Hoka One One Carbon X2 v Mach 4: What difference does the carbon plate make?

[@yesitz_daisy]

Thanks for the shout out. I ended up getting the Carbon X2 as I found them on sale for the same price as the Mach 4. I stopped wearing my old Mach 4’s at 600km. The exposed outer foam did see a bit of wear but I only found this to be a cosmetic issue rather than a functional one with grip. I did find responsiveness of the start to go at about 450km when I contacted you. So far I’m liking the Carbon X2, as you said a bit firmer but still very comfortable even at slower paces.

[@OldManRunner]

Cheers! 600km is good going… they’re both really nice shoes… looking forward to the X3….

[@beezletrip6]

I had the carbon 1s and bought some mach 4s and I think the machs are lighter and more comfortable. Carbon ones felt dense after trying the machs IMO

[@OldManRunner]

@@beezletrip6 Steve… your description of the Carbon shoe feeling more dense is really apt… wish I had thought of it!

[@patrickfarrell913]

I did my Tuesday session this week in a pair of Hoka Bondis and glad you mentioned the lack of traction in the wet as it was quite severe. I shouldn't have done a session in Bondis as clearly they are a heavy shoe but had a small bit of foot pain so it was a trade off. Great video - thanks Barry.

[@OldManRunner]

Cheers Patrick, good luck with the recovery. I haven't run in the Bondi's...but got a pair of Nike Zoom X Invincible Run Flynkit's for exactly the same reason...should have the video done in a couple of weeks...so far they are a bit Mad Ted Mad...

[@bev9708]

You're a gem Barry!!! Sooo glad to have found your channel... I'm really enjoying going back through some of your old videos which are really thorough! I'm smiling now as I'm beginning to see what you mean when you wrote you were "retentive" 😂😂 But noooo, many of us really appreciate that!!!!! I'm a big Hoka person myself and I've had a couple of Cliftons, Bondi and Machs. I chose the Clifton 7 for my first marathon to go with that familiar reliability that I know and love so well... I would say they were brilliant for 30km but after that I needed a bit more cushioning as they started to feel a little flat and bottomed out! I sure don't regret my choice but would like to find something else for the next one.

[@OldManRunner]

Ha! I hope the videos are getting better… I ran a couple of marathons in the Carbon X-SPE… love that shoe… was going to test the Carbon X3 but it didn’t schedule well and I hear there is a shoe coming with two Carbon plates and might wait for that… I have the Bondi X but have parked it until after Zürich… hoping to make a comparison video with it and some other super cushioned shoes…

[@bev9708]

@@OldManRunner OHHH Interesting!!!!!! Will watch out for those! Yes I saw your great video on the Bondi X… at first I was excited too but since , reviews have been so so ! Seems there are better options for just just a bit more money… will wait for your comparisons. Anyway I only buy stuff on sale

[@OldManRunner]

Yep...the Bondi X is too expensive for what it offers...At some stage this year I will make. video about saving money when buying shoes...I always have about 10 videos in the pipeline...at least three partly filmed...

[@bev9708]

@@OldManRunner 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@yusufqcqnz]

I see the x2 for $80 on sale now but unfortunately the colors are not my taste but I'm willing to settle for that price. Currently a brooks running shoe person and would love to get first pair of Hokas. Just subscribed. Great review.

[@OldManRunner]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it

[@JohnBirtchetSharpe]

good take on the two shoes. I have owned both, the Hokacarbon x2 that did not fit the bill for a racing shoe. It has replaced my mach4 (which was retired at 300km) to carry out the same function, easy+ runs 10k - 24k length. so it has become an expensive daily trainer. Picked up the On boom echo for my races.

[@OldManRunner]

John...Makes perfect sense to me...I wonder if Hoka are developing a faster Carbon Plate shoe with a a different, softer form and decided to make the X2 more plush and position it for doing exactly what you and I seem to use it for? I am going to race in the Echo...but will stick with the Metaspeed Sky for the Chicago Marathon which is my next race. Looking forward to seeing who wears what in the Olympic Marathon...The Swiss (unsurprisingly) were in the Echo in the Triathlon...and Nicola Spirig had a great run in them...Ireland's Russel White also wears them...

[@JohnBirtchetSharpe]

@@OldManRunner I am using the echo's in this year's Great North Run will let you know how I get on (using my own performance comparisons as an accurate metric )

[@OldManRunner]

@@JohnBirtchetSharpe Great stuff John. It’s a run I have always wanted to do..Maybe next year. Very best wishes with it.

[@22rockcrawler]

Another great and very informative video. Thanks again! One thing i will say for me personally, I really like how wide the mid and outsole are on the hoka shoes. I'm a bigger guy (6 foot 2 inches tall and about 250 lbs athletic built) but i have rolled and broken my ankles many times so this is one thing i love about them.

[@OldManRunner]

That’s a good point… Despite being vertically challenged I like a wide shoe… and all the Hoka’s seem just right for me… have sent back some Brooks and New Balance for being too narrow. I wonder if it’s because they offer some wide fitting versions so make the regular ones narrower…I’m looking forward to the next version of the Clifton Edge… like running with tennis rackets on….

[@22rockcrawler]

@@OldManRunner yea i definitely love them being wide. That's a good point about them making the normal shoes more narrow and then having a wide. My problem is i don't really have a "wide" foot so the wides never fit me well. I'm glad i finally tried hoka though. I'm about 30 miles into my first pair (arahi 5) and think I'll stick with hoka for a bit.

[@OldManRunner]

@@22rockcrawler Haven’t tried the Arahi line… so many shoes and so little… best of luck with them.

[@22rockcrawler]

@@OldManRunner I'm liking them so far, but don't have any other hokas to compare them to or else i would for you. Thinking about going to the carbon x2 next.

[@OldManRunner]

@@22rockcrawler I like the energy return in the X2… it helped my Achilles… hopefully it will help your ankles

[@yazminimagic]

My favourite Hoka is the Rincon. How is it different from mach 4? Mach 4 has rave reviews and I'm itching to try it. On another note Jan Frodeno uses Rocket X during the recent Tri- Battle. Thanks for the video!

[@OldManRunner]

Hello Yazmin. I have the Rincon 1 and ran 300km/190 miles in them. Mine weigh 253g/8.92oz. My Mach 4 weigh 276g/9.75oz. The Rincon is lighter. I think it achieves this by having a single foam in the sole with a few added abrasion resistant contact patches for increased wear and an upper that is a little less plush. I retire the shoes at 300km but took out the Rincon's and ran around the block with them and the Mach 4's this morning. The Rincon's are nice to run in, but somehow there is a little more comfort in the Mach 4, without too much additional weight. I think the comfort is mainly due the combination of the two foams in the sole working in tandem and the more plush upper. At the moment the Rincon 2’s are €20 cheaper. For that price difference I would go with the Mach 4. But the Rincon 1 was a shoe I loved running in. The Rincon 3 is about to be released… The press release says August 1 with an MRSP of $115… which looks to be good value…and at that point I think the Rincon 2 will be reduced in price… and there are some Rincon 1’s available from Hoka at €72…but sizes and colourways are limited…and of course there will be many available from independent retailers at all sorts of prices For some reason I never got on with the Rocket X… I seem to be always on the launch pad waiting for a lift off that never comes…easily the most disappointing shoe I’ve run in… but that might be just me and my running characteristics…

[@FWFWFWF]

Carbon x2 I thought was orientated more towards ultra distances, bit wider more stable, supportive base than some of the other squishy wobbly high-stack carbon plate shoes. Maybe you'd choose it over a Vaporfly if you were doing a 50 miler?

[@OldManRunner]

You make a really good point and yes if it was a 50 miler I would most likely choose the Carbon X2...or if I could get one a Carbon X, which I did a lot of long runs in when I was nursing an achilles injury. I saw yesterday that Hoka are bringing out a Bondi with a carbon plate...so even though I have more than enough shoes, it really intrigues me...so I am going to test that...which might be perfect for very long runs...

[@ianbarnett5051]

So you're saying that the X2 is 19 seconds slower on a flat out 1k compared to a fast carbon plated shoe and it's because of the weight. This is absolute bonkers nonsense and just shows imho why these sorts of videos should be taken with a huge pinch of salt.