The New Balance SC Trainer v3 and Hoka Mach X2 are both super-trainers with a plate that offer a lot of speed and versatility. Both come at a high price, so which is the one you should spend your hard earned on? Kieran and Nick run through the pros and cons of both shoes in this video and give their verdict on which is better.
00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Design & Key Stats
02:18 – How’s The Fit?
04:49 – The Run Test
11:21 – Verdict
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Hello and welcome to run testers my name Is Nick in this video we're going to be Comparing the New Balance SC Trainer V3 And the hoko Mac [Music] X2 the Mac X2 and the SC Trainer V3 are New plated training shoes from their Brands in 2024 they are designed to be Training Partners to the top end Racing Shoes for New Balance and Hoka they're Both pretty expensive the New Balance in Particular it cost 230 or $180 whereas The Mac X2 is £170 or $190 the H Mac X2 Is the lighter shoe it weighs in at 255 G or 9 o in the uk9 which is US 9.5 the SE train3 in the same size weighs 278 G Or 9.8 o the New Balance has a 6 mm drop With a stack height of 40 mm at the heel And 34 at the for foot the Mac X2 has a 5 mm drop and the menu has a 44 mm stack Height at the heel 39 at the 4T and the Women's is 42 mm at the heel and 37 at The 4T when it comes to the design of The h Max tool you have a dual density Midsole with a top layer of Hocus pea Foam and a bottom layer of Eva with a PBX plate running through the shoe with Wings at the front to add a bit of Stability there you've also got some Side ORS of foam your foot sits in to Add some stability given that high stack Height you've got the usual Hawker Rocker geometry got a lot of cutouts on The bottom of the shoe to try and make
It lightweight and to that end you've Also got a very lightweight woven upper On the shoe not much padding at all Around the heel or anything like that The tongue is also very you know Stripped back it's quite a racy upper All round then you've got rubber on the Out soole in the key impact areas it's Used quite sparingly there's lots of Exposed foam but it is there at the heel And forefoot to give you that grip and Durability with the New Balance SC Trainer V3 you've got a fuel cell Midsole which is made from a blend of Peber and Eva Foams it is 20% peber I Believe you have a carbon plate running Through it which Forks at the front of The shoe just to reduce a little bit of Weight compared to using a full plate And you have a cutout on the bottom of The shoe that extends you know from the Heel to the 4 foot again to reduce Weight and show off the carbon plate in The shoe there got an engineered mesh Upper with New Balances f Phantom fit Design little bit of cushioning around The heel and tongue I would say a bit More than you get on the hoker internal Heel counter just a bit more structure To the upper in general I would say and Then you've got again rubber used quite Sparingly on the outside of the shoe but It's it's quite a thick layer of rubber You get at the for foot and heel there
And it should stand up to a lot of Running and has delivered quite a good Grip for me so far as [Music] Well let's give you a word on fit then And I think the big difference here the SC Trainer V3 are a super roomy shoe Obviously new balancers recommend going Half a size up in the shoe for a lot of People including me here so I'm going Half a size up but there's loads of room Towards the end of the toe box you've Got a lot of flex and room here for your Toes to move up and down in the toe box With the uppers they just hug really Nicely they feel secure without feeling Restrictive I think that's a really nice Feel it's a kind of roomy feel in the Fit that you'd want for a really long Haul shoe medium padded tongues take off Any lace pinch the heel cers for me once I've got them dialed in and that laced In they hold fine I do have to work a Little bit to get get these laces locked Down initially though once I've got that Sweet spot then the shoes do hold pretty Well but overall yeah I think a much Roomier fit when you go into the Hoka ma X2 what you've got you can see it's Instantly sort of narrow it's like Almost like a straight cut here and I Find not only is there you you got okay Length in the toe box but my toes are Quite cramped here there's not an awful
Lot of room to move there okay clearance Across the top the toe Knuckles are held As well that is quite tight and snug You'd call it if you were being kind you Come back into the lacing I get really Good lock down across the midf that's The one thing with that small secure fit I don't have any movement in this shoe Really of any trouble at all one area I Was a bit concerned about was these kind Of minimal heel colors there's not much Padding to them you do worry about them Rubbing the Achilles but I actually Haven't had any troubles with that I Don't think so far and yeah overall I Think the main difference is here if you Want a roomy fit you're going to go SC Trainer V3 if you want a really snug Race like fit the H max2 is going to Deliver that here comes the fit of the Two shoes I've got a uk9 here which is a Us99.5 that's the size I use these Brands in general and both shoes have Actually fit me really well but there Are some concerns with both of them i' Would say around the heel in particular The hoker I think it's it's got quite a Strip back heel design I do think it Will rub people the wrong way I've he Locked the shoe myself and haven't had Any major concerns with it and if that's The case great I do think the upper is The Only Rule negative about the Hoka X2 That it can potentially rub you a little
Bit but it's been fine for me in my Normal size you've got two width options With the hak X2 so you can get a wide a Fit because the normal one is quite Narrow which I like because I've got a Narrow foot SC Trainer I think also Comes in a couple of width options and I've had no problems at all with the fit With it again I know some people have Found it a bit Troublesome around the Heel in the toe box but it's fit me Really well I've had no Comfort concerns With it at all on long run so yeah I Would say stick to your normal size Maybe try both shoes on if you can Before you buy them because they are Quite fiddly for some people in terms of Fit but they've been all good for me in My normal sizes for these [Music] Brands so these are two shoes that I Really enjoyed using this year and I've Run a lot of miles in both of them I'm Up to 110k in the new balance and about 140 in the Mac X2 they are both great Super trainers that for me have been Really good for marathon training in Particular but there are some Differences certainly in the ride and What I think they really excel at the Hok ma X2 I absolutely love from the Start I took this shoe on holiday at First and was using it for lots of kind Of just pretty casual runs progression
Runs that kind of thing and then brought It home and started to use it for you Know some serious sessions I do think it Is a very impressive super trainer that Has you know bags of top end speed this Is a super trainer that I think that can Stand in for a race day shoe you know You've got pack plate in there but it Doesn't really hold it back in any way I've used it for some of my hardest Training sessions over the past few Months and used it for double workout Days that kind of thing and it R Delivers a very bouncy and propulsive Ride but then you can ease back in it I Find it's not the best easy day shoe out There it does have a feeling like it's Tipping you forward and you know raring To go but I have enjoyed doing easy runs In it and I have enjoyed going long in It as well so I do think it's a really Versatile all round shoe with a really Bouncy ride thanks to this High stack With extra peber foam in there you know You really feel the extra bounce in this Compared to the previous model of the Shoe and indeed compared to lots of Other super trainers including the SC Trainer V3 which I do think has a Slightly more subdued ride it's a shoe That I think focus is a bit more being Comfortable and stable and as a result Of that it does really Excel on long Runs and I have used it for some hard
Workouts as well I have used the shoe For a double workout day as well and Done a four times 4K workout in it and a 15 mile progression run and I have Really enjoyed it for every run like it Always does have the pace it just Doesn't feel maybe as noticeably quick As the hak X2 for me and it feels like It really shines as those kind of sub Race Paces well maybe marathon pace but Not faster than that and kind of long Runs we doing you know some Speedy up Efforts as part of that or progression Runs that kind of thing it works really Well for it is a really nice shoe for You know mooching around in at easy Pace As well I do think it's a little bit More comfortable than the hoker for that Both in terms of the upper and the Underfoot feel and it certainly sh you That will pick up a lot of miles in Marathon training and that kind of thing But I don't think it's as good at kind Of faster race Paces as the H max2 this Isn't a shoe that I personally would sub In as a race day shoe whereas I think You could with the Mac X2 I said some People might enjoy this as a race shoe Cuz it is a comfortable pretty stable Carbon plate shoe that does have a Little bit of propulsion but doesn't Feel quite as Revy and fast as the hok Max2 in my opinion I did do a run in Boies at the same time you definitely
Feel the high stack of foam with both of These shoes and they do both feel bouncy But like I said I feel like you get just Tipped forward and pushed forward a bit More from the hoker it is a shoe that's Pushing you to run fast like I say you Can throttle back and run easy in the Shoe I do think it is very versatile but That is where the SC Trainer V3 probably Has a little bit more of an edge it is An easy a shoe to run easy in it's very Comfortable at slow Paces but if you Stud start to run fast I do think you Get a bit more pop and punch from the Hoker and more of the feel from that Rocker that pushes you forward as Opposed to the slightly more cruisy and Stable feeling of the SC Trainer V3 Which very much does feel like it's Built for long runs so in testing I've Done lots of miles in both shoes across A range of Paces I've done more in the Macx to as we've had that shoe for Longer and I've raced half marathons in This shoe when it comes to the Mac X2 I Think the higher stack and tweak plate Have breathed some fire Into The Punchy Midsole ride and there's now clear Daylight between the energy of the maxc 6 and the Mac X2 this is an improved Shoe in this generation there's much More Super in this super trainer now and I'd happily pick it to attack faster Training efforts and even races up to
The half which I've done I ran a pretty Quick half in them in fact I think it's One of the best shoes I've run in all Year it has some of the Hallmarks I Think of the really good early carbon Race shoes now this was my first outing In a New Balance SC train I hadn't Tested generation one and two but I Really like what you get from the V3 Here I think is a very accomplished Daily trainer with a decent level of Cushioning it's not too soft but there's Plenty of controlled energy here for Eating up miles on longer runs a really Good Cruiser I would say there's also Lots of Versatility here though I expect It to be a really good weapon in Anyone's marathon training lineup to eat Most of the runs you're going to Encounter I think the SC Trainer offers Better overall Comfort there's a roomier More disappearing feel on the foot and It's got good range in the types of run That it can handle however the price in The UK is problematic less so in the US Though now to really tease out the Differences between these two shoes I Also did a side by side Mile with one Shoe on each foot and here's what I Found so I've just done my side by side Mile I've got hak X2 on the left foot I've got the New Balance super comp Trainer V3 on the right foot first thing To say is about the fit much more snug
Much more race likee Much More Hugging Much more cramped in the toebox in the Mac X2 the the SC Trainer V3 is a much More roomy and accommodating shoe Overall I kind of find that fit much More comfortable for long hauling than The tightness of the Mac X2 which I do Think limits how long I like to run in That shoe unless I went half a size up In the shoe it's kind of got a half Marathon sweet spot for me the SC Trainer V3 feels like a shoe I'd Happ to Be put on and going wrong run for hours And hours and hours then when you get to The feeling underf foot the Mac X2 is It's a more precise shoe it's a narrower Kind of platform to run off the SC Trainer V3 definitely has that kind of Bigger wider feel stacker sort of midso Underf foot both in the foref foot and In the heel it just feels more blocky And a bit shoe overall as a result I Think yeah the macx 2 is still s fairly Cushioned actually when you compare These two side by side you don't feel a Real lack of cushioning in the Mac X2 But there is just more coming through in The trainer V3 the other thing I think You notice is there's more Responsiveness coming out of the macx to It's just a punchier shoe I can feel the Rocker that's more pronounced under that I feel that kind of ball rolling me Forward onto my toe off a little bit
More than I do with a slightly flatter V3 trainer that feels to me like it's Relying a bit more on the bounce than The rocker or the plate and it is giving Energy but not in the same way and it Makes the macx to just feel slightly Racer and slightly spriter bit more Energetic bit more precise for that Reason I think the Mac X2 definitely has Better top Pace potential if you go the Other way though I think probably the SC Trainer V3 probably has a little bit More long run potential easy long run Sort of slower potential so that's how I Would split their versatility I think These are both versatile shoes I do know A runner who was a brand new newbie Beginner Runner who did a 2hour marathon In the macx 2 uh nice and comfortably Did really well in it so that shoe can Take that kind of time on feet and Distance I think the SC Trainer V3 Feeling them side by side like this is Probably going to give you a little bit More Comfort but if I'm going to go for A you know punch your pace I think the Macx 2 are going to tick that a little Bit [Music] Better verdict then and both of these Shoes benefit from being used at faster Paces but with this really Snappy Immediate springy heavily rocked an Agile ride race hugging feel I'd argue
The hok ma X2 is the puncher more Aggressive and fast to shoe I think You'll have to like The Snug fit and the Narrower toe box to really get on with The shoe but it feels better for racing And the top end Paces in training the New balance SC Trainer V3 I think this Shoe offers its own type of energy it's Not devoid of energy at all it's quite a Punchy shoe as well but it relies a bit More on the Bounce from the big midou Stack and it can handle faster efforts But it's not as agile as as the Mac X2 It's not as all out I would say on the Flip side I do find that it's more Protective at the slower places the Mac X2 isn't unpleasant to run slow in but I Think this shoe the Mac X2 prefers to Move faster than slower whereas I find I Can run slower in the SC Trainer V3 a Bit better now if you want a roomier fit It's the SC Trainer V3 halfer size up All the way if you want the punchiest Shoe for me it's the Mac x2 in the UK The 230 price tag makes the SC Trainer V3 really quite hard to recommend at That RRP price and I choose the Mac X2 Just for value and versatility and range Alone in the US it's a much tougher call I think it will come down to that Difference in the overall feel on the Foot as much as it does the ride the Mac X2 can cruise and race all out the SE Trainer V3 is a brilliant Cruiser and I
Think it's a good option for heavier set Runners and probably good idea for People racing 4our plus marathons you Want energy but a reliable Comfort to Over that distance I would also choose The SC Trainer V3 over with the Mac X2 For Road Ultras comes to the verdict the Hooka max2 is the shoe I prefer out of These two it feels more like a you know An allout super trainer for me in that It can do very fast running really well Same time you can use it for easy runs I Do think it's got a really broad range And it has more top end speed than the SC Trainer V3 which it does Excel for Lots of runs like it's a really good Marathon training shoe like I say you Can use it for those long runs it's just A lot of the runs that I would consider The SE trainer3 is best at are the kind Of runs where I probably would use a Non-plated CH myself like get out of PLU For for a day and use things that you Know are still fast and lightweight and Nimble but can do those miles really Well as well and I don't necessarily Feel like there's a huge benefit for Going for the shoot as good as it is at Those runs whereas the runs I use the Hook max2 for you know I'll be subbing It in for very fast sessions using it For really hard runs you can do all the Other runs as well it is a really Versatile allrounder but I do think the
Runs where I would use the hok X2 it's The best shoe for the job and the one I Would want to use for it unless I was Actually stepping into a carbon plate Race shoe and you know I wouldn't want To use a non-plated shoe for it I'd be Using it for key sessions and it does Them really well so I do think would Have more of a role in my rotation I do Think it's the more accomplished shoe All round as well because it just has That greater range compared to the SC Trainer V3 for me and if you look at the Price in the UK we've talked about this Kind of every video with the SC train3 Like it's priced itself out of Contention at £230 like I think the H is The better shoe and it's considerably Cheaper you know almost we're talking About a future time when we discussed The shoe when this the sc23 is reduced To a normal price where it is Competitive with other super trainers You know it does have some really nice Features about it it is a competitive Shoe I still think the hak X2 is a Better one though and I'd get it and in The US it's just a little bit more Expensive than the SC TR 3 and again I Would pay the extra to get the Mac X2 I Just think it's probably my shoe of the Year so far in terms of training shoes It's just impressed me so much so yeah I'd be getting this but if you are a
Marathon training want a shoe that to Eat up a lot of miles maybe looking at a First time Marathon you want to use a Plated shoe like I would consider not Using a plated shoe looking at things Like I know the maxc 6 or the super Blast if you you know if you're going to Buy this shoe the superlast is about the Same price or cheaper in the UK I think Those are really good options but you Know if you do want a pled shoe the SC Trainer V3 is a good option the Mac X2 Is just a better one for [Music] Me that's a comparison of the hok max2 And the new Balan SC Trainer V3 let us Know what you think in the comments Below please do like and subscribe ring The little bell and we'll see you next Time