HOKA Carbon X 3 looks fast – and is fast! With a carbon plate, ProFlyX foam, and a metarocker propelling you forward, it's easy to be convinced to go for a tempo run. This is where the shoe excels; on long intervals, tempo runs, fartlek, and races from 5 km up to half marathon. For shorter intervals, the shoe feels too heavy and soft for my taste. But that's okay – as long as you know what it's for.
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HOKA Carbon X 3 – Innovative placement
Like many other running brands, has entered the scene with . Unlike many others, has chosen with to place the carbon plate at the bottom of the midsole. The idea is to get both the effect of the carbon plate and the extra comfort since the midsole isn't "interrupted" by a hard plate.
It works – to some extent. You can tell you're wearing a carbon shoe. You feel the firmness and responsiveness when your foot hits the ground. You get the comfort of the soft ProFlyX foam, and you can indeed pick up good speed in the shoe. However, it's a bit too soft for my taste, leading to some instability when pushing hard. This isn't an issue if you're maintaining a steady pace over a longer distance.
Knit upper
The upper on is different from the Carbon X 2. has opted for a knit upper to optimize the shoe's fit. Opinions have been divided, so I was curious about how I'd experience this change.
I must say, I really like it. Both the look, feel, and fit. It just looks great with a knit upper, and the choice of two colors gives HOKA Carbon X 3 a cool look. The only downside to the knit upper is it may stretch slightly if not properly tightened. But if you do, there are no problems.
HOKA Carbon X 3 – Comfortable carbon shoe
is a fast shoe and also comfortable. These two components mean I would choose these shoes for a session where I need to run slow for warm-up or between intervals but also need to push hard. I thus enjoy both the fast characteristics and comfort.
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