Hoka will play it straight for you: many super shoes are overkill unless you’re running at a fast enough speed.
For those in the middle or rear third of finishers, the Hoka Rocket X 3 launches with an updated carbon fiber plate taking on an “L”-like shape for added stability and a switch in the materials of its upper to make it more breathable. In its third area of focus, the outsole has been upgraded in order to provide superior grip in wet conditions.
One of the great things about our sport is that marathons are becoming more accessible,” Hoka director of product Rebekah Broe told Footwear News, “And one of the realities is that we’re not all elite. The biometrics between those at the very front of the pack are different from the biometrics of us mere mortals that might be in the second wave of the race. So for us, it was really important to make sure we had two distinct tools.”
For those with greater speed and a higher likelihood of striking with their forefoot, there’s Hoka’s Cielo X 2, which launched in February and offers a noticeably aggressive bounce. Runners further back in the pack are more likely to strike at their midfoot or heel, and Hoka is catering to them with a more controlled feeling on the Rocket X 3.
Helping in this mission is the reshaped carbon fiber plate. As always, the lightweight and stiff plate — which Hoka uses an “X” for to denote its inclusion in a shoe — provides energy return. With its new winglet shape it offers better torsional rigidity, keeping the foot stable and fostering a better push-off from your toes. The carbon fiber plate now extends so far laterally that you can actually see it externally sandwiched within the midsole’s PEBA foam.
Because of the focus on heel strikers, the Rocket X 3’s heel-to-toe drop comes in at 7mm, 2mm higher than its predecessor.
Further down, athlete feedback drove the outsole, which carries new geometry and a new compound of rubber that will maintain its stickiness on wet surfaces. Its channels will also help ensure that water is dispensed with quick.
Replacing the Rocket X 2‘s synthetic mesh is an engineered warp knit jacquard upper. It’s practically translucent in sections targeted especially for breathability, and the switch aided in bringing down the shoe’s weight by roughly 0.2 ounces. Gone as well is the gusseted tongue, which some athletes felt was restrictive and would have wound up superfluous with the Rocket X 3’s lockdown abilities.
A more articulated collar construction offers a better fit and more comfort, and the tongue, too, utilizes a softer material that’ll feel better against the foot.
Cradling the foot from the sidewall through to the underfoot is the slightly asymmetric Active Foot Frame. It wraps around the back side of the medial arch and then pushes more forward as it comes around the lateral side to capture the midfoot.
“For a lot of our athletes, confidence can come from feeling something wild on race day,” Broe said. “Some of us really find that expression of speed in a wilder, more aggressive silhouette. For others, though, that confidence truly comes from the sensation of consistency and control, and that’s going to be the name of the game with the Rocket X 3.
The Hoka Rocket X 3 is out now through Hoka’s website and select third-party retailers.
