I Tried 4 Different HOKA Styles – My Honest Thoughts on Each

If speed is not your main priority, but rather you are looking for a shoe to carry you through all of those steady maintenance miles, the Clifton 10 is a great choice. They have been the cornerstone of the brand’s cushioned styles for over ten years and are ideal for people looking for a roomier fit, wider base, and a plushness that feels like walking on clouds. With the higher stack, you feel less of the ground but due to its general shape, it can be difficult to turnover and pick up the feet fast enough to sprint. 

That does not mean the shoe is not popular. These were Strava’s third most recorded shoe on the app and Free People even offers them on their site in an array of fun colors. This also might be because they are a great shoe for anyone who is also going to be on their feet all day or doing a significant amount of walking. Designed for broad appeal and comfort, the Clifton 10 offers a large range of width options – regular, wide, and x-wide – to accommodate a variety of foot types.

The Mach 6 is an excellent choice for runners seeking a responsive, versatile trainer that excels at both daily mileage and faster efforts like tempo runs and race day. Its all-foam construction, combined with a lower stack height and lighter weight, delivers a quicker feel underfoot. Notably, the Mach 6 is a full 2.1 ounces lighter than the Clifton 10 and features a more pronounced rocker shape that promotes forward momentum and speed. Its ride is very similar to the Asics Novablast, another popular neutral daily trainer. 

Sometimes one too many TikTok rabbit holes have you thinking you need a whole fleet of running shoes in order to perform out on the road. In actuality, you can absolutely get by with a shoe like the Mach 6 that is a jack of all trades. At $140, these are a comfortable and reliable option that is going to support a range of efforts.

If you are looking to level up from the Mach 6, the materials of the Mach X 3 are meant to feel like a super trainer. Hoka markets this shoe as an up tempo-trainer and is engineered to be a little less comfortable on those day-to-day runs in order to help you hit those paces. Between the shape and the Pebax plate, the shoe gives you a powered-up sensation that encourages you to run faster and on the balls of your feet. The shoe actually feels better as you push the pace. 

As I was doing speed intervals on the treadmill, these shoes were more comfortable at max effort versus the cool down laps. They have a bouncier feel than the Mach 6 but are still softer and more responsive than an all-out racing shoe. Another benefit for some runners is the larger side walls that flank the shoe to support and stabilize the ankles as your foot hits the ground and you pick up the pace. My only complaint is that this extra foam starts to make the shoe feel a little heavy and the extra control inhibits an even quicker turnover.

Hoka's premier racing shoe, aptly named the "Rocket," comes with a $250 price tag, suggesting it's best reserved for race day rather than unnecessary training miles. Designed to maximize speed and efficiency, it features a stiff carbon-fiber plate that is designed to boost propulsion and aid in a quicker turnover. Its lower stack height also provides a more grounded feel, giving you a better sense of gripping the road. Unlike the narrower design of Nike's Alphaflys, the Rocket offers a wider, more stable, and comfortable fit, which may be more comfortable to some runners.

Hoka continues to be a popular running shoe brand with support and comfort at its core. As they launch new models and iterate on legacy styles, they continue to cater to all different types of runners. The Clifton 10 is that hallmark of comfort, the Mach 6 is the dependable fast daily trainer, the Mach X 3 is the speed workout companion, and the Rocket X 3 is the race day choice. Depending on your needs, Hoka has a shoe in their lineup.