Hoka One One Skyward X Introduction
The Hoka Bondi X by no means made a lot sense. It was a shoe constructed for gradual runs however it had a stiff carbon plate in its midsole- a working shoe paradox.
After I reviewed it, I didn’t use it once more. For gradual runs, I don’t want a carbon plate. There have been higher choices which had been lighter and extra environment friendly than the Bondi X.
Since then, Hoka has improved by leaps and bounds within the tremendous coach class. Final yr’s Hoka Mach X was one in every of my favorite plated trainers so far; tender, versatile and snappy.
The Skyward X is a model new tremendous coach that replaces the Bondi X. The Bondi X was a flop so it is sensible to rebrand it the Skyward X. It’s marketed as a really plush, smooth-riding coach for straightforward miles, in response to the Hoka web site. It’s a part of the brand new era of Hokas that function the premium PEBA foam within the midsole.
The Skyward X weighs 11.3 ounces (US 9) which is absolutely heavy for a coach today. It has a 48 mm heel stack peak, making it unlawful in World Athletics races and it prices $225, the worth of a (cheaper) long-distance tremendous shoe.
Hoka One One Skyward X First Impressions
My first run was a straightforward 10K. It was a way more pleasing trip than the Bondi X. The Skyward midsole had extra power return and it felt much less blocky.
It was fairly agency for a PEBA midsole however the EVA body made it really feel actually steady. The match was slender and I additionally needed to cease mid-run to regulate the lacing to enhance the heel lockdown.
What stunned me was how loud it sounded. Foot strikes had been virtually as loud because the Alphafly 3 as a result of giant cavity beneath it.
The shoe it jogged my memory of most was the Saucony Endorphin Shift (which has been discontinued). Each of them have firmish rides, tall midsoles and distinguished forefoot rockers. The Skyward was simply extra of all the things: extra cushioned, extra energetic and stiffer.
Hoka One One Skyward X Higher
The Skyward X has a very slender match which is typical of Hokas and it doesn’t are available in a large model sadly. It matches true to measurement and it’s greatest suited to slender, low-volume ft.
It’s a really built-up, plush higher which was designed with consolation in thoughts. It’s constituted of flat knit which is tender however not very breathable. There are each inside and exterior heel counters for optimum help and the heel counter flares away out of your leg in order to not irritate it. Heel lockdown is nice however I’ve to make use of a runner’s knot.
The tongue is vast and flippantly padded. It jogs my memory of the Nike Pegasus 38 tongue however it’s not gusseted. It doesn’t slide round in any respect throughout runs due to its vast wings.
Hoka One One Skyward X Sole Unit
The Skyward performs the most effective when doing the forms of runs that Hoka designed it for: the simplest of straightforward runs. It has an excellent stiff midsole although really easy runs don’t really feel pure and it doesn’t really feel such as you’re answerable for the shoe.
Once you decide up the tempo, it feels extra pure however its heavy weight makes it really feel cumbersome and sluggish so any sort of speedwork is out of the query. You are able to do brief, quick bursts however it’s exhausting to carry a quick tempo for prolonged intervals.
It’s not typically that you simply discover new carbon plate “innovation” in trainers. The Skyward X has a plate which has a bump in the midst of it, located within the midfoot.
The concept is that when the midfoot is loaded, the plate flattens and when launched, it propels you ahead. Hoka calls it a suspension system.
In actuality, I don’t really feel it. It might be that I’m not heavy sufficient (60 kg) so I’m not hanging the midsole exhausting sufficient however it may be that the midsole foam is simply too dense and it’s not compressing sufficient.
New Stability’s Vitality Arc is an analogous idea however it works significantly better as a result of their FuelCell foam is lots softer so you’ll be able to really feel the carbon plate flatten and spring again when loaded.
The Skyward’s midsole is dual-density. It has a layer of medium-soft PEBA foam instantly underneath the foot and a firmer EVA body beneath it for stability. It’s a deeply cushioned trip however it’s not a squishy-feeling trip such as you get within the Hoka Mach X and the Hoka Rocket X 2 which even have PEBA of their midsoles.
The issue with having an EVA body beneath is that it mutes the sensation of the PEBA on high of it so the whole PEBA expertise is diluted. It seems like the whole midsole is supercritical EVA.
The Skyward could be very stiff and structured so it seems like a contemporary stability coach; foot strikes at all times really feel very planted in it and it dictates the best way you strike. One of many negatives is that there’s no floor really feel so it doesn’t really feel very “partaking”. It feels such as you’re working on high of a shoe and never within it.
The longest run I did within the Skyward was 27 kilometres. It’s a superb future shoe, not an ideal one. The forefoot rocker is energy-saving however I favor a barely softer trip and a wider final which is extra comfy for lengthy distances.
In the direction of the tip of the run, my ft had swelled up and the bucket seat began to bother me.
The Skyward has the Hoka bucket seat midsole. In case you’ve ever run within the Clifton or Bondi, you’d have skilled the identical Hoka function. The bucket seat has raised edges designed to centre and help your ft however it may be troublesome for vast ft or flat arches. Within the Skyward, it solely annoys me throughout lengthy runs.
The outsole takes inspiration from the Bondi 8 however it has much more rubber protection on the outer lateral heel and the medial aspect of the forefoot.
Outsole sturdiness is average- on my pair, the piece of rubber on the lateral heel (the place I heel strike) is {smooth} however that’s regular for me. Grip is nice even on moist surfaces.
Hoka One One Skyward X Conclusions
The Skyward X doesn’t really feel as polished because the Cielo X1 or the Mach X.
I don’t suppose that it wants a carbon plate. Its midsole is thick sufficient to stop it from flexing so even with out the plate, the forefoot rocker would work. The plate makes it really feel awkward at very gradual paces.
I feel it fits heavier runners greater than gentle runners comparable to myself. I don’t really feel the convex plate at work once I load the midsole and the midsole feels a bit too agency for me for straightforward runs, which is what I can be utilizing it for.
I favor the Skyward X to the Bondi X as a result of it’s softer and has extra bounce however the negatives are that it’s heavier and it additionally prices much more than its predecessor.
At $225, I don’t suppose the Skyward is price its worth. There are less expensive choices which really feel extra pure and extra partaking: the ASICS GlideRide and Endorphin Shift 3 are examples.
The New Stability SC Coach v2 is comparable in that it additionally has a convex carbon plate however it has extra versatility resulting from its decrease weight and its extra energetic trip.
