Test: HOKA Rocket X 2 - HOKA boosts the speed

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HOKA revolutionized the running shoe market when they launched their first editions of Bondi and Clifton in the early 2010s. Since then, they've mainly been known for making ultra-comfortable training and trail shoes. They've struggled to crack the code to make a fast competition shoe .

Sure, they tried with their Rocket X and their Carbon X2 and Carbon X3 which also had quite a few fans. But none of the shoes really broke through to the top among the fastest shoes on the market.

Now the code is cracked, and HOKA has with Rocket X2 a shoe that can truly mix among the absolute fastest shoes.

Nothing special. Just really fast

Unlike super shoes from other brands there isn't a wild feeling when you step in the shoes. Not a crazy rocker that makes you feel like you're tipping forward, or side cutouts in the midsole making it feel weird to walk in the shoe. No, HOKA Rocket X2 just feels really comfortable. The fit is great, and there's finally a super shoe with room to move your toes a bit.

You might already know the recipe for HOKA Rocket X2, because it resembles all the other super shoes. It's lots of Peba foam and a carbon plate in the midsole. Boom, you get pushed forward. It's a recipe we've seen work many times, so it's quite sensible that HOKA made a shoe with the same ingredients.

However, there are some differences, and these are differences many Hoka fans will appreciate. For Rocket X2 is, like most other Hoka shoes, made with a 5mm drop, rarely seen in a super shoe. And there's a so-called Internal mid-foot cage that keeps your foot secure in the shoe, giving you that classic secure Hoka fit.

Speaking of fit, it's not 100% classic HOKA. I think there's a bit more room in the forefoot than in other HOKA shoes, and certainly more room than nearly all super shoes I've tried, so here too Rocket X2 differs from other fast shoes on the market.

Is HOKA Rocket X2 the fastest super shoe?

There are now many very sensible super shoes on the market, and the difference between the various top shoes is probably more about personal preference than about differences in performance.

If I were to run a marathon this weekend, I think I'd actually run it in HOKA Rocket X2.

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