Hi people welcome to The Run Testers. You asked and we answered! We’re here with our head to head between two of HOKA’s snappiest do-it-all daily trainers. In this video, we’re pitching the carbon plated HOKA Mach X up against the newer HOKA Mach 6. Both shoes are built for daily miles, faster training efforts and can even race. There’s a lot of similarities in the design and the ride. And not too much to choose on price. So which one is best? And which one will suit your running? Hit play on our HOKA Mach X vs HOKA Mach 6 review to find out.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:27 – Details
1:13 – Shoe Comparison
2:53: – Fit
5:10: – The Run Test
14:45 – Verdict
Hi people welcome to the Run testers and To our head-to-head between two of hok's Snappiest Do-it all daily trainers in This video we are pitching the carbon Plated Hoka Mac X up against the newer Hoka Max 6 now both shoes are built for Daily miles and faster training efforts There's a lot of similarities in the Design and the ride but which one of These is best and which one will suit Your running best more importantly watch On to find out in our hok ma X versus Max 6 review So some quick details starting with the Stacks in the women's the hok Max has a 37 mil in the heel 32 Ms in the 4 foot In the men's that jumps to 39 Ms in the Hill and 34 in the 4ot for a 5 mil drop The HX 6 packs 35 Ms in the hill and 30 MS in the four foot in the women's with 37 Ms and 32 in the men's also for a 5 Mil drop the macx weighs in at 9.1 ooun Or 258 G in a UK and a half Testo size That's heavier than the Max 6 at 8.1 1 o Or 230 G on price the macx costs £160 or $180 the Mac 6 are a little cheaper at £140 or $140 in the US right then let's give you a quick Shoe comparison starting with the Midsoles now the Mac X features a proly X midsole that sandwiches a PBX plate Between a layer of Highly resilient Peber foam and a layer of EVA foam with An early stage meta rocker to add
Smoothness to the transitions there are Some significant changes to the Hoka Max 6 the big news here is that the Hoka Swap the proly plus foam for a single Layer super critical Eva midsole also With an early stage meta rocker It's a Combination that hus says creates a more Responsive ride but unlike the macx There's no plate here now both shoes Have a very similar width 4 foot and Let's flip them and heal platforms here Pretty much know very similar design up Top the Mac 6 have got new jackard mesh Uppers on the macx you've also got Creo Jackard uppers with quite a pleasant Soft lining inside and some added Structure on the outside layer as up as Go these are pretty light and breathable There's also half gusseted race style Flatlay tongues that are very similar on Both shoes the macx though has a nice Little padding detail to prevent lace Pinch now when it comes to the Mac 6 Heel colors they are a little narrower With a little more padding but both here Are medium padded overall and nicely Comfortable if you flip both shoes over The Max 6 Flex grooves are gone and so Is the exposed Eva out so that's been Replaced by a much heavier Duty rubber Covering across a substantial portion of The outsole the macx outsole carries a Fairly extensive covering of dur Abrasion rubber that takes care of all
The main Impact Zone and provides that All important traction when you're Cornering in a fast effort Shoe comes the fit of the two shoes I've Got a uk9 in both of these shoes shoes Which is a US 9.5 with Hoka it's the Same size I have across all of Hoka Shoes and it does fit me very well in my Normal running shoe size I do have a Fairly narrow foot and I'm a little bit On the smaller end of my size and with Hoka that tends to result in a very good Fit all around but if you are someone With a wider foot or you're a bit bigger For your size they might be a little bit Cramped in the toe box I've had a good Hold around the heel and midfoot I Always F of Hoke I don't tend to get any Achilles irritation at all and that's The case with these shoes as well it's Well designed at the back so I would Stick to your normal running shoe size But bear in mind not necessarily The Wider shoes in the standard version So in terms ofit I would say it's pretty Similar experience across these two Shoes they're near identical in terms of How they feel to run in how they feel to Wear you know if you look at the kind of Skinny tongues they've got the kind of Types of lacing the space up front in The toes the kind of volume you're Getting there as well too it's very very Similar and you know I've had m in UK
Size it's my typical running shoe size Typical Hawker shoe size as well and It's been absolutely fine now it's worth Mentioning the Max 6 does come in Regular and wide fit options so if you Do appreciate something a bit more Accommodating then you're going to get That on the max will have the option to Do that but I feel like you know as I Said the experience of wearing these Shoes is very similar my tip would be Definitely wear them with kind of Thinner socks because they are quite Snug and quite you know hugging in terms Of how they feel to wear but yeah I Would say Bas of my experience go true To size if you do like a little bit more Room in the toes maybe look at going Half a size up and obviously with the Max 6 you do have the option to go with A wider fit to give it a little bit more Room and be a little bit more Accommodating compared to the ma X so When it comes to fit of running a UK and A half in both of these shoes I would Say the fit is almost identical in both Shoes maybe the HX 6 is marginally Tighter and shorter into the toe box the Macx has just a marginally bit of extra Length I think but overall I would Describe this as your kind of regular h Of fit they run quite tight quite narrow It's quite sort of cramped in the toe Box but I personally choose these shoes
In size if you've got particularly wide Feet or you want a little bit of extra Length to protect the end of the toes Then you might want to consider going Half a size up or looking for the wide Options but personally I choose these True to Size so in testing I've logged 60 miles Plus in the Max 6 that includes an Allout 10k race where I clocked a new PB Along with a good mix of marathon Training sessions from Fast intervals And flex to progression runs and slower Easier miles I've also run north of 60 Mi in the Hoka Mac X across my usual Test mix of paces and terrain that Includes easy miles right up to all out Intervals I've also raced half marathons And done a three-hour long run or more Than one three-h hour long run in these Shoes I've done most of my miles in both Shoes on the road but also on some light Off-road rther paths the Hoka Mac X is a Lively racy daily trainer that lands Firmly in The Parlor shoes Mark can Handle anything it's a light fast agile It feels Punchy but still protective it Offers good comfort and versatility Probably at the mid to faster end of the Spectrum but this shoe does the Mac Lineage Justice I think while also Offering something new the Mac 6 is fun Light Lively versatile it's good do it All daily trainer there's very good
Value for money I think and if you only Want one shoe to cover a wide range of Runs this shoe can also take care of Them all there's not much that this shoe Can't handle though it definitely has a Faster shorter sweet spot but there's Enough softness and protection in the Midsole to cradle you on slower efforts As well should you need it now to get Really into the nitty-gritty of how These two shoes compare I also did a Side by-side Mile and this is what I Found so I've just done the sidebyside Mile I've got the hak X on the left foot I've got the hak 6 on the right foot the Way they feel on the foot is very Similar these are very similar shoes the Differences between them even when You're running like that is very subtle These I could almost run for days with Odd shoes on and these are not really Noticed too much of a difference the Main differences I think are this the Hoka Mac X is a stiffer ride the midsole Roering is much stiffer and it kind of Gives you a little bit of spring as a Result of that kind of ER engaging and The midsole and the plate engaging Whereas on the Max 6 you've got a softer Cushioned platform and you certainly Feel that I think more into the kind of Heel on the lateral side you notice it's Not huge but there is more cushioning Here it's a bit more forgiving as a
Result not a lot but I think if you like A more direct ride you feel a bit more Ground contact you're feeling a bit more Immediacy you're going to get marginally More of that in the Hoka macx which Makes it feel a bit more racy makes it Feel a bit more kind of Poppy Whereas the Mac 6 I just think there is A little bit more cushion maybe that Will make it a better shoe if you want To do easier miles or slower miles or You need a bit more Comfort over the Longer haul if you're going to sort of Think about racing up to a half marathon You're not really sure if you would Choose these shoes I'd say the Mac X is The shoe that you're going to go for When you're really dialed in you're Going to be attacking it and you're Pretty confident and you don't really Worry too much about that ground impact Coming up I think the Max 6 probably Gives you a little bit of extra padding Underneath a little bit of extra Protection so in terms of my running Experience I definitely think there's a Few things to hone in on here which I Think really dictate and influence what It's like to run in these two shoes so I Think first and foremost is the weight So the Mac 6 is the light of the two Shoes I think it's about 30 G difference For me now the Mac X isn't a heavy shoe But you do notice that the Mac 6 is a
Lighter shoe in general the drops are The same the stack Heights are almost The same I think you know slightly Higher stack he on the macx but not a Massive amount in it but then you look Into those midols so on the Mac 6 you've Got that kind of Eva based super Critical foam on the Mac X you've got The kind of peber and Eva based mids Phone but also you got that pack plate In there as well too so technically it Should be a shoe that maybe can give you Something that works a little bit better For faster kind of runs ultimately I'm Not sure that's how it's kind of worked Out for me I found with the Max 6 it Definitely is a shoe that you can kind Of coast in but I do think it feels Nicer to run quicker you know maybe it's A touch firmer but I do think there's Enough foam there to make sure you're Getting some good Comfort there and I've Run longer in it I've run kind of a 20m Kind of long marathon training running It's been absolutely fine and it's a Really kind of smooth kind of stable Kind of running experience in that shoe I think with the Mac X I think when I've Tried to run quicker it and I've Actually done kind of a track session uh A couple of track sessions in it when I Had it into test I didn't feel like it Really had that pop for me compared to Some other you know what we're calling
Now kind of these kind of super trainer Shoes um I don't think you really notice The play I didn't really notice the pl For me so I don't really see the for me Personally the benefit in terms of my Run experience in the Mac X of that Plate's presence I think the it doesn't Feel like a massively quick shoe like Obviously you've got that peber foam in There that should maybe give it some Kind of more enjoyable bounce I think Ultimately it falls between two things I Think is a shoe that you can definitely Kind of do some easier running in I Didn't find like I wanted to do more Uptempo running in whereas I think with The Mac 6 I did feel like it could run a Little bit quicker a bit like that kind Of Max Series in general while there's Some kind of changes in terms of that Midsole from the previous Max shoes I do Think it feels like the fastest shoe in General but it is a shoe that you can Ease off in as well I do think that with The Mac X it's more comfortable in terms Of you're you're getting there on that Shoe in terms of those easier Paces but The Max 6 can absolutely handle that as Well too I don't think there a massive Amount in in terms of the out Soo Durability the grip the Max 6 is Definitely an improvement in terms of The previous Max sh in terms of outso Durability there's just more of it you
Know more rubber there so that's a Definite plus and obviously it the Lighter of the two shoes as well so it's Not adding considerable weight I don't Think that changes the Experience so yeah I would say you know In terms of my experience I think both Of these shoes are good for kind of Comfortable kind of logging a lot of Mileage being Workhorse daily trainer Shoes but I think when it comes to Running a little bit quicker I think the Max 6 is better equipped it's lighter I Think the mids just works a little bit Nicer quicker Paces I think while the Mac X probably has all the ingredients To be a quicker shoe or be welld Designed for kind of faster workouts I Just haven't seen that in my experience With the shoe and it wouldn't be the Shoe probably that I would grab for the Faster sessions where I think if I was Doing Tempo runs kind of maybe some Faster sessions the Mac 6 would work a Bit better for me in general so I've Done plenty of running in both of these Shoes and I've been a big fan of the Mac Since the original uh Mac launched Actually I think although it's really Come into play more with the Mac 45 and Now six just find them very good natural Feeling shoes that work well at a range Of Paces feel comfortable for long runs Easy runs but are lightweight and have a
Bit of pace for faster runs as well They're always been among the best Plateless shoes out there I think for Daily training not being a huge fan of The deviations from the classic Mac line Though so far didn't really like the Mac Supersonic didn't think there was much Of a point to it didn't feel much Different to the classic Mac and with The macx I had really high hopes because It does look like a fantastic shoe on Paper you've got the you know the Mac Line there but in a super trainer form With a pack plates and P foam in there Theory you should end up with hooker's Endorphin speed right with just you know A nice dual density setup a really fast Ride a plate in there as well but that Was never really born out by my testing Of the shoe like I always found it fine And enjoyable to run in the macx but it Never felt really fast it never felt Like a proper super trainer to me it Felt like a nice daily trainer that was Good at the low end of things it's Comfortable and pretty stable for a shoe With reasonably High stack and the plate And all that in it but never really felt Like I could run very quickly Comfortably in the shoe it felt just a Bit ponderous rolled through okay did Use it for some fast runs but it would Never have really been my first choice For that and actually what I found was a
Huge amount of overlap with the Mac 5 When that was the classic Mac available Then when the macx was released so it Just didn't make any sense for me to Spend more on the heavier Mac X and get A shoe that I would use for exactly the Same job and actually the way the Mac 5 Felt on the Run just a really natural Flowing ride felt you just as good or Even better than the Max 6 which didn't Really add a lot in the way of Bounce or Anything like that just seemed a bit Heftier I would say probably overall my Thoughts haven't changed much with the Mac 6 even though it is a fairly Different shoe to the Mac 5 only got one Foam in the Midol of the shoe now it Feels a little bit less rocket than the Mac 5 to me but a little bit springier And bouncier with the foam in there but All the same kind of stuff holds true of The Mac 6 that I liked about the Mac 5 It's a really natural shoe it just Disappears on the foot whether you're Running slow or fast can do faster runs In it it's great for going long in it And it feels good really for short Interval sessions as well sometimes it Loses out to the best play to choose When it comes to running hard long runs But I think that's also true of the Mac X despite the fact it does have a plate So again I think there's a lot of Overlap in the runs I would use these
Two two shoes for and I just don't think There's enough in the macx to Warrant The upgrade especially as it is a Heavier shoe and it is a noticeable gain In weight it just feels a bit bigger and Heavier which than the Mac which is such A lightweight and really enjoyable shoe To pull on because it feels very Nimble And agile with that plate free design Got the same stack it in both shoes as Well and yeah overall just they end up Being too similar for me I don't think The macx really has enough to Differentiate it from the classic Mac in Terms of the ride feel so I did do a Short run wearing both shoes at the same Time and that kind of bore that out like They feel quite similar on the run the X Feels a bit bigger maybe a little bit Bouncier but you know I don't think That's really the case like you've got That plate and the foam in there but it Doesn't really feel like it's punching You off your toes or giving you a Springy ride or anything like that feels Very similar to the Mac without a plate And maybe over the course of longer runs That extra kind of efficiency benefit From the plate might come into play a Little bit but I really like doing long Runs in the Max 6 as well and yeah I Just don't think there's enough of an Upgrade here in performance to justify This as a super trainer the macx
Compared to the Mac 5 they both be Pretty verstile daily trainers round but I think the Max 6 is just as good and I Kind of prefer the fact it's a bit Lighter a little bit nimbler and has a Plate free design for daily training Which I think is a bit of a plus if You're not getting the benefits of the Plate which I don't really find with the Macx that it does deliver a very Efficient you know fast ride like other Plated Trainers these are both good shoes in Theory slightly different shoes but for Me and during the run test I found that They do the kind of the same job which Is to be a comfortable pretty versatile Daily trainer can handle most of your Speed work you could take them to really F speeds but that's not what they're Really comfortable at I would say that's When I probably would use a plate shoe Myself but they can do those runs I just Think there's too much overlap here to Really justify the macx as a step up in Price cuz I don't think you're getting The commencer at Step Up in performance I think it's a good shoe it's a fine Shoe I think as plated shoes go it's Quite a nice one quite a stable one but It doesn't really deliver the speed and Propulsive benefits you expect from a Plated shoe that you can get from other Super trainers like the Endorphin speed
4 or the Adidas Boston 12 it's got rods Rather than the plate you do feel a bit Of punch from those shoes and it kind of Makes it worth the technology in the Midsole so the Mac 6 for me feels pretty Similar to the macx and I would use it For the same kind of runs it's a bit Lighter it's a fair bit cheaper even Like the look of it a little bit more so Yeah I would plump for the Max 6 if You're picking between these two shoes I Think maybe with hok's second version of The macx we're going to see a bit more Differentiation maybe we'll have an Entirely peber midsole and we just see a Slightly bouncier shoe all around at the Moment they do feel a bit too similar And I'd look at getting the Max 6 myself So it's definitely a pretty Straightforward one for me in terms of Where you go for the Mac 6 or the Mac X I think it's a no-brainer to go for the Mac 6 it's the lighter shoe it is the Cheaper shoe and I think for me it's the More versatile shoe if you are looking For shoe that you can use as a kind of Workhorse shoe one that can work kind of Faster runs as well Up Tempo runs that Is absolutely a shoe they can do now While the Mac X is built to do that I Don't think I ever really got that Experience from it I think it's probably Better suited to those easier runs Compared to the Max 6 but I think when
It comes to that faster stuff I just Don't think I've really experienced what I think Haw wanted to get from the ma xx And I think when the next year comes I Think maybe we'll see that but I think In terms of how things stand now I would Be going for the Max 6 I just think it's The better shoe I think it's the more Versatile daily Trainer shoe and I think People get a little more enjoyment out Of it and I think if you are you know You have issues in terms of the fits of These two shoes the Max 6 does come in That kind of wide fit option as well to To let you benefit from what I think is The better of the two kind of isues and Yeah I would Absol G for the Mac 6 over The Mac X so then I'm a fan of both of These shoes they really suit the way That I run and I like the fact that not Overly aggressive shoes I can put them On for a good wide range of runs and I Do notice a difference in the ride I Think the macx is stiffer less cushioned And I think a bit better for faster Paces but it's really quite marginal Between them the Max 6 is a shade more Cushioned I think it offers a smidge More protection overall I think the shoe That you choose here between these two Will come down to whether or not you Like it a bit more direct or you want Something that's a slightly softer ride In terms of application I think these
Shoes will largely cover the same types Of run maybe with the macx skewed to the Shorter faster and the Mac 6 marginally Skewed to the longer slower you probably Don't need both of these shoes if you Already own one I wouldn't go and get The other one it's definitely an either Or or situation for me and I think they Just based on the cheaper price and the Bit of extra versatility that you get Afforded by that kind of extra cushion On the Max 6 I'd probably recommend that One out of the two for the majority of Runners though personally I like the Extra stiffness that you get in the Mac X I think it makes it just a little bit More Punchy and snappy but that said I'm Very happy to run long in a more direct Shoe so there you have it that's our Head-to-head between the Hoka MAAC 6 and The Hoka MAAC X we hope you found it Helpful if you have any questions hit us Up in the comments below if you've had The chance to run in either or both of These shoes and you want to tell us what You made of them also let us know we'd Love to hear your thoughts don't forget To like And subscribe and ring the bell For more content when it lands on the Run test Channel also if you want a full Review of both these shoes I'm going to Pop those videos up on the channel just About now otherwise as ever thank you Very much for stopping by and watching
It's been a pleasure to talk to you About these shoes and we hope to see you Again soon on the Run testers happy Running people
