the Hoka Mach 5 the Hoka Mach x is one of those shoes that can be used daily but offers even more propulsion. The Hoka Mach 5 was built on the lines of the classic racer/trainer. The rocker or curve to the midsole is the same as Hoka use in their carbon plated race shoe the Carbon X. It means that you could train in the same posture and therefore strengthening the same muscles that you would use in the Carbon X but as the Mach 5 doesn’t have a carbon plate it allows your feet to function more within the shoes. You still develop stronger feet, ankles and lower legs that will help you run further and faster as they get better trained. The Mach 5 is quite a lightweight nimble feeling shoe. If you like shoes that have more ground feel you can use them as an everyday training shoe, as well as for your faster runs.
The Hoka Mach X offers a much higher cushioning level. If you like your shoes to have a plush, softer ride and offers a high level of propulsion then the Mach X is likely to be a better option than the Mach 5.
The Hoka Mach X has a stack height of 39mm in the heel and 34mm in the forefoot. The Mach 5 is 29mm/24mm and Clifton 9 32mm/27mm. All three shoes have a 5mm heel to forefoot drop to promote a more midfoot landing. The feel of the Mach X is more like a Clifton with an active propulsion element than a Mach 5 with more propulsion. That’s due to the softness of the cushioning and the higher stack height.
The midsole of the Mach X is made of two parts. The base (green) is an EVA foam, which is like the foam that Hoka use in all their training shoes. Above it (white) is a Peba foam. This is the very bouncy and highly resilient foam that they use in their Rocket X 2. Between the two layers of foam is a Pebax propulsion plate. This is very flexible but offers spring and stiffness. The propulsion comes partly from the quick rebound of the Peba foam and partly from the Pebax plate. When you land the plate is flexed. As the rocker (curve of the midsole) rolls you through the gait cycle the Pebax plate reshapes and gives you a push. This gives you a longer stride length (time you spend in the air from push off to landing), that means that you go further with each push off. If you maintain the same cadence, you will go faster for the same amount of effort. The rocker or curve of the midsole is designed to promote a faster cadence but keeping your foot moving through the gait cycle. This stimulates your glutes and hamstrings to function more effectively and promoted that more efficient upright posture. This makes you lighter on your feet and saves energy.
How much faster you will run in a Hoka Mach X than an everyday training shoe like the Hoka Clifton 9 will vary from person to person. I found that on an easy run with a similar heart rate I ran about 10 seconds a mile quicker in the Mach X then I was doing in the Clifton 9. At quicker speeds the difference will be slightly more as the soft cushioning of the Clifton 9 means that you don’t get a lot back from the shoe. Whereas the Mach X really comes to life and urges you on when you start to run faster and put more force through the shoes.
Although the cushioning of the Mach X isn’t as soft as the Clifton 9, it is still possible to do slower recovery runs in the shoes. This isn’t as easy to do in the Mach 5. The increased ground feel and firmer midsole encourage you to push on.
The Hoka Mach X doesn’t feel like a plated shoe. Running shoes with Carbon or Pebax plates in them often feel like they control your gait due to the stiffness of the plate through the midfoot. Your foot hits the floor and the shoes take over. The Mach X is a bit stiffer than a Mach 5 or a Clifton 9 but, not in a controlling way. This makes the Mach X a comfortable pair of shoes to wear for a long time. Ideal for long runs. Especially if you plan to do a few pick ups in the middle of the run or run faster towards the end of the run.
The fit of the Mach X on my feet is the best that I have experienced from a Hoka shoe. This doesn’t mean that it is going to be a great fit for everyone as we all have different shaped feet, but the more locked in feel at the heel and through the midfoot with some space in the forefoot will feel good to a lot of runners. It is the extra element that makes the Mach X feel like a shoe really designed to run quickly in. You lace it up and it feels more like a speed shoe.
The very breathable upper uses a lot of the same materials as the Clifton 9. The heel cup is stiff to hold the foot onto the midsole, so you gain full benefit of the Pebax plate and Peba foam. The padding around the heel cup is light but still very comfortable. The tongue is very thin and gusseted to prevent it from moving with a light piece of padding in the centre. It’s at the highest point of the foot, which removes and feeling that you might get from the laces. There is also a soft felt at the end of the tongue that’s in contact with your ankle that prevents chafing that can happen with thin tongues. The laces are flat and grippy, designed not to come untied in the middle of a run.
It is quite hilly where I live and the problem with really soft cushioned shoes is that they are difficult to run up hill in. The Clifton 9 was a great improvement on previous versions, so I find these OK but the stiffness and firmer foam in the Mach X allows me to run easily up the hills during recovery runs.
The outsole has a good rubber covering. It’s designed to be durable so you can get a good number of miles out of them, as it’s a training shoe rather than a purely race day shoe. I did find that the outsole was a bit slippery in extremely wet conditions on smooth tarmac after a torrential downpour. These are very extreme conditions, and I haven’t had issues on better roads in less wet conditions. The traction on disused railway lines or cinder tracks is fine too.
The Mach X weighs in at 267g for a men’s UK9. It’s light for a training shoe but heavier for a racing shoe. The sizing is the same as other Hoka shoes that I have tried. I use a UK11.5 in Hoka, which is the same size as I would use in Karhu, New Balance or La Sportiva. I would be a UK11 in Brooks, Scarpa or NNormal.
In summary if you want a shoe that will do everything from recovery runs to races then these are a great option. If you have several shoes in a rotation already then the Mach X would be great for fartlek, threshold, steady runs, long runs (particularly if you want to pick the pace up at any point). The stack height is a bit high for the quickest intervals and recovery runs are obviously best done in shoes that don’t encourage you to run too quickly, but the Mach X can do everything and very comfortably with the fit and feet they offer.
Other Considerations
Topo Specter: A broad rounded toe box allows more foot function and room for wider feet. The Specter uses a Pebax foam not a plate which allows for more foot function. Here is a link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-specter-review/
Hoka Mach 5: More ground feel. Not quite the same propulsion. Available in two widths. Here is a link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-mach-5-review/
New Balance Propel v4: Narrower fit. Less cushioning. Doesn’t feel as plush but, has some spring. https://www.northernrunner.com/search/fuelcell-propel
Scott Pursuit Ride: Relies on a rocker and good foam to give propulsion. Quicker than you would expect. Here is a link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scott-pursuit-ride-review/
Altra Escalante: Broad rounded toe box. Zero drop allows a more natural ride and promotes a quick cadence. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-escalante-3-review/
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