The Saucony Kinvara Pro and Hoka Mach X are two new super-trainers for 2023. Both have dual-density midsoles including a PEBA-based top layer and a plate running through them, and are designed to handle a wide variety of runs. Tom, Mike, Kieran and Nick have been testing out both shoes of late, here’s their verdict on which you should get.
Check out our full reviews of both shoes:
Hoka Mach X Review:
Saucony Kinvara Pro Review:
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Design & Key Stats
02:13 – How’s The Fit?
04:35 – The Run Test
17:05 – Verdict
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Hello and welcome to the Run testers my Name's Nick and in this video we're Going to be comparing the sukany canvara Pro and the hokumac X [Music] A hooker Mac X and the second equivalent Pro are two new entries into the super Trainer category of shoes that's become Very popular in the last couple of Months in particular we've got a lot of These new shoes hitting the market They're both pretty expensive shoes They're both 180 in the US but then the Conversion to the UK is a bit bizarre We've got 160 pounds for the hokem X and 200 pounds for the soccer league envira Pro macx is the light issue it's 265 Grams or 9.3 ounces in my UK size 9 Which is us nine and a half the canvaro Pro is 303 grams or 10.7 ounces in a uk9 But that's a us-10 so it's slotted big Issue on the U.S scale the hokumac X has A five millimeter drop and the converter Pro is an eight millimeter drop cavara Pro stack height is Big it's 42 Millimeters at the heel 34 millimeters Of the forefoot the Mac X in the men's Shoe is 39 millimeters of the heel and 34 millimeters at the forefoot and in The women's is 37 upper heel 32 at the Forefoot both shoes have dual density Midsoles that sandwich a plate and the Top layer on both shoes is a peeba foam In the canvara Pro at soccer knees power
On PB phone the same stuff as on the pro And Speed 3 endorphin shoes they've got People layer on top of the Mac X as well And they both use Eva Foams underneath It's a power on foam in their Sock-invara Pro it's not named in the Hoka it's just called a proflyx midsole In general now the plates are different In the canvaro Pro you've got a Three-quarter length carbon plate and Then it's a full length p-backs plate in The Hoka Mac X that's a plastic place But more lightweight upper on the Hoka Mac X they both have a decent amount of Padding at the back but in general the Material on the Mac aches is a bit Lighter you've got these almost rubbery Line overlays on the canvara pro a Little bit of suede there as well it's a Snapper that seems less geared towards Speed than the upper on the Mac X Although they're both pretty comfortable Around the heel and you've got no Outsole on the converter Pro it just Uses the power run foam on the bottom There it's got a bit of molding there to Provide grip there's no rubber there how Whereas on the Mac X you do have a thin Rubber layer over the forefoot and those Sections at the heel there Fair bit of Exposed foam a little bit of rubber Should help with durability [Music] Thank you so then fit I ran in a UK
Eight and a half in both of these shoes And I found the fit just about spot on Both are quite hugging I think the Hokers are close fitting around the toe Knuckle a bit more so so if you have Wider feet I think that'll be a Consideration for sure the canvara pro Come up a little longer in the toe box For me at least there's a bit more room Up front because of that but I'd Recommend going true to size in both of These shoes that's what I ran in fit for Me in the Hawker Mac X I'm an eight this Is a size eight in the UK it fits me Perfectly I definitely wouldn't size up Or down in this shoe it's probably a Little bit narrow if you're somebody With wide feet I haven't got wide feet So I haven't had any issues with it but It's a hawker they quite often are a bit Narrow the canvaro pro same I'm a size 8 This is a size eight it fits five for me I've not had any issues with it at all And it feels very comfortable so I'll Stick to my size in both of these shoes So in terms of fit I've had both of These shoes in a UK size eight I'll Start with the hokka Mac X which a lot Like the Mach 5 sits pretty narrow on my Feet it is a narrow fitting shoe so That's something to keep in mind I think The upper hugs very nicely and it hasn't Been uncomfortable anyway I think in Terms of the space you're getting in
Front of the toes it's not massively Roomy that's but it's just enough to Make sure that if you're going long in It you've got a little bit of room to Kind of splay there Um in terms of getting on the guitar Approach definitely opens up a bit more Gives you a bit more room up front of The toes obviously I've had my own kind Of personal issues in terms of How It's Felt against the kind of sides of my Foot and I have felt some discomfort There on longer runs but elsewhere Lockdown's been pretty good and they've Hold at the midfoot has been pretty good As well you're getting more padding in The tongue on the cavara pro where You've got this kind of skinnier kind of More racing feel one on the Mac X but in Terms of the one that's fit me best and I've had less issues with and you know Not had any kind of discomfort I would Say the Mac X has been a better fit for Me but generally I think you'd be fine To go true to size in both of these Shoes so both shoes fit well for me in My normal UK size which is a UK 9 in Both shoes with Hoka that translates to A US 9.5 with the sockony shoe it's a Us-10 but I use the same size across all Shoes pretty much in the Hoka and Kilvara pro ranges poker is a little bit Tighter than the converter Pro but I've Had no concern to the other pretty
Narrow foot and I found that both the Issues don't be very comfortably Throughout the shoe could hold around The heel and enough room in the toe box Foreign These are two shoes that have come about Recently that are a little bit different Than how I would have expected them to Be the Hawker Mac X is interesting Because we absolutely loved the Mach 5 We loved the mac 4. and there was a lot Of discussion in the comments about what Would happen if you put a plate into the Mach 5. this isn't really that shoe it's It has a plate in it but the actual Design of the shoe is not that similar To The Mach 5. so if you're if you're Getting the shoe and thinking right it's Going to be even faster than the Mach 5 It isn't really it's not really designed For that it's a bit of a clunky issue It's a bit heavier it's a bit bigger There's a bit more to it and it's not Really that versatile I'd say that this Shoe really Does a great job at Daily training miles It's very comfortable it's a nice Turnover in it you don't really get a Pop from carbon plate it's more like an Efficiency gain from the carbon plate I Don't really notice it when I'm out Running but it is completely fine for Easy runs for daily sessions any runs Where you're just sort of clocking up
The miles once you start getting a bit Faster it's okay to a point but not very Far whereas the hooker Mac 5 you could Do anything in that shoe you could do Slow runs you could do racing in it I Wouldn't race an issue it just doesn't Have a turnover it doesn't have the pop It doesn't have the acceleration of the Hooker Mach 5. um so I would say there Is a nice daily cushion shoe feels very Efficient very comfortable but it just Doesn't have the versatility that I Would want from a daily trainer and I'd Hope to get from this but I still do Like it The Saucony kinvara Pro is a is a Different cat official together the Kinvara is a lightweight shoe it's very Minimal in comparison to a lot of the Competitive shoes out there Um I'm not a massive fan of the canvara I think it's a little bit too Lightweight for me I want a bit more Cushioning in my shoes and I didn't Really like the last version that much The kimara pro isn't it's nothing to do With the Canberra there's no there's no Similarities to the converter at all Um it is not a shoe I enjoy running in It just it's a very hard shoe it feels Very firm somewhat plasticky the lighter Layer of foam isn't doesn't really add Anything to it because that that big Thick wedge of thick foam is so
Overpowering that it just feels very Clunky I have done about 100 about 40K In this shoe Um and I've done about 70k in the Mac X Now and what I found about the canvaro Pro is that I'm not entirely sure what It's for it's definitely not very good At easy runs because it's really firm And really clunky and I raced in this as Well the other day I did a 10K in it and It it isn't designed for going fast Either from what I can see it just feels Like it's not helping you in any way I Don't feel a lot from that plate it just Feels like you've got a whole lot of Shoe on your foot and nothing about that Shoe is really designed to help you in Any way soccer team have made some Fantastic shoes over the past couple of Years I'm a massive fan of loads of Shoes in the range so I think this is Just a little bit of a an odd misfire From Saucony I'm just not sure where it Fits in and for the price at 200 pounds Whereas the hockey Mac X is like 160 Pounds it's just really odd and odd Design and oddly priced shoe and I'm not Sure where I would use it but I Definitely haven't really found a use For it yet whereas the Hawker Mac X I Think it's solid for daily ones easy Runs and long runs so if you use both of These shoes for a very similar range of Runs I've done mostly just general
Training runs in both of them so a Couple of very relaxed easy rounds Aggression run where I moved to kind of A steady pace and then a harder Progression run which I did as basically A session with a 45 minute progression Starting reasonably hard and getting Quite hard for the last 15 minutes Mac X I had first and I really liked it for Just general plods and mooching around It did have a quite a smooth ride felt Nice and comfortable on the foot very Stable for a pie stack shoe with peaba Foam in it but didn't really feel that Bouncy or explosive or soft underfoot Like you might expect from a super Trainer like this and when I did a Faster running it wasn't all that Impressed like it felt okay but it Didn't really feel like I was getting Much Punch or spring from the foam and The plate combination like as much as You get from other super trainers or Indeed carbon shoes however one thing That really has made the Mac X look a Very good shoe in my opinion is the Testing of the canvara pro which looks Reasonably similar to show on paper it Is a fair bit heavier but in general There's a lot of similar stuff going on Here but it feels a lot deader bigger And just less impressive than the Mac X To me like I've struggled to really get A lot out of the midsole in this shoe
Like it feels quite you know dull Underfoot even with that power on pdb Follow him in the plate in there like Even when I was pushing hard in that 45 Minute progression like running a Section around like 335 a k pace and I Just didn't feel like I was getting much Back from the shooting it has a rocker And it's reasonably smooth from a heel To foot heel to toe but still feels Quite clunky and heavy and big when you Are running at PACE in it and actually I Didn't find it as easy with the kimbara Pro to get into a rhythm with it at Slower Paces as I did the Mac X as well It's not as big and heavy issue as it Looks and is like it feels okay on the Run like you can get into a rhythm of it And tick over okay but it still feels Like a lot of shoot it still feels like It's more intrusive On The Run than the Mac X something I notice a lot I don't Think my gate always agrees with it Perfectly it just feels like a lot of Shoe Without Really delivering much Punch from the foam and the plate making All that foam and a plate in there you Think you'd get a bit more back from it But you don't as a result I think it Just feels quite big and heavy and flat When you're running fast Mac X like I Say isn't the liveliest right on the Foot when you're running quick but it's A lot nimbler than the uh than the
Kimbara pro for sure when I was wearing Both at the same time it just felt a lot Lighter a little bit smoother and and Just more capable to me for a range of Paces like I did prefer running easier In this Mac X as well to think about a Pro just because again I found it easier To get into a rhythm with it it felt Lighter it felt still felt just as Comfortable and stable as the canvara Pro but in just as much smaller shoot All around now on the run test I've done Around 35 miles in the Hoka Mac X I've Done just short of 25 in the cavara Pro Including a half marathon test that Mixed up the pace from slow and sluggish Right up to Marathon paste but overall I've done a similar mix of Paces in both From slow through marathon pace and up To all that mild place I've used them on A mix of terrain plenty of roads and Tarmac and I've thrown some light River Paths and off-road in there as well I Also did a side-by-side Mile with one Show on each foot just now to really Compare the feel back in the car it Started raining and that has thrown up Some important comparisons here both of These shoes offer I think a really good Unfussy instant step in Comfort the Canvara a little more plush with more Padded heel collars but you will pay for That a little bit in weight the match X For me is noticeably lower to the ground
When you put them on compared to the Highest stack you get from the converter Pro and you can feel I think the three Mil difference in the drop it makes the Mac x a little bit more direct firmer Underfoot but I also found it's Marginally more stable that the Converter I think are also pretty stable They've got a big wide base to run off There's definitely a bit more in the Hill that helps with that the converter Pro is noticeably heavier on the foot You can feel it there's much more shoe Here as well overall the Mac X just a Little bit lighter a little bit livelier A little bit more agile and I think the Mac X Rocker does much more to roll you Through your transition than you get With the converter Pro there's a Snappiness to it an easy roll through Off that rocker that gives you kind of a Good cushioned springy ride I think That's not too firm not too soft I think The foam plate combo returns just at the Right time so you get enough ground feel But there's a kick when you need it now For me the Mac X lands firmly in the Pile of shoes marked can handle pretty Much anything by contrast the canvara Pro relies much more on that big stack Of power run PB foam and the plate to Provide the energy But I find it doesn't quite spring back As much as I'd hoped and I think that
Creates a somewhat kind of spongier ride To the Mac X's more direct ground feel And it's not quite as Lively and because I'm not sure it returns quite as much I'd argue the kinvara pro lacks the Versatility of the likes of the Endorphin Speed 3 as well But I think A lot's going to come down To your preference here if you like or You need more cushion on the foot the Canvara pro I think will appeal a lot More than like me if you like it look More direct where you benefit from kind Of a quicker feet pickup feel if you Like that I think then you can go for The Mac X maybe okay so into that run Test and these are two shoes that you Can probably class as this kind of new Breed of super trainers or shoes that You can race in that you can do your Faster runs in that you can go long in You can do easy runs in These issues are all about versatility But with definitely a kind of speed Slant on them as well now in terms of How well those shoes deliver that I Would say that there are definitely Strengths and weaknesses on both of These shoes but I definitely think There's one shoe that I preferred Running in more than the other now I Talk about the fast running because Obviously this is kind of an interesting One here because they don't look like
They're built necessarily for Speed and Obviously you know you know the lightest Shoes to run in and run quicker in but Ultimately Um I think they are as I said I think There's positives on both these fans but Also think there's some negatives I Think start with the faster sessions That I've done I've done track sessions With both of these shoes now I've done More running in the converter pros of Catching up in terms of my testing with The Mac x what I would say is when I've Done my kind of quicker stuff in the Canvara Pro it's definitely felt pretty Nice I think the ride is pretty good I Think it's pretty effortless in terms of What you get from this uh when you're Running a little bit quicker in it Whereas I think with the Mac X I think You have to kind of gauge what's in this Midsole to really get the best out of it And maybe have to work a little bit Harder to get a nicer feeling when You're running faster but ultimately I Think the thing that weighs against These or against the Guitar Pro is the Terms and difference in the terms of Weights you're getting here cavara Pro Is much heavier than the Mac X Mac has is obviously not as light as the Mach 5 but I definitely feel that the Weight is much more manageable when you Are running a bit quicker now I wouldn't
Say that the ride is necessarily more Exciting than what you're getting on the Converter Pro but I do think it just Feels like a shoe more cut that's more Comfortable to running at speeds I don't Think necessarily it's the most exciting Ride but I do think as I said when you Engage what you're getting in this Midsole here it just works a little bit Nicer and when I think when you're Easing off and you're maybe running a Little bit slower in these shoes maybe a Little bit longer I think again I think You're getting something pretty Comfortable on the Um Mac X obviously the Mach 5 you could Probably ease off as well and it would Be absolutely fine you're getting a Little bit more in terms of getting here In the midsole I think you can do the Same in the converter Pro But ultimately I think you feel the firmness in the Midsole which kind of really dominates What you know it's this dual density Um midsole makeup you're getting and you Do feel that it doesn't really go away As I said you know you get a quite a Nice smooth ride it does get you through That running motion pretty nicely and I Think maybe a little bit nicer than the Mac X But ultimately in terms of running More comfortably or having that kind of Comfortable feeling I think you're still Able to get that and the Mac X
Um as you do with the cabara pro but I Do think it's a little bit firmer Feeling Um when you are kind of running a little Bit slower in it now in terms of Outsoles a very different outsole Makeups in terms of your getting here Um in terms of the design and the Patterns now as I said I've done more Running in the canvaro Pro and it's held Up pretty well I've started to pick up My mileage in the um Mac X as well I'm Probably about 20K 15 20K off what I've Done in Navarro Pro but it's been pretty Good I think obviously you know there Are exposed areas but I've seen you know No I can't really see any really bad Signs of wear just yet and I've run kind Of pavement on track and I've got a Little bit kind of off on lighter Trails But not too much and generally they've Held up pretty good but I think for me In terms of that run test Um I think this shoe does have some good Elements the cavara pro and I think when You are running uh faster I think the um The motion and the move the kind of ride That you're getting here I think the Ride that you're getting here on this Shoe feels a little bit nicer and a Little bit more lively but I think in Terms of what you're getting here on the Mac X you you can you know you engage
What's in this shoe you've got a lighter Shoe you can get something that feels Pretty nice overall as well so I think For me my running experience has been a Lot nicer in the Mac X I can see there's Elements in the cavara Pro that make it Work pretty nicely across those Different types of runs but I think Ultimately the Mac X has just been a lot Nicer to run in for me in the same kind Of runs Foreign I think if you gave me a pair of either And said this is the only issue you're Getting I wouldn't be disappointed in Either over raw I think I could happily Run them but for me the Mac X is the Clear winner it's definitely more my Kind of shoe it's a bit lighter it's a Bit more direct there's a bit less shoe On the foot to me it's a bit better at The top range of paces and has much more Versatility overall the Mac X is perhaps Only beaten on performance at the slower End of the spectrum where I think where I think the converter Pro offers a Little more cushion protection the Canvaro pro were a bit heavy and I found The ride a bit soft and sluggish not as Good at the top speeds as I hoped and The canvaro pro are probably better at The slower speeds while the Mac x a bit Better at the higher speeds however I Think if you're a runner who likes a bit
More cushion between you and the road The canvaro pro might be a better choice For you yeah I think some people might Find the MAC x a little too direct when You get deeper into those miles if you Look at a kind of marathon distances now The price is a huge Factor here as well And I think you get a lot more for the 40 pound less with the Mac X so if I'm Choosing one shoe I'm going to go Mac X But actually I'd recommend looking Beyond these two shoes and I think the Mach 5 arguably offer a very similar Performance to the Mac X but again with A cheaper price tag so I think yeah if You're looking outside of these two then I think the Mach 5 probably do as good a Job as the Mac X as well in many ways my Verdict on these two shoes it's it's Dead easy for me hawker Mac X all the Way I think anything that the Hawker Max X does it does better than the Saucony Convertible Pro I can't think of Anything the pro does that is better Than the Mac X um especially when you Think about the price as well as a Significant price distance between these Two shoes the only thing I can think of About the soccer league Pro is that Because it is really quite a big hulking Den shoot if you're a heavier Runner it May offer some benefits I don't know if That's true I'm relatively light but That's the only thing I can think of for
Having a shoe like this but for me I've Not really had any benefits from running In a soccer league Pro and I'm really Not a fan whereas talking Mac X it's not My favorite daily shoe I know there's Definitely other shoes I'd rather pick Up including the hooker mac5 but it's Solid it's good I definitely like Running in it um and it's a good shoe if You're looking for just a really solid Slightly faster daily trainer Um and probably for longer training runs As part of the marathon training block Or something like that so this is a Pretty easy verdict for me because they Are quite similar shoes and you know They've got the same price in the US or The Mac X is much cheaper in the UK but Going purely in performance I prefer the Mac X for any kind of run I just think It's more comfortable smoother more easy To get into a rhythm with an easy paces And then it's a lot nimbler and faster When you do want to push the pace with Some kind of session even though it's Not the best for that it's certainly Better than the converter Pro in my Opinion I think this is just too much Shoe for me and you know there's a Caveat here is that maybe this isn't the Kind of shoe that I would ever use like I've talked about it in the review I'm Not the lightest runner in the world I Weigh about 70 kilos but it's just too
Much I just don't feel like I'm getting Deep into that midsole or getting much Back from it I don't know if I'm making Much impact on it even when running hard And like I said it just feels a bit Heavy a bit dead on the foot I don't Really get the power run PB bounce Mac X Isn't my favorite shoe this year but if You're looking for a super trainer that Fears more towards the easy end of Things there's a daily trainer that Stable comfortable a little bit of Pop From the plate a little bit of Versatility but you know not the strip Back model like the Endorphin speed These are two issues that really fit That bill but the Mac X is a much better Shoot I think um I think it just does All the jobs you'd want from that shoe a Little bit better than the canvaro pro Whilst being substantially cheaper in The UK and in the same price in the US And you also get an outsole like I Haven't really seen a difference in grip With these two shoes they might be Pretty similar on the grip front but That little bit of extra durability just Means you can take it onto some light Trails little bits of gravel with a bit More confidence than you can the Converter Pro so that's a lovely little Advantage maybe to the Mac X so my Verdicting whether you should go for the Hawker Mac X or the sockony kinvara pro
Now I'll start by saying that these Shoes both are not perfect but in terms Of the type surrounds are designed for And the brands that I've done in them I Would say the Mac X has felt nicer to me In general now what do I put that down To I think first and foremost weight Would be the first thing I would say I Think fit I've had less issues from that Point of view as well and if you wanted Something that has a more faster slant In terms of that kind of kind of daily Trainer then this for me works better Than the canvaro pro that's not to say There's not some good elements of the Cavara pro I think in terms of running a Bit quicker it does feel a little bit More effortlessly I think the ride feels A lot nicer more prominent than it does On the Mac X and you know you have to Work I think less harder to kind of get That good feeling out of it but Ultimately that weight of this shoe you Know that never really disappeared for Me the firmer feel of that sole as well On this kind of slow runs as well too Those really count against it for me Obviously price wise this is 160 pounds In the UK this is 200 pounds Um in the UK as well so from a price Point of view it just makes sense to go For this and I think for the reasons That I've stated on uh in terms of my Time with the Mac X and I've spent less
Time with the Mac X but already I know This is a shoe that I would happily Spend more time in compared to the Converter Pro because there is of Outline so yeah to me I would be saying Go for the Mac X I said not the perfect Uh shoe but I think in terms of what You're getting here there's a lot more Going on about it on the good side than I think there is on the converter Pro And this is the shoe that I would be Going for
