The Adidas Boston 12 and Hoka Mach X are both super-trainers with dual-density midsoles and some kind of tech to add extra pop to your stride–with the Hoka it’s a PEBAX plate, which the Boston has Adidas’s EnergyRods running under the forefoot. Both shoes are versatile daily trainers, but which should you get? Nick runs through the pros and cons of both in this video.
Check out our full reviews of both shoes:
Adidas Boston 12 Review:
Hoka Mach X Review:
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Design And Key Stats
02:41 – How’s The Fit?
03:39 – The Run Test
07:18 – Verdict
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Hello and welcome to run testers my Name's Nick in this video going to be Comparing the Adidas Boston 12 and the Hoka Mac [Music] X so hak X and Adas Boston 12 are both Trainers that sit in the super trainer Category of shoes that use some tech From the best racing carbon shoes in Each Brand's lineup and bring it into a Shoe that's designed for your daily Training that handle a nice wide range Of runs the Boston 12 is the cheapest Shoot it's £40 or $160 whereas the macx Is £60 or $180 they're quite similar in Weight the hak x is 265 G or 9.3 o in The uk9 whereas the Boston 12 is $259 G Or 9.1 o macx is has a 5mm drop and the Boston has a 8 mm drop Boston stack Height is 38 mm at the heel and 30 at The 4T whereas the macx in the menu is 39 at the heel and 34 at the 4ot and Then 37 at the heel and 32 at the 4 foot In the women's shoe so with the Boston 12 you've got a very lightweight mesh Upper with really no structure at all a Very minimal heel counter at the back There but not a lot going on in terms of Cushioning around the tongue and heel Got a dual density midsole top layer is Adidas's Light Strike Pro that's the Best foam in ad's range used on shoes Like the adios Pro 3 and underneath that You have a layer of Light Strike 2.0 EVA
Foam now this is a lighter softer foam Than the first version of Light Strike And that dual density setup is designed To give you the B the soft feeling of The Light Strike Pro on top and then a Slightly firm and more Durable foam Beneath in between the two layers of Foams you've got glass fiber infused Energy rods the 2.0 uh this is ad's Rod System which they use instead of a plate To create a slightly more flexible feel While giving you that propulsion you Expect from a plated shoe then you've Got a continental rubber out soil with Pretty good coverage especially on the 4 Foot there are cutouts and some exposed Pham to keep the weight down but all the Key impact areas are covered with what Is a very good Rubber and with the hak X You've got a cre jackard mesh up upper a Lot more padding around the heel than on The Boston and certainly a much more Substantial heel counter stability has Been taken a bit more seriously with the Hawker I'd say it's got that big heel Counter and a broader base and sidewalls Of foam as well for your foot to sit Within again you've got a dual density Mids soole with a peber foam on top and Then an Eva layer on the bottom so Similar in in many ways to the adid Das Shoe but instead of Rod you've got a Pack plate running through the hak X to Give you that uh propulsive feeling also
Got much more of a rocker with the macx Compared to the Boston you have a rubber Outsole with kind of similar coverage to The Boston uh but it's not quite as good As the Continental robber out so we Should talk about in the run test but Yeah you do have good coverage there Compared to the hak 5 which uh doesn't Have any kind of rubber on the [Music] Outside so it comes to the fit I've got My normal UK size and bow shoes which is A uk9 uh it's a US 9.5 I've had no real Concerns on the length with Eva shoe It's the right length for me in both of Them so I would stick to normal size but There are some concerns with fit mainly With the Adidas the hoker is in general A very well fitted shoe the upper feels Really good it's easy to put the shoe on And off and it's got a nice comfortable Upper with enough room a good hold Around the midfoot might come up a Little bit narrow for some people but I'm fine I've got very narrow foot and Then on the Boston the upper is not my Favorite part of the shoe it's fair to Say it's a very thin very racy feeling Upper you get a little bit of lace bite From the very thin tongue it's bit Harder in general to sort out the laces On the shoe and get them in the right Position it's also a lot harder to get This shoe on than the Mac X even
Considering the fact that I've had to Heel lock it because you do get some Heel rub with the Boston or at least I Did from it so although I stick your Normal size the fit of the Boston is Certainly something that you have to Play around with a little bit more than The fit of the hak X which was very good Uh straight out of the [Music] Box so it comes to the run test you've Got two pretty solid super trainers here With similar setups with their dual Density midsoles and designed for a Similar purpose but do have quite Different ride feels I found when I was Testing them Hoka despite being a Similar weight to the Boston feels a lot Bigger and weightier on the foot almost And a less Snappy ride it's much more a Shoe where you roll through with the Rocker the foam isn't noticeably soft And Squishy it's got a decent bit of Rebound but mainly I found that I was Rolling through with the shoe and Getting a little bit of punch from the Plate and the Pham but it wasn't Noticeably quick and propulsive as you Might expect from the setup you have Here so I found it really nice rolling Through easy runs and steady runs and You can do fast stuff in it well enough But it feels a little bit big and not All that Nimble to me at times compared
To the Boston which has a more Traditional Snappy ride you get a lot More punch off that big puck of Light Strike Pro under the forefoot I found I Enjoyed using the Boston for 400 meter Reps as well as extended fast runs and That's something I didn't really find With the hoker like if I was going to go And do a track session I'd much prefer To be in the Boston compared to the hok X it feels really good if you're going To roll through longer runs and pretty Hard long runs but I do think the Boston Does those quite well but it's got a Slightly different feeling ride for sure Compared to the Hawker there's less of a Rocker more of a snap through and then The extra bounce you get from the Light Strike Pro and the rods in the shoe so When it is on those easy runs you are Getting a more comfortable experience With the hoker though that's lot of that Is down to the upper I'd say which is Notely more comfortable but yeah that Smooth rocker really is nice to engage With over the course of a long run you Can just tick over feel very comfortable In the shoe you've got a little bit of Pop there from the Foams and the plate When you need them Boston I did like for Long runs though and the two Foams do Merge together quite well so it does Feel like you're almost sinking in and Getting a nice transition uh smoothly
Onto from the more Light Strike Dominated heel to what feels like the More Light Strike Pro dominated 4 foot Where you get that extra bounce and in General is a nice shoe for cruising Around in as long as you can get the Upper in the right position because it Is a bit of annoying upper but once I Did have it laced up correctly I found It was fine for those long runs and felt Very comfortable but I do think the Hoker is a little bit more comfortable One of the differences is on the out Soole the Boston's got the better Outsole for sure like this Continental Rubber we've seen lots of their shoes For a long time with Adidas and it does Deliver reliable grip when you're Running fast on greasy Pavements that Kind of thing even though it's a thin Layer I think the durability be okay but Really the grip does stand out because The macx was a little bit slippery for Me on greasy Pavements with this Rubber And actually almost found that the Mac 5 Without any outsole was a bit grippier But yeah so that's one small difference It's not terrible the grip on the hoker But the Adidas certainly has better grip If you're thinking about winter training So when I ran in the shoes at the same Time it was notable that the Boston just Felt that a little bit more flexible and A lot more lively in general like I do
Like the rod system on ADH shoes Combined with the Light Strike Pro foam There it does give you quite a natural Uh feeling for what is you know a modern Super trainer with a big stack height It's comfortable does feel Lively does Feel more bouncy and springy H doesn't Feel heavy per se but it does feel like You're getting a lot of ground contact With the width of the shoe and the General size of the shoe and that just Makes it a little bit more pous to me if I'm going to try and move fast in it it Certainly feels more relaxed and a Little bit more stable than the Boston But doesn't feel that as versatile at The sharp end of things and I do usually Like a rocket shoe and I do like the Foams in this in this hoker but they're Not quite as impressive as the setup you Have in the midsole of the Boston I'd Say another thing I noticed in Particular someone who's got very high Cadence High turnover like quite Shuffling stride the Boston is a little Bit better for that when you're moving Fast CU it it's only slightly lighter But like I so feels a lot more Nimble And agile and I feel I can turn my feet Over and it a little bit more easily Than the hoker which might suit someone Has got a more bounding style better Because you're going to get a bit more Force Through the Foams and the pack
Plate in this and get maybe get a bit More back I found it was easier almost To engage the Foams and the rods in the Boston and get the bounce back from them Than on the hook which like I say was All about rolling through smoothly Rather than getting a particularly Bouncy or explosive [Music] Ride it comes to the verdict I Personally do prefer the as Boston 12 Myself I think it's a better shoe for my Needs and the type of running I do and My running style but it's not an open And shut case which sure the hok ma X is Still a pretty solid shoe all around Almost depends what you want from a Super trainer so the hoker is more Comfortable and it is more stable and if You're looking for a shoe that can do Everything and you do a lot more maybe Just all out easy runs long runs I think The hoker might be the shoe that suits You a little bit better because is that A little bit more comfortable there L Faffing with the upper and it does roll Through long cruises really well then it Does have speed you know you can go and Do fast training it as well just I do Think the Boston has more speed I prefer My super trainers to ER towards the Speedy side of things and a lot of even When I'm doing relaxed runs I do Progression runs quite a lot throughout
The week and I just find them more Comfortable in the Boston once I've got The upper sorted out it does feel like The more enjoyable shoe for me when I'm On the run and just handles that faster Stuff a bit better than the hoker and That's probably what I want from a super Trainer like that cruisy feel on the Hooker is great and as a do all shoot That does work really well but I think The Boston does those easy runs quite Well for me I still find it pretty Comfortable and have no problems using It for easy runs so I prefer the shoe With the greater range at the fast end Of things and then you do get the extra Benefit of the Boston it is a bit Cheaper it's also ISO that's popping up In sales quite a lot some really good Black Friday deals going out on it so do Think that also gives it a little bit of An edge whereas the macx really hasn't Come down in price too much yet as far As I can see but yeah to shoes here Maybe the matx is that bit friendlier if You are looking for maybe your first Plated shoe it will have that benefit of Being a bit more stable and comfortable And cruy but the Boston 12 I think is The better allrounder for [Music] Me that's our comparison of the as Boston 12 and the Hoka macx let us know What you think in the comments below
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