HOKA Mach 6 vs HOKA Skyward X: Which HOKA Daily Trainer is Best?

Stack Height, Drop, Weight and Price

When it comes to stack height, the Skyward X is HOKA’s most-cushioned shoe to date. In fact, outside of the Adidas Prime X2 Strung, it’s about the biggest stack shoe going. It makes the Mach 6 look comparatively minimal.

In the men’s shoe, the HOKA Skyward X stack comes in at 48mm in the heel and 43mm in the forefoot for a 5mm drop. The HOKA Mach 6 packs 37mm and 32mm also for a 5mm drop.

The HOKA Skyward X weighs in at 11oz or 313g in a US Men’s size 9 – that’s as heavy as an ASICS Gel Nimbus 26. Meanwhile the Mach 6 is much lighter at 8.1oz or 230g.

When it comes to price, at launch the Mach 6 is significantly cheaper. A pretty reasonable $140 compared to the Skyward X’s super shoe price tag. At $225, the Skyward X is the latest daily trainer to break the $200 ceiling, joining the ASICS Superblast ($200) and the On Cloudmonster Hyper ($220) .

Design

The Skyward X’s whopping stack represents the major design difference but it’s not just about the serious volume of cushion underfoot. This new super trainer deploys super-shoe tech with a wedge of PEBA midsole foam, wrapped in a supercritical EVA frame to stabilise things and a bowed carbon fibre.

Meanwhile the HOKA Mach 6 swapped the ProFly+ foam midsole from the Mach 5 for a single layer of supercritical EVA with an early stage Metarocker. It’s a combination that HOKA says creates a more responsive ride. Notably there’s no plate here.

The Skyward X’s landing platform is also much wider in the heel and the forefoot than the Mach 6. In theory that should enhance the stability. In practice that’s not necessarily the case.

Overall the Skyward X puts much more shoe on the foot. It’s a considerably bulkier feel than the Mach 6 which now feels compact by comparison.

Up top, the Mach 6 has new creel jacquard mesh uppers that are light and breathable. There’s also a half gusseted, race-style flat lay tongue. The Skyward X has a flat knit upper with a more obvious overlay reinforcement on the toe box, along with bigger padded heel collars and tongues. The Skyward X’s plushness is right up there. The Mach 6 is more mid-level.

On the outsole, the Skyward X features a good covering of quite thick high abrasion rubber in all the key impact areas. For the Mach 6, HOKA ditched the flex grooves and replaced the exposed EVA foam ‘outsole’ that some found lacked durability in the Mach 5. There’s now a heavier duty rubber covering across a substantial portion of the outsole.

Fit

In testing, I ran in my regular HOKA running shoe size which is a US 9.5 and overall you’re getting quite a similar fit between these two shoes with that trademark HOKA snugness that can border on the tight. I had good heel hold and midfoot lockdown in both shoes with no troubling slipping or hotspots.

The HOKA Skyward X offers a little extra volume in the toe box, particularly across the top of the toes but it’s marginal. As ever with HOKA shoes, if you find them somewhat narrow, have wider feet or just prefer a roomier fit, I’d consider looking for a wide option or going half a size up.

Performance

In testing, I’ve logged more than 60 miles in the HOKA Mach 6 and north of 40 miles in the HOKA Skyward X.

In the Mach 6, I ran an all-out 10km race where I clocked a new PB, along with a good mix of marathon training sessions, from fast intervals and fartleks, to progression runs and slower, easier miles. In the Skyward X, I’ve included runs of around 90 minutes on feet, plenty of easier miles and some sessions mixing easy with faster segments to test the upper pace potential.

Most of my runs in both shoes have been on road with some hard packed river paths thrown in. I also did a side-by-side mile, with one shoe on each foot, to really tease out the differences.

I said it in my HOKA Mach 6 review - Mach 6 is a fun, light and lively, versatile do-it-all daily trainer that’s very good value for money. If you only want one shoe to cover a wide range of runs, this shoe can also take care of them all. There’s not much it can’t handle.

It definitely has a faster, shorter sweet spot but there’s just about enough softness and protection in the midsole to cradle you on slower efforts should you need it. It’s a kind of no-nonsense, reliable shoe with snug but disappearing comfort, that’s quite easy to choose for any run.

I found the HOKA Skyward X harder to pin down – a Jekyll and Hyde shoe that I’d love for half a mile, then battle for half a mile. It’s got this big, soft, easy cruiser thing going on but I often found it lacked the reliable stability you’d usually expect with those shoes.

With some strides I’d find the midsole had great energy, then others I’d find it soft and ponderous. I’ve seen people compare it to the similar stack and weight Prime X2 Strung but I don’t put it in the same category. It doesn’t feel as racy and overall it’s genrally too big and heavy to be a top choice for faster efforts.

However, if you like your ride really, really soft, the Skyward X is about the softest trampoline shoe I think I’ve ever run in. If you want a shoe that removes the road from the equation, you’ll love the way this feels underfoot.

If, like me, you prefer a snappier, more direct ride, the HOKA Mach 6 is definitely the better choice.

My Verdict

I have to caveat my verdict here. Because lots of shoe reviewers and runners seem to really love the ride of the HOKA Skyward X. They haven’t struggled as much as I have with the lack of stability and they’ve found the soft, cushioned spring works for them. But I found the ride somewhat inconsistent and a bit wild at times. The responsive rockered ride of the Mach 6 is much more reliable.

If I’m drawing a distinction I’d say that you control the HOKA Mach 6, the HOKA Skyward X sometimes controls you.

The Skyward X is on the heavy side for faster training efforts and that limits its overall daily training versatility. While the Mach 6 might not offer enough cushion for the longer hours on feet for some runners who want more softness.

The price is a big factor here, too. The surge towards $200 plus daily trainers is a worrying trend and the HOKA Mach 6 represents much better value.