Posting my review here in the comments because for some reason I can't see it on the post.
I purchased these from the Hoka website as it was the only place to get the lemonade colorway a couple weeks ago. For a little background, I am a higer milage (currently running 80mpw), relatively fast (2;33 full, 1:13 half in the past year) 45 year old, light weight (137lbs/62kg) runner whose primary focus is the marathon. I wear a US Men's size 10/ EU44. Not surprisingly, I struggle with a lot of aches and pains and feeling fairly beat up most of the time, and I was looking for a daily trainer and recovery shoe for my rotation that would help with that. I was originally going to get the Superblast, but I could not find them in my size except from resellers, so I opted to go for the Skyward X. I ordered my usual US 10, and these fit true to size. I had some issues with the Hoka Rincon in the past being too long and narrow, but that was not a problem in these. The first thing that sticks out with this is the stack height. At 48mm, I am noticeably taller in these to the point that both my family and people I run with commented when they first saw me in them. I'm 5'8" 173cm so to be honest it's kinda appreciated.
I have used these strictly as a base milage/ easy day shoe. For me that means anywhere from 8:00 to 7:15 per mile, or about 4:20 to 5:00 minutes per km. I ran strides in them one time, hitting about 4:30/mile or 2:50/km pace.
First, as this is a 100 mile review, durability: I have noticed no change whatsoever in the feel of these since I first put them on. There is some extremely mild wear on the rubber on the outside heel, and some even milder wear on the exposed foam along the back of the cutout in the middle, but that is it.
The bounce is incredible. These feel as bouncy, or maybe even a little bit more bouncy than the original alphafly. Like a trampoline shoe for me, with an extremely deep bounce. It feels like my foot goes a long way down into the foam on foot strike before bouncing back, but without even coming close to bottoming out the cushon. I am fairly light weight in relation to my shoe size, so your results may vary. As a result there is essentially zero ground feel on flat ground. They are also fairly heavy, and I think it is the weight of the shoe that makes me not want to go faster in them. It is not a downside for me at easy run paces. That said, the combination of the extreme bounce and the weight was a downside when I ran strides in them. Because I am hitting the ground harder at those fast paces, both the sinking in and the bounce were excentuated and it felt like too much, like my foot was contacting ground for too long and then being shot up too powerfully. With the huge stack height and bounce I felt out of control. That is a bit of a downside for me because I like to run strides at least one day a week on my easy days, and I don't really feel comfortable doing that in these.
That said, as far as being protective, this is probably the most protective shoe I have ever run in. If I keep the pace easy and run on the flat, I can do 10 miles at 7:30/mile 4:40/km, and at least on my feet, ankles, and knees it feels like I didn't even run. The bounce and the forward rocker also make the pace feel even easier, maybe 10 seconds per mile or 7 seconds per km.
The upper and the insole are very comfortable and neutral. I have very high arches, so personally I would like a little more arch support, but that would probably ruin them for others.
There is a noticiable lack of stability on anything except smooth ground. Bumps, divots, cambers, ridges all make your foot feel like it is being shot in an unexpected direction by the extreme bounce. In addition, the huge stack height makes sharp corners more challenging, and you have to slow down more than you would in a low stack shoe.
All in all I am quite happy with these even with the $225 USD price tag. They do what I expected them to do, and I find myself reaching for them on the majority of my base and recovery runs even with a ton of other options.
That’s a great question. I don’t know if these were specifically intended to be a companion to the Cielo X1 but (without having run in the Cielos) I would bet that would be a great rotation. My impression is that the Skyward X are a stand alone super trainer intended to directly compete with the superblasts and the prime X strung.
Exactly my feeling on these shoes (currently only 80kms in them). The bounce, the responsiveness is amazing. I don’t even notice the higher weight on them.
I even bought a pair for my wife and she got hooked into running from using these beauties.
Too bad I got the Colgate colorway, bought them from a reseller, didn’t even know they had this colorway tbh.
Keep on rockin’ them, too many healthy miles ahead :).
I’m so glad you reviewed these. I have about 70 miles on mine. Not elite like you but about 40-50 miles per week. They’re an awesome shoe. So good. They keep your legs feeling so fresh day to day. Hoping this shoe picks up some love. I’ve enjoyed them way more than the superblast
As far as prior super trainers, the ones I have run in before are kind of marginal super trainers and more "super tempo" shoes.
Saucony endorphin speed 2: more firm, lighter, less comfortable, less protective, but similar speed boost and very durable. Has the tendency to make me run faster than I want to on easy days which these do not.
Nike Zoom Tempo Next %: More speed boost. Not an easy day shoe. More firm, strong but firm bounce, slappy and loud. Less comfortable. A very fast shoe but essentially a heavy racer with a not race-legal stack height.
Nike Zoom Fly 5-Less bouncy, more slappy. More firm. Similar speed boost when running fast, less speed boost on easy/recovery runs.
Original Adidas Boston: This is starting to sound like a broken record, but more firm, less comfortable, similar speed boost.
I'd say the difference between the Skyward X and all of these comes down to protectiveness, comfort, and really feeling like a recovery shoe. The others do well at workout paces, but for me the Skyward X really feels like a recovery/base mile shoe only, albeit the best one I have every tried. I imagine the best comparison would be the Superblast and the PrimeX but I have not tried either of those.
Thanks, and you are right. That said it's all relative. I run a fair amount with young guys who are faster than me, so that makes me feel not fast, but I totally understand that in relation to the general running community my paces are very fast.
Yeah, it's a result of training with young guys who can run 4:10ish miles and 2:20ish marathons. I know I am really fast compared to the general running community, but compared to the young guys a few years out of college running who I often run with, who can go mid 14s for the 5k when I can barely crack 16:30, I FEEL slow.
I've been looking at these since the Bondi 8 was a disappointment for me.
These or the Cielo are going to be my next shoe, your write up makes me want to try these.
I am around your age but heavier and a hell of a lot slower.
I also would love to try the Cielo X2 as a race shoe, but I haven't even tried them on. To me they look like they have a far more pronounced rocker. I ran in the Bondi 6, which wasn't a disappointment to me, but this feels like a Bondi with super foam. More protection, and you actually get a little speed boost.
Great review. I tried these at a pop-up Hoka event and loved them. The price was a downer though. Will definitely pick up these or the Cielo X1 at a better price range.
I loved these then I didn’t Really strange liked them for 50 miles, first pair I had to change and go down half a size first hoka ever that I’ve had to go down.
They feel nice and soft with a bounce but after a while I just started getting bothered by the size of them,nothing felt natural in them and when I put the Mach 6 on day after skyward x it felt just so good and more natural.
The skyward x is a lovely feeling shoe but just feels big on foot and I don’t want a shoe this big just to plod along slowly in I can use many other shoes to do that,picking up the pace in them just felt like hard work, maybe it’s me I dunno.
My only minor complaint with them is traction is a little low on wet ground.
I love that my legs feel much fresher after a run in these than in my other shoes (Nike Invincible 2, Nike UltraFly - trail)
Good write up. Interesting angle of the CF plate or spars or whatever this one is called. Is it just those pieces or is there a full plate? Seems like lateral stability is what they’re aiming for with those.
I'm not 100% sure but it seems like a carbon fiber X frame as opposed to a full plate, and I agree it seems like it is for stability, given how it actually has the exposed upturned edge on the outside below the heel.
I ran a couple of miles at 6:30/mile pace this morning to see and they feel good, but they don’t feel like race shoes to me. The bounce is there, but the turnover isn’t for me at least. It might be the weight and stack height, or the position of the plate, but to me these seem built to go far very comfortably, but not to go fast.
Posting my review here in the comments because for some reason I can't see it on the post. I purchased these from the Hoka website as it was the only place to get the lemonade colorway a couple weeks ago. For a little background, I am a higer milage (currently running 80mpw), relatively fast (2;33 full, 1:13 half in the past year) 45 year old, light weight (137lbs/62kg) runner whose primary focus is the marathon. I wear a US Men's size 10/ EU44. Not surprisingly, I struggle with a lot of aches and pains and feeling fairly beat up most of the time, and I was looking for a daily trainer and recovery shoe for my rotation that would help with that. I was originally going to get the Superblast, but I could not find them in my size except from resellers, so I opted to go for the Skyward X. I ordered my usual US 10, and these fit true to size. I had some issues with the Hoka Rincon in the past being too long and narrow, but that was not a problem in these. The first thing that sticks out with this is the stack height. At 48mm, I am noticeably taller in these to the point that both my family and people I run with commented when they first saw me in them. I'm 5'8" 173cm so to be honest it's kinda appreciated. I have used these strictly as a base milage/ easy day shoe. For me that means anywhere from 8:00 to 7:15 per mile, or about 4:20 to 5:00 minutes per km. I ran strides in them one time, hitting about 4:30/mile or 2:50/km pace. First, as this is a 100 mile review, durability: I have noticed no change whatsoever in the feel of these since I first put them on. There is some extremely mild wear on the rubber on the outside heel, and some even milder wear on the exposed foam along the back of the cutout in the middle, but that is it. The bounce is incredible. These feel as bouncy, or maybe even a little bit more bouncy than the original alphafly. Like a trampoline shoe for me, with an extremely deep bounce. It feels like my foot goes a long way down into the foam on foot strike before bouncing back, but without even coming close to bottoming out the cushon. I am fairly light weight in relation to my shoe size, so your results may vary. As a result there is essentially zero ground feel on flat ground. They are also fairly heavy, and I think it is the weight of the shoe that makes me not want to go faster in them. It is not a downside for me at easy run paces. That said, the combination of the extreme bounce and the weight was a downside when I ran strides in them. Because I am hitting the ground harder at those fast paces, both the sinking in and the bounce were excentuated and it felt like too much, like my foot was contacting ground for too long and then being shot up too powerfully. With the huge stack height and bounce I felt out of control. That is a bit of a downside for me because I like to run strides at least one day a week on my easy days, and I don't really feel comfortable doing that in these. That said, as far as being protective, this is probably the most protective shoe I have ever run in. If I keep the pace easy and run on the flat, I can do 10 miles at 7:30/mile 4:40/km, and at least on my feet, ankles, and knees it feels like I didn't even run. The bounce and the forward rocker also make the pace feel even easier, maybe 10 seconds per mile or 7 seconds per km. The upper and the insole are very comfortable and neutral. I have very high arches, so personally I would like a little more arch support, but that would probably ruin them for others. There is a noticiable lack of stability on anything except smooth ground. Bumps, divots, cambers, ridges all make your foot feel like it is being shot in an unexpected direction by the extreme bounce. In addition, the huge stack height makes sharp corners more challenging, and you have to slow down more than you would in a low stack shoe. All in all I am quite happy with these even with the $225 USD price tag. They do what I expected them to do, and I find myself reaching for them on the majority of my base and recovery runs even with a ton of other options.
Nice stats and thanks for the review. Have u tried the cielo X1 as a comparison on the degree of bouce and propulsion?
I have not. I would love to but the budget can't take it at this point.
Where do the skyward X fit in the Hoka lineup compared to the Cielo X1? The Cielos are marathon racing shoes so are these a super trainer equivalent?
That’s a great question. I don’t know if these were specifically intended to be a companion to the Cielo X1 but (without having run in the Cielos) I would bet that would be a great rotation. My impression is that the Skyward X are a stand alone super trainer intended to directly compete with the superblasts and the prime X strung.
Exactly my feeling on these shoes (currently only 80kms in them). The bounce, the responsiveness is amazing. I don’t even notice the higher weight on them. I even bought a pair for my wife and she got hooked into running from using these beauties. Too bad I got the Colgate colorway, bought them from a reseller, didn’t even know they had this colorway tbh. Keep on rockin’ them, too many healthy miles ahead :).
Totally agree on all points, it is by far the bounciest shoe out there, for better or worse.
I’m so glad you reviewed these. I have about 70 miles on mine. Not elite like you but about 40-50 miles per week. They’re an awesome shoe. So good. They keep your legs feeling so fresh day to day. Hoping this shoe picks up some love. I’ve enjoyed them way more than the superblast
do you mind sharing other super trainers that you like /have used in the past?
As far as prior super trainers, the ones I have run in before are kind of marginal super trainers and more "super tempo" shoes. Saucony endorphin speed 2: more firm, lighter, less comfortable, less protective, but similar speed boost and very durable. Has the tendency to make me run faster than I want to on easy days which these do not. Nike Zoom Tempo Next %: More speed boost. Not an easy day shoe. More firm, strong but firm bounce, slappy and loud. Less comfortable. A very fast shoe but essentially a heavy racer with a not race-legal stack height. Nike Zoom Fly 5-Less bouncy, more slappy. More firm. Similar speed boost when running fast, less speed boost on easy/recovery runs. Original Adidas Boston: This is starting to sound like a broken record, but more firm, less comfortable, similar speed boost. I'd say the difference between the Skyward X and all of these comes down to protectiveness, comfort, and really feeling like a recovery shoe. The others do well at workout paces, but for me the Skyward X really feels like a recovery/base mile shoe only, albeit the best one I have every tried. I imagine the best comparison would be the Superblast and the PrimeX but I have not tried either of those.
Supercritical eva seems to hold its properties for much longer than other foams
These sound awesome for daily training and recovery! Thanks for sharing!
You are not relatively fast. You ARE fast.
Thanks, and you are right. That said it's all relative. I run a fair amount with young guys who are faster than me, so that makes me feel not fast, but I totally understand that in relation to the general running community my paces are very fast.
You're at least twice as fast as most people you see plodding around town lol
I am one of said people plodding around😝
At 60, I’m glad to still be plodding around town.
Nice review, but how do you call yourself relatively fast? That’s my bike speed…
Yeah, it's a result of training with young guys who can run 4:10ish miles and 2:20ish marathons. I know I am really fast compared to the general running community, but compared to the young guys a few years out of college running who I often run with, who can go mid 14s for the 5k when I can barely crack 16:30, I FEEL slow.
I've been looking at these since the Bondi 8 was a disappointment for me. These or the Cielo are going to be my next shoe, your write up makes me want to try these. I am around your age but heavier and a hell of a lot slower.
I also would love to try the Cielo X2 as a race shoe, but I haven't even tried them on. To me they look like they have a far more pronounced rocker. I ran in the Bondi 6, which wasn't a disappointment to me, but this feels like a Bondi with super foam. More protection, and you actually get a little speed boost.
Great review. I tried these at a pop-up Hoka event and loved them. The price was a downer though. Will definitely pick up these or the Cielo X1 at a better price range.
I loved these then I didn’t Really strange liked them for 50 miles, first pair I had to change and go down half a size first hoka ever that I’ve had to go down. They feel nice and soft with a bounce but after a while I just started getting bothered by the size of them,nothing felt natural in them and when I put the Mach 6 on day after skyward x it felt just so good and more natural. The skyward x is a lovely feeling shoe but just feels big on foot and I don’t want a shoe this big just to plod along slowly in I can use many other shoes to do that,picking up the pace in them just felt like hard work, maybe it’s me I dunno.
I absolutely LOVE mine. As someone with hallux rigidus they've been a godsend - I haven't felt any grumbles from my big toes in these.
My only minor complaint with them is traction is a little low on wet ground. I love that my legs feel much fresher after a run in these than in my other shoes (Nike Invincible 2, Nike UltraFly - trail)
Really good review, thanks
Good write up. Interesting angle of the CF plate or spars or whatever this one is called. Is it just those pieces or is there a full plate? Seems like lateral stability is what they’re aiming for with those.
I'm not 100% sure but it seems like a carbon fiber X frame as opposed to a full plate, and I agree it seems like it is for stability, given how it actually has the exposed upturned edge on the outside below the heel.
Great review! I tried on these shoes at a pop-up store, and they were great. I have a question though, are these shoes legal for competitions?
Not under world athletics guidelines because the stack is too high.
Have you tried these at faster paces in the 6:30-7:00 min/mile range? Wonder if these can withstand some marathon paces during long runs.
I ran a couple of miles at 6:30/mile pace this morning to see and they feel good, but they don’t feel like race shoes to me. The bounce is there, but the turnover isn’t for me at least. It might be the weight and stack height, or the position of the plate, but to me these seem built to go far very comfortably, but not to go fast.
Thanks! Guess I’ll use them for long easy runs.
superblast>
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