HOKA Mach X2 vs Mach 6 – Do You Need the X Factor?

Stack Height, Drop, Weight and Price

In the men’s shoe, the HOKA Mach 6 stack height packs 37mm in the heel and 32mm in the forefoot. The women’s shoe stack sits at 35mm / 30mm. Meanwhile the HOKA Mach X2 now has an increased 38mm / 33mm stack in the women’s and 44mm / 39mm in the men’s. Both shoes have a 5mm drop.

The Mach 6 is the lighter shoe, tipping the scales at 8.1oz in a US men’s 9 test shoe. The HOKA Mach X2 weighs in at 8.7oz.

Price-wise the Mach X2 is one of the more expensive super trainers, landing at $190. The Mach 6 will set you back a more wallet-friendly $140.

Design

When it comes to design, there’s now much more distinction between the HOKA Mach X2 and the Mach 6 than we saw with the previous two generations.

The HOKA Mach 6 midsole now packs a single layer of rockered supercritical EVA that HOKA says creates a more responsive ride. While The Mach X2 has a three-part, dual-foam midsole with a thicker layer of PEBA foam sitting on top of a new winged plate with a layer of supercritical EVA underneath that.

The Mach X2 geometry now echoes the racier HOKA Cielo X with a bigger stack and a more aggressive early stage rocker for snappier toe offs and a springier, punchier, pacier ride.

Up top the Mach 6’s new creel jacquard mesh uppers provide marginally more structure than the Mach X2’s racier woven uppers. Both shoes have flat-wrapping gusseted tongues. The Mach 6’s medium padded heel collars have quite a rigid heel counter and a more trad ‘daily trainer’ vibe compared to the racier heel package on the Mach X2. The minimal carbon racer-style heel collars strip things back to a couple of small side pads and a very flexible heel counter insert.

Flip them over, and the Mach 6 has a larger covering of outsole rubber compared to the more strategic protection on the Mach X2. Though that doesn’t seem to leave any worrying sections of exposed foam. The Mach X2 also has a couple of big central cutouts to save weight.

Fit

The fit of both shoes is snug and secure. If you’ve run in HOKA shoes before you’ll know the drill. Though the Mach X2 is notably tighter and less roomy. The new woven uppers are light and airy enough but there’s not much wiggle room at all.

I’m not 100% in love with the overall feel of the Mach X2 on the foot. It’s not uncomfortable but it doesn’t quite disappear. It comes in a little tight and snug. At times I felt a numbness in my feet from everything being a bit too cramped. That may well be fixed by going up half a size or opting for a wide fit but in my regular size, the fit was somewhat snug. Race-fit if you’re being generous.

The Mach 6 affords a little more space with just about enough wiggle room across the top of the toes into the toe box.

On the plus side, the locked-in feel of both shoes, means you get a secure hold in the heels and across the midfoot. There’s no danger of slipping off the midsole.

If you like things dialled in, you can probably get away with going true to size in both shoes. But if you want more room, it’s worth considering shifting up half a size or looking at the wide options.

Check Out My 8 Best HOKA Shoes Here

Performance

In testing, I’ve run north of 50 miles in the HOKA Mach 6 with a good mix of marathon training sessions, from fast intervals and fartleks, to progression runs and slower, easier miles. Plus an all-out 10km race where I clocked a new PB.

I’ve clocked around 30 miles in the HOKA Mach X2, including progression runs moving from easy up to half marathon pace, some shorter runs with intervals at 5km pace and the odd slower run, too.

I’ve done most of my miles on the road but some on light offroad river paths.

These are both great shoes. The HOKA Mach 6 is fun, light and lively. A good-value, versatile, do-it-all daily trainer that can cover a wide range of runs. The HOKA Mach X2 is a big step up from the previous Mach X. The higher stack and tweaked plate add punch to the midsole ride and there’s a more pronounced race-ready performance versus the Mach 6.

If I had to differentiate the two, I’d say the Mach 6 is stiffer and more responsive while the Mach X2 is springier and more energetic. The Mach X2 rocker feels more aggressive and you can feel the plate engaging, working with that dual-foam midsole to provide a highly energetic ride. The Mach 6 is certainly no slouch but there’s a marked difference here now.

The Mach 6 is hands down the more comfortable shoe wiht more inherent stability. While the Mach X2 is notably racier.

My Verdict

HOKA has made two good versatile daily trainers here and while there’s still crossover in the types of run the Mach 6 and Mach X2 cater for, there’s also quite a clear difference in what they do best.

The Mach 6 is better for your slower range miles but has a snappy, lightweight response that can cope with uptempo runs as well.

The Mach X2 is undoubtedly built for speed and excels at shorter, faster efforts. I’d argue that the Mach X2 is as lively as some of the older generation carbon race shoes and that gives it fast training and all-out racing credentials.

However, unless you get on with the snug race fit, I’d argue there’s a half marathon sweet spot – more down to the comfort than the ride. That big midsole stack offers protection, too which is good for long hauling but the tight fit might not be so accommodating.

With the past generations the choice was definitely an either/or but now there’s arguably room for the HOKA Mach 6 and the HOKA Mach X2 in your rotation. If I had to choose one shoe, the Mach X2 shades it. It’s one of the best shoes I’ve tested this year and definitely puts the super in super trainer.