This calendar year is one of reinvention for HOKA, the wildly-popular running brand whose cushioned sneakers have won the hearts of people around the world. Their latest invention is their biggest one to date: the gigantic Skyward X.
This behemoth of a supertrainer is the latest product to come out of HOKA’s year of reinvention. Instead of releasing new versions of their old shoes like every other brand this year (Alphafly 2 to 3/ Endorphin ¾, Brooks Hyperion 3 to 4) HOKA is going off the map to create new stuff. Earlier this year there was the Cielo X1 (video); and now there is this: the tallest, plushest training shoe they’ve ever created. HOKA has taken what makes them HOKA, and just cranked up the dial.
It’s not that HOKA has never created a massively-stacked, carbon-laden training shoe (see: the Bondi X) it’s just that they’ve never made one of this size. At a whopping 48mm, the Skyward X dwarfs most shoes in the game, save for the Adidas Prime X (which measures 50mm). A shoe this big comes with problems: it’s heavy and illegal in World Athletics-sanctioned races.
But there are also benefits to wearing this small-child sized shoe. We break it down below, to help you decide whether or not the Skyward X is worth your money.
The TL;DR – What You Need To Know:
8.4
MH RATING
Hoka, known for their stack and cushion, somehow made an even…stackier shoe.
- These shoes appeared to defy the laws of physics, as does an airplane: there was no way for such a heavy object to be THAT airborne.
- I would not recommend it as a racing shoe even in non-World Athletics sanctioned events (like your local Turkey Trot, for example) because there are much lighter options.
- They have more muscle than any other shoe I’ve seen and are a versatile super trainer.
- All of our shoe testers are died-in-the-wool, experienced runners with a broad experience of the sport. They’re typically running 30+ miles per week.
- We put each pair of shoes through a battery of tests: a typical review will involve several test runs on a variety of distances and terrains, designed to identify any snags or issues.
- We talk to experts in the shoe industry, attend expos and brand events, and gather advice and insights from other runners, to best understand the shoe and how it suits the end user: you, the runner.
- We document our testing and reviews over on our YouTube channel.
The Deets: Tech Specs For The HOKA Skyward X
- MSRP: $225 USD
- Release date: April 25
- Stack height: 48mm
- Weight: 11.3 oz (men’s size 10)
- Heel-to-toe drop: 5mm
The Pros:
Ultra-Cushioned: The two inches of foam underfoot allow for an unbelievably plush ride. Even the woman from The Princess and The Pea could not feel a pebble under these tires-for-feet.
Powerful spring mechanism: Two layers of foam, a convex carbon plate and a rock-forward profile make these big boys bounce.
Encourages midfoot strike: The shoes are so heavy that I expected them to rock me back onto my heels, but instead, they enabled a breezy midfoot to forward strike.
The Cons:
Heavy: You can’t really get around the fact that they measure a colossal 11.3 ounces, which makes them an absolute heavyweight in the shoe world.
Illegal: I wouldn’t recommend racing in a World Athletics-sanctioned race in such heavy shoes, but even if you wanted to, you can’t!
Expensive: Yes, the Skyward X is more than a simple training shoe, but at $225, it enters the super-shoe price range despite just being a super-trainer (more on this below).
Shop HOKA Skyward X on HOKA
HOKA Skyward X: First Impressions
When I see an unusual-looking sneaker like the Skyward X, I first have to figure out what it is. In the shoe landscape of today, there are trainers (classic sneakers for everyday easy runs), super-shoes (ultra-light and bouncy kicks for races) and then the supertrainer: a hybrid of the two that typically has a carbon plate and special foam, but a bit more weight to it than a pure racing shoe.
There is no doubt that the Skyward X is a supertrainer, but one so huge that it still had me confused. Could a sneaker the size of a small child actually be suitable for fast workouts? And gambling on the Skyward X is no small investment: $225 puts it in the pricey end of super-trainers, along with the ASICS Superblast ($225) and the New Balance SC Trainer ($180). Though, they are all a bargain compared to the aforementioned Adidas Prime X ($300 USD).
Had I not received a pair to test, I would have probably left the Skyward X on the shelf because I was not a huge fan of HOKA’s most recent creation, the Cielo X1. I am happy I didn’t; more on that later.
Here are the HOKA Skyward X’s Key Specs:
Convex carbon fiber plate: The Skyward X is the first HOKA shoe to include this type of tech; and I have not heard of it replicated anywhere else. The plate, instead of curling upwards, curls down in a suspension system that compresses and coils back with each stride.
Massive foam network: Directly underfoot is a chunk of superlight, energy-returning PEBA foam.
Super critical EVA rocker frame: Under the PEBA foam and the carbon plate is a wide base of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, made for a plush and responsive landing. The foam is molded into a shape that rocks you forward, which encourages a springy stride despite the shoe’s weight.
Flat knit upper with zonal engineering: The knit upper could be more breathable and light; but it is snug and chafe-free.
Deep Active Foot Frame: The foam is also shaped to cradle the heel and prevent side-to-side rolling, which is good because the shoe trends a bit wide.Fit: True to length, but tall. The laces, however, are infinitely better than those on the Cielo X1, and enable a tight fit.
Shop HOKA Skyward X on HOKA
Road Testing The HOKA Skyward X
The first time I put these on were in Boston, at the HOKA pop-up on marathon weekend. I was there to test out a Wahoo treadmill that was apparently fast enough to support a four minute mile (more on that in a later video). The biomechanist gave me a pair of Skyward Xs to test out the treadmill, and I felt like I was being punked: how on earth was I: a non four-minute miler, going to run faster than race pace in these monstrous shoes? In front of nearly one hundred shoppers?
I wish I could take full credit for what happened next, but some of it I owe to the Skyward X. I kept pace with the treadmill for a breezy minute. These shoes appeared to defy the laws of physics as does an airplane: there was no way for such a heavy object to be that airborne.
What I realized was that, also like an airplane, the Skyward X deploys a whole lot of upward force every time it hits the ground. My knock on HOKA, in the pre-Skyward days, was that they lacked that upward spring: they controlled and protected your landing, but offered little spring back. These are different: they have more muscle than most shoes I have ever worn.
Shop HOKA Skyward X on HOKA
HOKA Skyward X Review Takeaways
With all that said, is the Skyward X worth your time and money? It depends.
I would not recommend it as a racing shoe even in non-World Athletics sanctioned events (like your local Turkey Trot, for example) because there is much lighter out there. I also think it’s overkill as a daily trainer: you are better off buying something more basic and save yourself $100.
That being said, the Skyward X absolutely shines in two particular use cases. The first is for the buyer who wants just one pair of shoes for every single run; they may find this HOKA sneaker to do everything (from slow running to racing) pretty well.
The second is for someone who has decided to invest a chunk of money into a super trainer for workouts. If you’re OK with shelling out the cash and adding a presumably third pair of shoes to your roster (along with trainers and racing shoes), the Skyward X is tough to beat. Of course, that’s if you don’t mind the extra heft.
Shop HOKA Skyward X on HOKA
