HOKA Skyward X vs HOKA Mach X: Which Daily Trainer Has the X Factor?

Stack Height, Drop, Weight and Price

The HOKA Skyward X midsole comes in at a whopping 48mm in the heel and 43mm in the forefoot for a 5mm drop. The HOKA Mach X stack height has a more conservative 39mm in the heel and 34mm in the forefoot, also for a 5mm drop.

When it comes to weight, in our US men’s size 9 test shoe, the Mach X tips the scales at 9.1oz. While the HOKA Skyward X weighs in at a heftier 11oz.

Pricewise, you’ll pay $180 in the US, for the HOKA Mach X. The HOKA Skyward X packs an eye-watering super shoe price tag. At $225 it’s up there with the ASICS Superblast ($200) and the On Cloudmonster Hyper ($220) above the $200 threshold for daily trainers.

Design

HOKA’s new Skyward X super trainer is big, bold with super-shoe tech. It aims to provide comfort and effort-reduction in an everyday shoe. The midsole combines a wedge of PEBA foam and a bowed carbon fibre plate for cushioned energy, that’s wrapped in a supercritical EVA frame to add stability.

The more compact HOKA Mach X features a ProflyX midsole that sandwiches a Pebax plate between a layer of highly-resilient PEBA foam and a layer of EVA foam. There’s also an early stage metarocker for smooth transitions.

Up top, the HOKA Skyward X has a flat knit upper that affords some flex. It has big, plush padded heel collars and fat cushioned tongues along with some reinforcement in the toe box. It screams cruising comfort.

The HOKA Mach X are more stripped back and conservative. You get creel jacquard uppers with quite a pleasant soft lining and some added outer structure. The medium padded heel collars holds well and there’s a heel counter for added security and support.

As uppers go, the HOKA Mach X are relatively light and breathable. There’s also a more minimal, half gusseted, race-style flat lay tongue with a little padding to prevent lace pinch.

Flip them over and the HOKA Mach X outsole has a fairly extensive covering of durabrasion rubber that takes care of all the main impact zones, aiming to boost durability and provide traction when you’re cornering at speed. The HOKA Skyward X outsole also has a generous covering of quite thick high abrasion rubber in all the key impact areas and looks nicely durable too.

Fit

In testing, I ran in my regular HOKA shoe size which is a US 9.5. Both shoes follow the standard HOKA blueprint. Very snug, bordering on tight but with a dialled-in racy fit that might come up a bit narrow around the big toe knuckle.

On the flip side, that makes for good midfoot lockdown and heel hold. I had no problems with slipping or hotspots.

I just about get away going true to size in both but I think some people might benefit from going half a size up, particularly if you’ve got wider, or higher volume feet or you like a roomier fit.

Check Out My 8 Best HOKA Shoes Here

Performance

In testing I’ve logged more than 40 miles in the HOKA Skyward X and north of 50 miles in the HOKA Mach X. That includes longer runs around 90 minutes on feet, slower, shorter miles and some 10km efforts with faster segments thrown in. I’ve also raced half marathons and done 3-hour long runs in the Mach X. Most of that has been on road with some on hard-packed river paths.

The HOKA Mach X is a lively, racy daily trainer that can handle almost anything. It’s light, fast, agile, punchy but still protective. It’s definitely better at the mid-to-faster end of the spectrum but you get good comfort and versatility with just enough protection to go longer. It’s one of the best shoes I’ve run in for 2024.

The midsole has energy to it when you land on a sweet spot but overall the shoe’s probably too big and heavy to really be a top choice for faster efforts. It’s like a big old station wagon with an F1 engine and super sensitive power steering.

I also did a single side-by-side mile with one shoe on each foot and when you put them both on, the difference is stark. The HOKA Mach X offers loads of rockered response and good connection to the ground without being harsh. In the Mach X, you're in control. The midsole return is much more immediate than the whopping stack on the HOKA Skyward X. It’s more compact, more precise and more controlled.

Everything on the HOKA Skyward X is supersized. It's a big old shoe and feels like much more shoe on the foot than the Mach X. It's much less precise, the midsole is super soft, super cushioned and there's a lot of cradling from the foot bed. You land a bit flatter and there’s nowhere near the kind of pronounced rockering you find with the HOKA Mach X.

You're relying more on the HOKA Skyward X’s midsole foam for bounce and spring. But it doesn’t always come. There’s an inconsistency to the landings. Sometimes it offers energy, sometimes it feels sinky. And while the HOKA Mach X might lack the cushioning some runners want for long-hauling but conversely, the HOKA Skyward X are too heavy, too bulky to run fast.

With the Mach X, I know exactly what to expect every time I put my foot down. When it rolls through the foam engages and kicks back quickly with good response that punches you off into the next stride. That’s not the case with the Skyward X. It can be ponderous.

If you heel strike a little bit more, or land a bit further back, a bit flatter, then maybe you engage the Skyward X midsole better and unlock all the benefits. But if like me you land a bit more mid-to-forefoot you don’t always get that reliable energy.

My Verdict

If you like your ride really soft, with zero road feel and a big trampoline ride, you may well love the HOKA Skyward X. Other testers certainly have. But if you like things more direct and controlled, or you need stability, I’d urge caution.

The HOKA Mach X is lighter, punchier, more reliable in the landings and has much better top pace potential. Yes it lacks that super cushioned stack and you will feel more ground coming up, but if you prefer a rockered, responsive ride with a mildly cushioned edge, the HOKA Mach X is the better shoe for you.

If you want something that offers more ground contact, more control, more punch and immediacy, a faster shoe overall, that’s lighter and better for shorter, snappier, faster efforts, the Mach X is the way to go.

If you’re looking for a running shoe that offers maximum cushioning taken to the max where everything's really plush and the ground disappears, the HOKA Skyward X does that better. Provided you can cope with a lack of stability.

The HOKA Mach X is a much better all-rounder – and much better value. The HOKA Skyward X is generally limited to slower miles and that makes the whopping $200+ price tag look much less enticing.