The Mach X is a shoe that Hoka fans have been eagerly awaiting, designed to take learnings from the impressively versatile Mach range and combine that with a propulsive carbon plate.
That plate sits between two layers of foam, EVA to provide a supportive ride and a new PEBA section to improve responsiveness and rebound. That combination is built to feel soft for easy session but with plenty of pop for faster efforts.
We loved the Mach 4 and with the Mach 5, Hoka has taken a truly great daily trainer that you can go slow, quick and even race in and made it even better. A big part of that is down to the new ProFly+ midsole foam that gives the Mach 5 a lighter, and more responsive ride than the Mach 4.
Tom, Nick and Kieran have been testing the two cushioned shoes out to see which one they would choose for race day.
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00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Stats
00:38 – Design
01:58 – How’s the Fit?
03:38 – The Run Test
12:50 – Verdict
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Hey there Tom here from the Run testers With another running shoe versus in this Video we're going to be taking a look at The Hawker Mach 5 and the new Hawker Mac X let's take a look [Music] The Hawker Mac X costs 160 pounds or 180 It weighs in at 242 grams or 8.5 ounces For men in a size 8 and the drop is 5 Millimeters the hooker Mach 5 costs 130 Pounds or 140 dollars it weighs in at 212 grams or 7.5 ounces for men in a Size 8 and the drop is five millimeters [Music] Mac X is a shoe that Hawker fans have Been eagerly awaiting designed to take Learnings from The impressively Versatile Mac range and combine that With propulsive carbon plate that plate Sits between two layers of foam Eva to Provide a supportive ride and a new Bieber section to improve responsiveness And rebound that combination is built to Feel soft for easy sessions but with Plenty of pop for faster efforts other Features include a creel jacket upper For breathability and comfort a gusseted Tongue and a generous layer of outsole Rubber for grip and durability the Hooker Mac 5 is is the long-anticipated Successor to the hugely popular Mach 4 And its slightly firmer sibling than Max Supersonic in the most recent version There's an updated profly plus midsole
That offers a slightly softer ride for Daily training runs and leaner upper to Keep the weight down including a Redesigned lay flat Tong and longer Laces than those supplied with the max Supersonic it's a shoe that's designed For versatility allowing you to go from Comfortable daily miles all the way up To race day offering an excellent Balance of responsiveness and cushioning That balance is the result of a dual Density midsole that combines a softer Layer with a firmer rubberized outer Layer ocase is a shoe that has a little More umph behind it both in performance And ride [Music] So both of these shoes fit me well in my Normal running shoe size they are uk-9s Us 9.5s and that works well for me in Both shoes I have quite a narrow foot And tend to get on quite well with Hoka Shoes as a result but you can see you Know even with the Mach 5 which is a Reasonably narrow shoe I had to pull the Laces quite tight to get good lockdown Fit with it but I'd say the Mac X is a Little bit wider than the Mach 5 but Both of them held my foot perfectly Securely I had enough room in the Forefoot good hold at the heel so yeah No concerns at all in my normal running Shoe size with both shoes now when it Comes to fit I've run true to size in
Both of these shoes eight and a half in The UK which is my size that is what I'd Recommend they do come up a bit snug if Anything the Mac X is a little bit Snugger across the top of the toes maybe A little bit into that kind of toe Knuckle area both of these fit quite Snug around that area and if you've got Super wide feet you might want to take That into consideration and see about Going half a size up potentially but I Found them absolutely bang on true to Size for what I like to run which is you Know they hug enough there's just enough Wiggle room in the toe box and so I Would recommend going through to size Fit for me in both of these shoes I'm a Size eight I've got a size 8 in both of These shoes and I find them to be very Comfortable I've done a lot of miles in The hooker Mac 5 and I've had no issues At all in the fit of this shoe and I've Done a few runs in hokka Mac X and again It seems very I think I would say that The hokemark 5 is a little bit more Narrow than hokka mac X for me not Massively I don't have particularly wide Feet so I don't really notice here but I Definitely felt that um The Mach 5 was Just a little bit less spacious than the The Mac X but other than that they both Are very comfortable uppers um and just Enough padding to be to be comfortable But not too much padding but they are
Very nice to wear and I stick to my size So I've just done my side by side mount I've got the hokemax 5 on the left foot Hokumac X on the right foot and there's A few things that are really noteworthy When you first slip the shoes on both Shoes have this really nice sensation Where they kind of cradle the feet the Footbed of the shoe actually really kind Of envelops the bottom of your foot nice And comfortably they both hug fairly Tightly I think in terms of sizing and Fit I think there's a little bit more Room in the Hoka Mach 5 just a little Bit more room in the toe box a little Bit more wiggle room the hokumac X just Fits a bit more racy it's a bit more Kind of snug as particularly around Across the top of the toes there now When you get moving I think you also Notice a difference it's a subtle Difference but there is a difference Here and the thing is the Mac X just has A little bit more pop one of the reasons For that I think the Mach 5 run a little Bit flatter I do think you notice that Kind of lower stack marginally and you Just feel like you sink a little bit More there's a little bit softer feeling Under foot when you first land now what You're getting with the Mac X I think is You almost feel like that rock is a bit More announced and there's a bit more Kind of firmness in the foam coming back
So there's almost a bit more under the Ball of the foot so as you roll through You get more of the spring I think That's partly the phone that's also Partly I think the leverage that you're Getting from that p-vax plate that's in There and it is noticeable the other Thing Mac X it feels like a smaller shoe On the foot is heavier but actually I Think it feels a little bit more Compact And a little bit more agile and looking At it when I'm kind of facing down I can See actually there's a bit more length Mach 5 and there is in the Mac X the toe Doesn't extend quite as far I think There's actually a little bit less width Marginally here and I think you've Noticed they've got a heel protrusion a Bit more on the Mach 5 than you do on The Mac X and that just creates this Kind of overall feeling of I guess a Little bit of a bigger platform but Cushioned platform in the Mac X sorry in The mag 5 but a sort of smaller Landing Zone and a bit more kind of punch and a Bit more kind of agility into the Mac X And one thing I think that's really Clear for me is that the Mac X feels a Little bit more racy it feels a little Bit more faster it feels like a bit more Of an Up Tempo shoe now to the Mach 5 Which feels a little bit more like a Shoe you might use for and it's super Versatile than Mach 5 I absolutely love
It you can use it for almost anything But it does to me sort of sit bit Further back when you might want to be Doing things a little bit longer and you Need a bit more cushioning and Protection I think the Mac X is going to Sit kind of higher up that kind of pace Or form kind of chain if you want to Call it that when you're running in your In your best form but these are both Gray shoes absolutely love them and the Margins here I think between the two of Them really quite subtle so I've been a Long-term fan of the holcombat line I Really liked actually the original shoe And then the last couple of versions I Think have been really outstanding Options on the market at large as Lightweight non-plated trainers that Were comfortable versatile could do a Little bit of everything and then when I Saw the Mac X coming out and what's Involved in the shoe with that Paper-based midsole foam on the top There and the p-backed plate I really Thought it was going to be an amazing Shoe Um and actually I've ended up not loving The Mac X as much as I expected to in Comparison I do think both shoes Actually still do quite similar things In what they're best at they are both Nice rocker shoes that roll through very Nicely at easy Paces cruisy Paces steady
Paces and then both of them maybe lack a Little bit when it comes to pushing to All outpaces uh you know really fast Training runs that kind of thing I think They're solid options for that but Actually they're not exceptional I think That's more a problem with the Mac X Because it is a shoe that's probably got A bit more going on it's the more Expensive shoe of the pair of them it's Got that plate in there it's got the Piva foam but it doesn't feel very Balanced and explosive underfoot you do Get a little bit more pop from the Mac X And you're running fast compared to the Mach 5 for sure but at the same time It's not a huge upgrade in terms of Speed because the bigger shoe heavier Shoe you lose a little bit of the Nimble Feel that you get with the Mach 5 which Does feel so natural and easy to get Into a rhythm with at almost any Pace Really does feel like an extension of Your foot whereas the Mac X is a much More notable Chunk on the end of your Foot there and I don't think it's quite Living the amount of spring you might Expect for such a big shoe to really Make it great for fast training it is Lovely for rolling around at easy Paces Though I do think it's quite a Supportive shoe and a comfortable shoe Given the high stack the fact that it I Think it's quite stable certainly more
So than other shoes with this kind of Stack item Tech going on that's partly Because it's just got a slightly firmer Feel than you might expect for a shoe That's got the pivot foam in the midsole Like this direct comparisons I think You're gonna get a bit more protection And comfort from the Mac X when it comes To longer runs I think it's got a little Bit more pop for longer hard runs as Well it will help you sustain good Paces For longer when it comes to your daily Training just easy runs cruising around For half an hour an hour I think they're Equally good I almost prefer probably The more macro feel of the Mach 5 and it Comes to faster runs Yeah I think it's a bit of a wash Actually the macro is a bit lighter it Does make it easy to pick up the feet And turn them over get more punch from The Mac X when you're looking at Short Sharp reps and that kind of thing but at The same time it's not really delivering As much oomph as you might hope for Given the spec sheet of the shoe so There are some little differences Between them but it's not you know the Mac X doesn't really outshine the mac5 As much as I might have expected you Have got an outsole on the market Because that is going to improve Durability I will say in my first run in The Mac X I ran on greasy Pavements and
The grip wasn't actually fantastic I Think it's roughed up a bit now the Outsole it should be a little bit better But I don't think you're going to gain a Whole loading grip because I have found That the Maca fire grips quite well with That uh rubberized outsole foam but it Will be less durable than the Mac X Which obviously is a point in the favor Of the more expensive shoe same time the Lack of an outsole on the mac5 they Always have felt it's part of its appeal Because it creates that a very soft ride Like it really feels like you're making A really nice contact with the ground About any kind of slap because of that Rubberized Eda outsole but yeah it does Have its downsides in terms of Durability okay so the runs assessing These two shoes is an interesting one Obviously a lot of people win the hockey Mach 5 was out we saw a lot of people Talking about if they're ever going to Add a plate into it and they have in the Shape of the Hawker Mac X now the Hawker Mac 5 is a shoe that all the Run testers Have been big fans of I did a lot of my Training for Chicago marathon in this Shoe I used it as a trading partner for The soccer Air dwarfin Pro 3 and I Really liked it just because it didn't Have a plate I like training in a shoe That doesn't have a plate if I'm doing Marathon training just because I like to
Have the benefit of the plate when um I'm racing or if I'm doing a really hard Run and I want something to give you a Bit of a hand but the Mach 5 was a Perfect uh training partner for that Because it doesn't have a plate but it's Still a very fast shoot and a very Versatile shoe so what I find about the Mach 5 is that it has a relatively uh it Doesn't have loads of cushioning it's Not Max cushion shoe but it does have Enough cushioning to feel comfortable Over longer runs um but also there's Plenty of pickup feels very lightweight On the feet and just feels very Responsive that dual air midsole foam is Really comfortable Um but also it's got a nice bit of nice Balance of softness and a bit of Responsiveness in it as well it's just a Fantastic shoe and if you're looking for A all-rounder trainer which veers more Towards the speed stuff it's it's Brilliant and I I don't think I found a Shoe that's as good as this it doesn't Have a plate in it uh so the Mach 5 is a Shoe that we've always said you know if You want to pick up a fast training shoe At first style training shoe or daily Training that screws towards speed it's A great shoe for that now the Mac X has Come out and that It's actually it's not just a hooker Mach 5 with a plate in it it does feel
Like a different shoe uh it feels more More like something like the softening Dolphin speed three Um I wouldn't say the plate is massively Noticeable in it it's not like a calm Plate racing shoe where you where you Can feel that proportion from the plate It just feels nice and efficient when You're running in it so I've done Intervals and uh long run in this shoe And I found that over the long runs it Was fine it just felt really good very Comfortable there's plenty of cushioning In it and it really just helps roll you Forward comfortably Um as you're doing those longer those Longer sessions Um and helps you keep a nice consistent Pace it's very easy to maintain a Consistent Pace in both of these shoes But the plate does help it a bit Um and does really sort of turn you over Nicely and for the interval sessions it It's great it's really it does feel Really fast it does feel like you can Pick up the pace very quickly in it and The plates in it um alongside that that Jaw layer foam that's in it really does Does help you pick up accelerate and Accelerate quite nicely it's not Sluggish shoe it's very nippy Um and I definitely say it's a good Option both of these are good options if You want a shoe maybe if you just want
One shoe to do all of your running in And you you want to be able to race in It and do do faster sessions in it but You also want to do daily or slower runs In it both of these issues are very good For that but I would say the Mac X has Just got a little bit more to it Probably from there's a bit more in that Midsole so it's just probably a bit Better for the longer ones and It's just a bit more enjoyable I think Um but I think I'm still going to ruin The hooker Mark 5 a lot as well I think I don't think they're comparable shoes In a lot of ways because they do feel Very different Um and I'd still like that natural feel That you get from the Mach 5 Um Mac connects doesn't necessarily feel Unnatural but you know there's a plate In it and it does feel a little bit Um like it's moving your foot in a way That it wants you to whereas the Mach 5 Just feels very natural on the feet and Very comfortable Okay so my verdict on the mac5 and the Mac X is a really really difficult one Because I kind of want both of them they Do slightly different things But if I had to choose one of these to Have for my daily training runs my Versatile runs my faster runs I'm still Gonna go Mach 5 because I really like it It's a non-plated training partner to a
Carbon plate ratio and it's just so Comfortable Um I just really enjoy running in it it Feels very natural on the feet and I Just love the ride of it the Mac X is Fantastic as well it's a really really Good shoe and it's it's very versatile Probably even more versatile than the Mach 5 But I do when it comes to daily training Miles Um as a rotation I do want to have a Shoe that isn't plated for for a lot of Those sessions especially if I'm Marathon training or training for a half Marathon and I think the Mach 5 is that That shoe but it's difficult I basically Want both of them now my voted on these Two shoes I think is pretty simple I Don't think one shoe is necessarily Better than the other shoe I actually Think they're going to be more Originally aimed at slightly different Types of running although I also feel They're both pretty versatile as well I Can do lots of different ranges of pace And mileage in both of these shoes but If I'm going to draw the distinction the Mac X is going to appeal much more to When you're going faster perhaps a Little bit shorter where you want a bit More of a punch you run where you don't Necessarily need as much protection if Things are going to go a little bit
Ragged so compare that to the Mach 5 Which I think although it's a lighter Shoe it's got a lower stack it does feel I think a little bit more protected a Bit more cushioned and it feels like It's got a bit more particularly back Into the heel and a sort of slightly Wider platform I also think the midsole Foam is a little bit softer so you get a Little bit more cushioning protection From the road in that shoe so then I Would be tempted to be using the Mach 5 Probably more for things from the slower Or up to the faster whereas I think the Mac X is basically from faster kind of Down towards the slower you know I've Happily run long slow miles in the Mac X As well but I think that's where they Kind of overlap now if you're going to Really push me a shoe the one that I Really have enjoyed running in more is The Mac X the one that I think I would Probably get more use out of on a Versatility basis But I think it's going to be the Mach 5 And even though I think you're going to Get more and raise the potential out of The Mac X if you wanted to use it for Races or a little bit more when you Wanted to do those kind of faster Interval sessions when you've got like The tempo a bit I do think that really The Mach 5 can cope with that stuff and Because of the price point there's
Arguably a little bit extra value there So if I had to really be pushed I'd Probably go mark five money no object And just for sheer fun and speed and all Out I'd go Mac X both of these shoots Are excellent I don't think you'll be Disappointed in either of them if you Buy either of them though so I would Rate both these shoes as good All-rounder shoes that can handle a nice Variety of rounds are very good for Cruising around in at easy paces and Then can do faster stuff but maybe it Isn't quite their Forte actually got More similar rides than you might expect I think given that you've got a lot more Going on with the Mac X they've got nice Rocket rides a little bit more pop on The Mac set Mac X from the plate but not A huge amount and given that I do think I'd probably end up using it for quite Similar runs I probably would go for the Mach 5 out of these two because it is That a little bit cheaper it does such a Nice feel on the foot because of the Lightweight design the the way it Contacts the ground about that adult Cell outsole you're gonna get a more Durable more impressive shoe for fast And long runs in the Mac X but for daily Trading miles and that kind of thing I'd Probably prefer the feeling of the Mach 5 and it's a shoe you can find for quite Good prices these days so yeah I thought
The Mac X was going to come in and blow Me away and it was going to be a next Step for the Mac line and actually it's Almost similar to the max supersonic Which I thought oh this could be an even Better version of the mac and again I Kind of feel I find myself reaching for The Mach 5 again just as the more simple Shoe that does a similar job while Feeling it's really nice on the foot the Mac Edge just despite all the stuff in The midsole it doesn't all add up to a Massive uptick in performance for me so Yeah like I said I'll probably grab the Mac5 and a deal if you're looking for a Nice comfortable rocker daily trainer That can handle a nice variety of runs That's it from us thanks a lot for Watching this video don't forget to like Subscribe click the little bell and all Those different things and check the Channel out for all the other videos We've got coming up if you're going to The caption below you can also find a Link to the podcast which you can listen To when you're out on the run and we Have plenty of interviews with various People as well as our monthly um Podcasts where we talk about all things To do with the latest kit thanks a lot For watching catch you next time Foreign [Music]
