Type a shoe name, like Pegasus, Clifton or Kayano.

HOKA Mach X

Speed shoe · Neutral · Road · 7.9 oz · 46/41mm stack · 5mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The HOKA Mach X 2 replaced it

How it ranks

The HOKA Mach X is one of the strongest maximalist shoes in our data. Comfort and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. The rating is based on 47 runner reviews and 2 other rated shoes in the Mach X product line.

HOKA Mach X

of 5

Excellent

96
Overall
96
Durability
95
Comfort
94
Cushioning
93
Value
89
Appearance
89
Confidence

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

96 Very high

96

External retailer ratings

We break apart ratings from mass-market retailers and specialty running shops since they serve different audiences.

The middle of the bar marks the typical shoe at each type of retailer. The dot shows where this shoe ranks in comparison.

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

  1. Our ratings
  2. Brand rating
  3. External ratings

What runners say

“Less spongy than the Clifton and more durable”
5/5 Full review training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Clifton 8
“Super cushiony which allowed me to run with a torn ligament”
5/5 Full review training for a marathon came from the Altra Torin 7
“Coming from Cliftons, where they have the cushioning I need but have never felt responsive”
5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 9
“Peba foam and plate feel really good on the track and roads”
4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for 5K and 10K
“Very responsive and have more cushioning than expected”
5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 9
“Geometry that promotes long strides and heel striking”
3/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3
“Fairly light feeling and bouncy”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2
“The tongue rides a bit”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2
“The Hokas are also durable and comfy”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2
“Great super trainer”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3

Prefer this shoe over another

69% 9/13

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 23.


Pros

  • Reviewers call it cushioned and responsive for uptempo work and long runs.
  • Reviewers report it wearing well, and one finds it more durable and less spongy than the Clifton.
  • Light at 7.7 oz for a 46mm heel stack.

Cons

  • Two reviewers find it less snappy than expected, one of them against the Saucony Endorphin Speed.
  • Two reviewers call the $190 price high.

Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale

Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.

Confidence
50 60 70 80 90 100 25 50 75 100

Better Shoes Rating

Mach X rates 96. This shoe has very high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the HOKA Mach X

Each dot is one version of the Mach X, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.
  • Mach X 3

    2025 · 4 reviews

    86 Good

    63 Confidence

  • Mach X 2

    2024 · 11 reviews

    92 Very good

    84 Confidence

  • Mach X This shoe

    2023 · 47 reviews

    96 Excellent

    96 Confidence

Runner Ratings

47 ratings
5/5 31
4/5 11
3/5 4
2/5 1
1/5 0

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight
7.9 oz
Men's / women's
Men's 7.7 oz · Women's 8.0 oz
Release
2023 Q3
MSRP
$190
Stack
46/41mm
Drop
5mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Showing 11–15 of 19 written reviews

This is a great shoe and is also expensive like all other great shoes

5/5

Overall

Super cushiony which allowed me to run with a torn ligament for which there was not an easy solution (other than not running). 

Anonymous runner · Nov 8, 2023

training for a marathon came from the Altra Torin 7

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
4/5
Appearance
4/5
Value
5/5

Great for weekly speed work and recovery runs.

4/5

Overall

Bought to replace old Carbon X for the same use, and much better.  Peba foam and plate feel really good on the track and roads.   will use the Rocket X2 for longer road races. This is a great shoe!

Ron Colyer · Aug 4, 2023

30 mpw training for 5K and 10K

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
4/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
4/5

Just a great reliable shoe....

5/5

Overall

Love these things

WS Miller · Jul 31, 2023

5 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
5/5

5/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Jul 31, 2023

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
4/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
5/5

No issues

5/5

Overall

Does well 

Marcia · Jul 31, 2023

70 mpw training for 5K and 10K

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
4/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
4/5
Value
4/5

Alternatives

Other shoes worth considering.

More from HOKA

Compared to other shoes

See how this shoe compares to others like it.

Current shoe
Choose a model
Lightest / Best comfort / Best cushioning
Newest
Lowest price / Best overall
Shoe properties
Type
Speed shoe
Speed shoe
Speed shoe
Pronation
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
Weight
7.9 oz Lightest
9.4 oz
7.9 oz
Stack
46/41mm
44/39mm
36/28mm
Drop
5mm
5mm
8mm
Release
2023 Q3
2025 Q3 Newest
2025 Q2
MSRP
$190
$190
$175
Best price
—
$190
$129 Lowest price
Ratings
Overall
96 Excellent
86 Good
97 Exceptional Best overall
Comfort
94 Excellent Best comfort
87 Good
88 Good
Cushioning
93 Excellent Best cushioning
90 Very good
89 Good
Durability
95 Excellent Best durability
75 Decent
81 Good
Appearance
89 Good
78 Decent
89 Good
Value
89 Good Best value rating
75 Decent
87 Good
Specific shoe

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