The Mach X was conceived to meet Hoka-sponsored athletes’ desires for a shoe that could boost their training. The shoe combines the signature comfort and support the Mach franchise is known for with a Pebax plate to provide a propulsive edge during hard workouts. The midsole foam, called ProflyX, is made from PEBA and EVA and replaces the Mach 5 and Mach Supersonic’s supercritical Profly+ material, giving the Hoka Mach X a bouncier ride.

Hoka Mach X

Mach X
$180 at hoka.com
Credit: Thomas Hengge
Pros
  • Hoka trail shoe
  • High energy return
  • Rocker geometry for smooth ride
  • Hoka One One Anacapa Low GTX
Cons
  • Runs a half size long
  • zapatillas de running HOKA ONE ONE entrenamiento pie normal talla 46

Key Specs

TypeNeutral Road
Weight9.1 oz (M), 7.5 oz (W)
Drop5 mm
Heel Height39 mm (M), 37 mm (W)
Forefoot Height34 mm (M), 32 mm (W)

Hoka took learnings from existing trainers, like the Carbon X, to design a blueprint of a plated workhorse shoe. “Wesley Kiptoo and Aliphine Tuliamuk have been the biggest advocates for the shoe, wearing it for almost all of their hard workouts and fast long runs, preferring to save HOKA ONE ONE reinvisions comfort and carbon-plate technology in the Carbon X 2 for race day,” said Ben Rosario, executive director of Hoka Northern Arizona Elite racing team. That didn’t stop our testers from racing in the Mach X.

“I raced a 5K in the Mach X right out of the box and loved the shoe’s rebound,” said RW deputy health & fitness editor Mallory Creveling. “It wasn’t very stable on the portions of gravel, but it helped me hit an average pace of 7:46 per mile.”

Others wished for higher energy return, finding the ride harsh and unresponsive. “I fault the multiple foams used in addition to the plate. Too many cooks in the kitchen,” said tester Jason Plageman, who preferred the simpler setup of the Mach 5.

hoka mach x
Thomas Hengge
The bottom of the Mach X exposes a portion of the responsive Pebax plate.

I didn’t mind the busier, less-conventional midsole of the Mach X, and felt energized. Trevor Raab, RW photographer, also found the shoe felt a bit snappier at speed than the rest of the Mach series. “The Pebax plate straddles the middle ground nicely between a non-plated midsole and carbon-fiber,” he said.

Training Shoe or Racing Shoe?

las últimas zapatillas de trail running que lanzó Hoka zapatillas de trekking HOKA ONE ONE suela vibram talla 42.5 hosted by Hoka. The run was sporadic with the usual starts and stops from metropolitan traffic. Luckily, my partner in crime Marnie Salup, podcast host of Marni On the Move, had mapped out a route where we’d hit the listed landmarks.

a pair of feet with green shoes
Amanda Furrer
HOKA Kaha Low GORE-TEX Chaussures pour Homme en Charcoal Gray Taille 45 1 3.
map
Marni Salup
The route we ran in Manhattan.

Adhering to stoplights and dodging tourists, the Mach X performed well on the city’s streets. It’s not for 800s on the track, but it’ll carry you through surges—or when the walking sign countdown is about to hit zero—during your workouts.

Zapatillas mujer HOKA Challenger ATR 6 Teal Garden ANCHO ESPECIAL? Esquire’s HOKA Women's Arahi 6 Shoes in Outer Space Bellwether Blue.

“I raced a 5K in the Mach X right out of the box and loved the shoe’s rebound.”

I first met Sintumuang when we were both testing Hoka’s Rocket X 2 as we raced the zapatillas de running HOKA ONE ONE mujer mixta ritmo medio talla 40.5 HOKA Tecton X Schuhe in Deep Teal Water Garden.

“I ran the marathon in HOKA ONE ONE reinvisions comfort and carbon-plate technology in the Carbon X 2, but in retrospect,” he said, “I might have been better off in the Mach X as it’s a bit roomier and more comfortable. The Rocket X 2 feels like a race weapon, where the Mach X feels more like something you could use everyday, in addition to racing.”

Because it was his first rodeo, Sintumuang figures the Mach X would have been more forgiving as he tackled the five boroughs in New York.

hoka mach x
Thomas Hengge
The heel has a high stack height (39mm for men, 37mm for women) to accommodate the Pebax plate and provide high rebound.

“I honestly don’t feel like I’m a fast or powerful enough runner to harness the power of a full-length carbon-fiber plate, so the Mach X feels like it’s more my thing. It’s something that’s plush and durable enough for everyday runs and races,” he said. “When I run with faster folks or do speed workouts, I put aside the Cliftons (my usual daily trainer), and put on the Mach X.”

HOKA ONE ONE Gaviota 4 Men's Running Shoes Black White California’s Big Sur Marathon, which takes place in April. He plans to race in a yet-to-be-released Hoka shoe.

Good for Easy Runs

One tester who wasn’t initially thrilled with the Mach X: RW’s director of test operations, Jeff Dengate.

hoka bondi 7 chaussures de route pour femmes en blackblack taille 41 13 1110519 bblc Runner’s World Shoe Awards issue, Dengate still isn’t wild about the Mach X. Still, he has found a way to fit it into his training.

hoka mach x
Thomas Hengge
Two types of foam in the midsole enhance durability.

“They feel flat and I struggle to get any kind of speed in them,” he said. “I love Pebax foam, but I think the carrier construction takes away a little of the magic. I’ve been wearing them for really easy jogs and like them better for that.”

The Mach X can work for any kind of workout, but it all depends on the runner. Maybe it’ll serve you as a marathon shoe, a mid-distance racer—like it did for Creveling—or as a trainer for easy efforts. You might just choose it for all three.

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Headshot of Amanda Furrer
Amanda Furrer
Test Editor

Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every stica since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.