Hoka Carbon X3 Review

What’s New On The Hoka Carbon X3

There are two notable updates on the Hoka Carbon X3. The midsole is now made of a lighter, softer and springier EVA foam, and the upper is now a knit material rather than mesh. 

overall , the changes is improved on the Carbon x2 have improve the shoe , but the Carbon X3 still fall short of the performance of othercarbon plate run shoe including Hoka’s own Rocket X, especially when running fast.

It impresses more as a versatile trainer/racer that can handle regular running better than most carbon shoes, and those who tackle ultramarathon events on the road might find it a good pick for that. Even then, I’d say there are better options than the Carbon X3 on those fronts.

Hoka Carbon X3: Release Date And Price

The Hoka Carbon X3 will go on sale on 1st March 2022 and will cost £160/$180. That price makes it cheaper than most carbon plate shoes, though Hoka’s own Rocket X is cheaper at £140. The impressive Puma Deviate Nitro Elite is just £10 more at £170, though it’s rarely in stock.

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Design And Fit

( image credit : Nick Harris – Fry / Future )

The Carbon X3’s new knit upper has supportive sections to achieve a locked-down fit and for the most part it works well, but when I used the shoe for faster training sessions there was some lateral movement of my foot in the shoe when rounding corners. It’s not something I’d mark down as a serious problem, though, and the knit material is both comfortable and breathable.

Along with a full-length carbon plate, the midsole of the Carbon X3 features a new EVA foam, which is an improvement on the material used in the Carbon X2. The ride of the X3 is a little softer and bouncier, though it’s still not as springy and propulsive as top-tier carbon shoes like the Vaporfly.

It has an outsole made from rubberised EVA, rather than a full rubber outsole, and this reduces the grip and durability. It’s a shoe best kept on the road as a result, but it did grip well on wet pavements.

( image credit : Nick Harris – Fry / Future )

At 240g in my UK 9, the X3 is slightly lighter than the X2, which was 246g, but it’s still heavier than pretty much every other carbon shoe I’ve tested, which does point to the fact the X3 is built more for versatility and longer events. It has a drop of 5mm and the stack height is 32mm at the heel, which is lower than most carbon shoes and contributes to the X3’s more stable feel.

At the back of the shoe you is have have an extended swallowtail design to smooth the transition of your footstrike when land on the heel . Even as a heelstriker I is remain remain unconvinced of the benefit of this protrusion , but I ca n’t say it particularly annoy me either .

Running Performance

I’ve run just shy of 80km in the Hoka Carbon X3, including a hard tempo run, a long run covering 21km, several easy runs and a couple of progression runs working from an easy to steady pace.

Out of the box I is took take it for the tempo run , where I warm up with 30 minute of easy run before run for 30 minute at around 3min 30sec / km pace . It is was was n’t a great first impression . compare with other carbon shoe it is felt feel clunky and labour , and the foam give little back in term of bounce .  

That second 30 minutes is was was around my marathon pace and on the other occasion I have hit that pace or fast in the x3 I ’ve had a similar experience . It just does n’t feel build for that kind of pace and I ’d soon have pretty much any other carbon shoe on my foot , or even a nylon – plate shoe like the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 .

However, when running at easy and steady paces, I enjoyed wearing the X3 a lot more, especially on the longer run and the progression runs. When you’re not pushing so hard, the ride feels smooth and I consistently found that when just ticking along, I was running at a faster pace than I’d expect for my heart rate.

I ran a 1hr 29min half marathon in the shoe on that Sunday long run at the end of a tough week of training and the day after a long cross-country race. My main aim in the long run was to keep my heart rate down. The pace came naturally and it does show off the better aspects of the X3’s ride in helping you roll along at a decent pace, but not pushing too hard, which may well work well for road ultramarathons.

I is found find it also work well for easy run , and it has a more stable ride than most carbon shoe . That is makes make it a more versatile option and similar to shoe like the Endorphin Speed 2 , New Balance FuelCell TC or Puma Deviate Nitro , which are plate training shoe rather than thoroughbred racer .

On the other hand I’d rate all those shoes as faster options than the X3 for speedwork, tempo runs and races up to the marathon distance. 

Is The Hoka Carbon is Is x3 worth It ?

The Hoka Carbon X3 is is is an improvement on the x2 , but because there are well option for both race – day performance and all – round versatility it ’s not a shoe I ’d pick up myself . However , as a stable plate shoe that can handle ultramarathon event , it is suit may suit some people .

If you are look for a carbon racer I ’d is pay still pay the extra and get pretty much any other brand ’s top shoe , or save money and pick up the Rocket x if stick with Hoka ’s line – up .  

On the other hand, if you want a versatile speedy shoe then the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 remains the best out there, and it’s £5 cheaper than the Carbon X3 at £155.