The Hoka Mach X2 is an entirely new shoe and in our opinion, that’s a very good thing. Let’s talk about how this speed trainer has changed and how it compares to other similar shoes.
When the first Mach X was released, we were excited to find out what the shoe had to offer…and it fell flat. Very, very flat, like where was the pop, the speed…anything?
I know that’s debatable because some of you loved it. But the higher price tag for us felt unwarranted in a shoe that had a plate, but actually felt less speedy than it’s fabulous Hoka Mach counterpart.
The design team at Hoka heard this concern a lot and clearly took it to heart with a full overhauled Mach X2.
As always, note that we’re super honest in our gear reviews about what works, doesn’t work and of course Coach Amanda has preferences in shoes after 20+ years running and testing hundreds! So take what seems most valuable to you from here and decide if it’s a shoe worth adding to your rotation.
Without further ado, let’s talk more about this plated training shoe.
And if you want more comparisons, checkout my complete list of best HOKA running shoes to compare them all.
Hoka Mach X2 Review
Stepping in to the Hoka Mach X2 is a whole new experience. The Mach 6 is one of the lightweight training shoes we recommend for many as either a daily trainer or nice shoe on a pick up day without a plate.
The Mach X2 now gives you that immediate feel of the bouncy foam we’ve come to expect in shoes with more tech.
Here you’ll find a winged Pebax plate, not a carbon plate which helps it to maintain a lighter weight feel, but keeps it on the super trainer side of things rather than their fastest racing shoe, the Hoka Cielo X1.
The Pebax plate is actually plastic and the same material as the Pebax midsole giving it that great bouncy feel, it’s just been compressed to create this stiffer surface. Is it better or worse than a carbon plate?? No one really knows yet, but we do know that it’s lighter and the combination of the plate with the foam helps with that energy return and forward propulsion (aided by the rocker geometry).
The idea of super shoes with a plate and PEBAX foam is to help improve recovery and reduce injuries. The jury is still out on if this works, but a lot of us have jumped on board because the shoes feel good and that alone we know is hugely valuable.
As noted, the Mach X 2 shares a lot of qualities with it’s much pricier cousin the Cielo X1 (which is a seriously fun race day shoe). Besides the rocker, they also overhauled the upper which is a now a woven mesh, instead of the standard cushioned breathable upper you see in most daily trainers.
This daily trainer is great for anything from a 5K workout to a marathon for most of the pack. Runners aiming for faster than a 3:30 might prefer the Cielo and those over a 5 hour might find some serious love for the Skyward X, but this shoe is going to cover a lot of ground from training to racing.
The original Mach feature a lightweight SCF EVA foam midsole that provides a quick, lively feel. The Mach X2 has a layer of this at the bottom with a layer of the Pebax foam above the plate. This sandwiching model is how they’re getting the cushion that feels bouncy, but not so soft that you’re sinking in or losing energy.
Unfortunately, I have one serious drawback to this shoe which is the collar. I hated it in the Carbon X, found it even worse in the Rocket X and now here it is again. I’ll dive more in to this in fit because for some of you a non-issue and for others, a non-starter.
Specifications
Let’s look at some of the details:
- Neutral Super Trainer
- Plated Moderate to Max Cushion
- 8 mm drop (44 mm stack on men’s)
- 8 oz women’s, 9.2 oz men’s
- Available in 2 colors
- Wide in some colors
- $190
- See all HOKA Mach X 2 available now
Style wise, this Hoka looks like a speed shoe! It’s fun and the colors are so much better than some of the other models (I’ve always been honest about liking a more streamlined color palette).
Fit
I’ve always said Hoka seems like a very average fit in terms of width, it’s not narrow like a Nike and not a wide fit either. It feels like a great width that should work for a lot of people and good room in the toebox.
Because this has been redesigned to be a faster shoe, they’ve dropped the padded tongue and heel collar. On the tongue, it’s a find move with it being gusseted (attached), so you don’t have to worry about it moving around. The tongue is also pretty short, so hopefully no issues with it digging in to your ankle.
The heel collar is just, yuck. Earlier I noted it was similar to some previous models that left my heel filled with blisters. The first run, I did laps around my car for 2 miles because I was so afraid of the same result. It did not feel great.
However, after that I headed out for another 8 miles and finished with no issues and noticed it less as I ran. That being said, I’m still afraid every single time I put them on that there will be an issue. And let’s be honest, the shoe you are afraid to use doesn’t become a go to.
Many of you LOVED the Rocket X2, so just know that my heel distaste is not universal. Obviously they’re trying to find ways to cut weight every where they can, which is includes cut outs in the sole and all the padding from the heel collar.
While they’re also listed as a neutral shoe, I was thrilled to see my foot didn’t drop in one bit when I put them on which is common in other shoes. Another example of how their shoes have some natural support due to the bigger platform.
- True to size
- Not a wide shoe, but slightly wider than some brands
- Stack height not as high as say the Skyflow, but not a minimal shoe either
- Decent room in the toebox (certainly not as much as an Altra)
Outsole
The outsole rubber is placed on the forefoot and lateral sides of the heel, which they call “zonal” placement. Again the brand is looking to cut weight by not placing it across the entire bottom. I didn’t notice any issues with slipping or sliding, but it’s summer and I haven’t taken these out in a crazy variety of conditions.
I’d say similar to many of the other super trainers, I won’t lean on them for rainy days or when I’m concerned it could in any way be slick out.
The outsole has some big cutouts from the foam for reducing weight and generally I never notice this. But I do wonder about rocks in this particular instance because it’s reminiscent of the areas where I used to find them stuck in older On Cloudflyer shoes.
Feel
Up front, we mentioned this shoe has bounce and that’s just fun. Where the original Mach X just felt like a heavier Mach, this shoe is closer to something like a Saucony Endorphin Pro 4. Not as fast because the X2 could indeed simply be a daily trainer, but it shares that bounce and speedier feel.
The rocker isn’t as noticeable as say the brand new New Balance Balos, where you can see it with the shoe simply sitting and feel it in every step. Yet, the rocker is certainly there helping you with that transition to the forefoot and hopefully getting you to power off those toes.
We like that this shoe feels good at easy paces, not too much road feel, not overly heavy and has some pop when you want to pick up the pace as well.
It’s not the fastest shoe out there and it isn’t meant to be, but it is a really versatile shoe that 100% is designed for the middle of the pack runner to enjoy (and maybe not feel like you need the $100 more carbon plate).
Mach 6 Vs Mach X 2
As noted with the original Mach X, I would have said up and down just use the Mach, now…well I can make a case for enjoying both shoes. While we found the Mach 5 to feel speedier than it’s current 6 version, it’s still a great lightweight trainer that can transition from easy miles to tempo work.
So which do you need?
- Mach 6 is a lower stack height due to less foam
- Mach 6 is quite a bit lighter! Due to not having a plate.
- X2 feels like the bouncier shoe for speed work
- X2 has the thinner upper that feels like a race shoe
- Mach 6 has the lightly padded heel collar that comes up higher on the foot
- Width feels the same in both
- Both could serve a variety of run needs based on your goals
Who Will Like the Hoka Mach X2?
If they could fix the heel collar, I’d say a rousing just about any runner. I think folks who are looking for a shoe that can do a lot to save on buying a wide variety will see benefits here.
You can absolutely race in it. You can put in long miles. You can put in easy miles.
- Runners seeking that super fast feel are going to opt for something more like the Vaporfly or the Cielo
- Back of the pack runners or those seeking a recovery run shoe with a plate, please do check out the Skyward X…I love that shoe so much.
- If you’ve found that a plate does indeed help your recovery, this is going to be a win.
I would say in terms of similar shoes, maybe the On Cloudmonster Hyper and the Saucony Kinvara Pro.
Sustainability
A new section we’re trying to add in to many reviews is how the brand is helping with sustainability in that shoe. A lot of times the answer is nothing, but here we have some good news!
That Pebax plate is actually 65% bio based content, like castor beans!
In fact, over 99% of their shoes utilize some form of recycled materials. I would like to see each shoe start to talk more about this because I believe it’s something each brand can help push each other on to keep us all enjoying our fresh air and trails.
They’ve committed to some big changes by 2030 for reduction in water and so much more, let’s cheer them on!
All right, I hope this Hoka Mach X2 review helped you with making an informed shoe choice!!
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