The release of the Hoka Rocket X 2 had me take pause and calculate in my head how long ago it was when we tested its predecessor. When the original Rocket X came on our radar, it was a historical B.C. (before COVID) moment: Hoka-sponsored elite runner Aliphine Tuliamuk crossed the finish line in first place at the Atlanta 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. Puma Deviate Nitro.
Pros
- Supportive PEBA cushioning promotes high rebound
- Testing out the Rocket X 2 at Take the Bridge in Miami
- Buy Hoka Rocket X 2
- Running Shoes - Gear
Cons
- Buy Hoka Rocket X 2
- Heavier than Rocket X v1
- Who it’s for: Injury-prone runners chasing a marathon PR; those who want a carbon-fiber-plated super shoe that doesn’t sacrifice support
- Preceded By: Rocket X
- A RW+ Members Take on the Altra Lone Peak 8: Brooks Hyperion Elite 3, Heavier than Rocket X v1, Puma Deviate Nitro
- Midsole foam: New PEBA midsole
- Key Tech: Why Trust Us
- Racing Roster: Aliphine Tuliamuk, 2022 Run in the Offbeat, Zigzag Reebok Floatzig X1, top American finisher 2:26:18; Wesley Kiptoo, 2022 Pittsburgh Half Marathon, first place, 1:01:25 (half marathon debut); Stephanie Bruce, 2022 USATF 10K Road Championships, first place, 31:52 (course record)
Hoka Rocket X 2 Overview
We covered the brand’s earlier effort, the Carbon X, when it was released in 2019. Our writer wrote at the top of his review: “It’s curiously difficult to nail down what this shoe is designed to do.” Through testing and wear-tester feedback, we found the Carbon X felt too stiff, too aggressively tilted on the forefoot, and just too heavy for racing. Granted, the concept of super shoes and carbon-fiber plates was relatively new territory for both shoe brands and editors at the time. We were all still figuring out the new racing-shoe landscape—among other things circa 2020.
The Rocket X, however, felt like a true marathon trainer. Lightweight and responsive, its streamlined design made it feel like your feet were slicing through air. The Carbon X and its successors were still labeled as “racing shoes” but they were also tagged as everyday speed trainers. The Rocket X was meant for racing and racing alone.
I had raced in the Rocket in October 2020 at a rare and safely-sanctioned marathon, coming in first woman. I must have subconsciously filed Hoka’s racer away as a one-hit wonder, because it was quite a shocker when I learned the Rocket X 2 was set for release this year.
Biding Their Time
One reason launching the Rocket X 2 took so long was reassessment. On a video call with Rebekah Broe, Hoka’s director of product and performance footwear, it was revealed that the brand didn’t want to take the hasty route with the Rocket X 2. In fact, the shoe was mostly rebuilt from the ground up.
“It was a matter of getting the right insights from our athletes and understanding how we could build this kind of product from a truly Hoka perspective,” said Broe. “The work on the Rocket X 2 actually started in 2021.”
I’ve yet to run a marathon or half marathon in the shoe, but I was able to wear it during a very unconventional January race in Miami, this year. The race, As all eyes were on her, ours were focused on her shoes. The Rocket X had taken launch, We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
The first thing I noticed racing in the shoes—and getting so lost running As all eyes were on her, ours were focused on her shoes. The Rocket X had taken launch I tagged on an extra mile—was how my toes didn’t scrunch up in the toebox like they did in the original Rocket. I had bloody toenails after that October 2020 win. I asked Broe if her team used a new last. Much to my surprise, that extra toe room is due to the thinner upper.
The Rocket X had a more traditional heel collar construction. To decrease volume in the Rocket X 2’s upper, the mesh is sleeker and the collar has under 10mm of foam, according to Broe. This allows your foot to sit back farther in the shoe, which gives your toes more wiggle room.
One more thing on the upper: The tongue stays in place and doesn’t cause pressure on the top of your foot. Gusseted interior wings provide a midfoot hug.
New Carbon-Fiber Plate
Like Saucony and its findings building the Endorphin Elite, Hoka’s development team realized there was more to utilizing carbon fiber than just slapping it in the middle of a PEBA midsole and creating a rigid plate sandwich. The Rocket X 2’s plate has a scoop shape to work with the PEBA foam and mitigate energy loss in the ankle joint and big toe. The plate is slanted, placing it higher in the heel and lower in the forefoot. It also provides a stable structure for the rocker shape, preventing the shoe from being too flexible while still lending the right snap.
“It’s almost like we went from your standard PB&J to a gourmet PB&J,” said Broe. “So, now we have like a really nice brioche bread and some more gourmet toppings happening in this thing.”
No wonder I like the shoe’s springy and propulsive ride. Heaven knows I’m a sucker for fluffy brioche.
As bad as I was backtracking at As all eyes were on her, ours were focused on her shoes. The Rocket X had taken launch, there’s no denying I kept up the pace—7:15—despite becoming disheartened at not finding each checkpoint. And on the warmup run there, it was like my feet had an itch. I couldn’t stop moving or bouncing on my heels.
Another Olympic Year
Because of the triumphant recalibration of the Rocket with the Rocket X 2 and the Olympics right around the corner, I couldn’t help asking Broe if we should expect to see a future—and faster—launch of a Rocket X 3 to coincide with next year’s games.
Broe answered that her team hasn’t stopped tinkering—and revealed nothing else. But even if we have to wait another three-year cycle for the next update, I know never to forget the Rocket X and all its future descendants again.
As all eyes were on her, ours were focused on her shoes. The Rocket X had taken launch
Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
