The Hoka Skyward X and the Adidas Prime X 2.0 Strung are part of the new breed of max stack super trainers that want to protect you over longer distances, and also be the shoes you can pick up for faster runs.
If you’re currently looking at both to be your next running shoe purchase and trying to decide which is the best fit for you, Testers Mike, Nick and Kieran share their running experiences with both to tell you if you should go Prime X 2 Strung or Skyward X.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Intro
00:38 – Price and key stats
01:43 – How does it fit?
05:36 – The Run Test
16:07 – Which should you buy?
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Hey this is Mike from the ran testers And in this video we are going to be Talking about how this the Haw Sky X Compares to this the Adidas Prime X 2.0 Strong now if you've been looking at Both of these shoes we trying to decide Whether you should go for this kind of Max stack super trainer or this Max Stack super trainer then you have come To the right place now myself Nick and Kieren have all been running in these Two shoes and what we're going to do is Take you through the key stats and how They compare and then get into our Running experience and then ultimately Let you know whether you should go for This the hawas x or this the ls primx 2.0 Str so here's the tale of the tape for These two Max cushion super trainers Let's start with price and the prime X 2.0 strong is the price of the Two Shoes By a considerable amount in both the UK And the US weightwise the prime is the Lighter of the two shoes though only by A few grams the Y shoe has the higher Drop and the bigger stack height at both The heel and the forf foot breaching That world Athletics approved stack Height for elite Racing the upper are nobly different With Hawker offering a flat knit mesh One and Adidas using its strong material For a noticeably thinner booty style
Upper feeli getting into the midsole and Hawker employs a dual density midsole Setup made up of peber and Eva Foams With a carbon plate sandwiched in the Middle the primx has three layers of Adidas's light strip Pro foam and two Carbon fiber plates to make it fit for Faster runs the outsole Adidas opts for A continental rubber one while hawy uses Its abrasion rubber outsole no we offers A little bit more rubber in those key Places to boost Durability comes fit of the two shoes I've got my normal UK size of both of Them which is a uk9 with both these Brands as a US 9.5 the fit of the Hocus Skex I think is very good it's not as Narrow as some hooker shoes although I'm Not always the best judge of that cuz I Have a narrow foot but I found it Perfectly accommodating in the front of The shoe good hold around the heel and Midfoot don't love how high the heel tab Is at the back of the shoe in terms of Achilles irritation but didn't cause Anything too significant in my testing There a much more fussy fit with the Prime x 2 strung but it is still a good Fit I'd say in my normal running shoe Size I have heel locked it because I Sometimes get rubbing from the way adid Das designs the heel of it shoes takes a Bit more getting on but the upper is a Bit more dialed in than the one on the
Hoker which is good if you're going to Go and up the speed in a shoe like this Because you need a nice tight hold on Top given the amount of wobbly foam you Have underneath overall i' would say Stick to your normal running sh size With both of these the H probably has The more accommodating fit all around so In terms of it I've had both these shoes In a UK size eight8 that's my typical Running shoe size I know would say I've Been pretty happy with the fit Experience I've had on both of these Shoes I feel like going through size has Worked for me I think it's probably Going to work for most people now I'll Start with the hacker shoe and I would Say it is first and foremost the easiest Shoe to put on a little bit more Traditional in that sense in terms of That fit um the space up front of the Toes very good not typically Hawker you Know compare things to or compare it to Things like the Mac x uh the Mac 6 where They Artic a little bit more narrow Definitely is a little bit more roomy And has been my more narrow skinny feet So I think it's definitely got that if You want that in a kind of uh kind of Bigger Mac stack shoe I think General The lockdown has been very good there's A lot more padding in the heel in the Tongue there so it's definitely a little Bit more supportive and has a bit more
Of a comfort Edge to that overall fit I've had no issues in terms of that Lockdown no kind of issues in terms of Heel rub either so yeah fit very good in General on the Skyward X i' would say on The adash Shu and it is a more kind of Dialed in a more locked in kind of fit Give it something that feels a little Bit more kind of racing focused um the Space up front the toes has been very Good for me again you know does open up A little bit more there so from that Point of view it's been very good and Then it does kind of just narrow in a Little bit more the midfoot as I said Give you something that feels a little Bit more racing focused there's it's a Lot more minimal at the hill and that Has caused initially some kind of issues In term of Hill rub and lock down it Does mean playing around the lacing a Little bit more to get that good kind of Strong lock down in this shoe so I would Say that that has the kind of more Racing feel in terms of that fits in Terms what you're getting the upper Skyward X is a lot more accommodating Definitely feels a little more built for Comfort um that those were what I would Say the key differences but I think Going true size in general with both These shoes should be fine for most People so when it comes to fit I ran in The UK and a half in both these shoes
That would be my regular running shoe Size in the Adidas and in the Hoka the Way I differentiate the fit here I think The ads has a much snugger tighter race Fit the booty fit as well if you've got Big high in steps like me there could be A real struggle to wrestle them on once They're on they're super comfortable They hold really nicely there's just About enough room into the toe box it is A bit of a squish in there it's Definitely got that kind of race feel Overall though I think they're Comfortable they hug my feet well no Slipping in their heels even though Theyve got those minimal heel colors and All of that kind of stuff I've had no Trouble with these shoes when you go Into the hookus sky would X I would Describe feel across the top of the mid Foot the same it sort of hugs there's Much more room in the toe box you've got A bit more clearance across the top of The toes overall into that toe box there Just bit more of a roomy fit so if you Like it a bit roomier the sky X is going To have that more but overall yeah good Fit on both of them actually I have no Trouble with the slipping I guess the Other thing to say with the Hocus Sky Would actually got more traditional heel Color which holds firm and secure a Little bit cushioning little extra Padding so maybe that would be something
Over longer longer distances feel more Comfortable if you ever have any Problems with heel rubbing maybe this One's going to be slightly better than The addy yes but overall I think they Both got good fit and I would recommend Going true to size in Both so I enjoyed running in both of These shoes even though I'd say probably This style of shoe is not one that I Would personally stick in my own Rotation you know the mega stack Super Shoe is just something that I don't Really feel a need to have but they are Fun shoes to run in I did have fun with Both of these shoes I put quite a lot of Miles on the primx 2 strong when it came In I've got about 85k on it and used it For quite a lot of running lots of easy To steady runs which is something I do Quite a lot of in my training some all Out easy runs and I've gone and done a Hard mile session in it where I did six One mile reps with the last being 510 And do think it's a fun shoe a versatile Shoe it's got a lot of speed in it I Don't think it's got enough allout speed In it for that session I did in the Miles I remember the last one being like Ah I just don't want to be in this shoe I'd rather being something a bit lighter And nippier it's got a lot of booming Bounce that's for sure it's a very Bouncy shoe and you can run quick in it
And you can go and run fast long Distance races isn't it I'm sure but I Still think it's just a bit too big it's More a shoe that I view as a very fun All around trainer and it did a good job Of that for me skyex does the same thing It's a fun all around trainer lots of Bounce but I think it's a bit more Geared up towards easy running cruising Through long runs it's not something That I really found enjoyable to move at Speed in I did one slightly faster run In the shoe and it just felt like yeah It's okay but you know there were lots Of shoes I'd rather be in for it and Don't you're really getting the benefit Of this big design on a run like that What I did enjoy it more was a long run Where just consistently found was Running a bit faster than I expected for My effort level and it just feels nice For bouncing along it's a more stable Shoot than the primx you got a much Wider base and it feels a bit more Grounded still feels very big it's very Bouncy but it's a bit more muted and Controlled I'd say than the prime x 2 And all and all makes it for a nice Enjoyable trainer for easy runs long Runs that kind of thing did a short run Running a B shoes at the same time and You can feel the extra aggression and Balance you get from the prime X for Sure it's a springier shoe it's a shoe
That feels like it can go faster feels Notably lighter and even feels a bit Smaller on the foot even though the size Is huge with both of these shoes and With the hoker you've got a wider more Stable design like I said a bit more Grounded especially if you're heel Striking get a lot more support back There much more stable design as well Like with the primx 2 I can feel my foot Roll a little bit inwards on each step And I'm not soone who uses a stability Sho in general I don't really pronate That much in normal stack shoes but when You get to this kind of size with the Cutouts the soft foam and the midsole Can be a little bit wobbly and that Would be a concern for me if you're Going to use it a lot for daily training Lots of long runs and that's where the Hoker probably has a bit more of an edge It's a bit more reliable shoe it's a Shoe you can put on a lot without any Real instability fears despite the fact It is a very big shoe but because of That you lose some of the aggression and Speed you get from the prim x 2 which is A bit more geared up for fast running or Even racing so into my general running Experiences with these two shoes and I Tell you first and foremost they are Enjoyable shoes to run in they are very Fun shoes to run in as well too for very Different reasons and I think ultimately
There are a few reasons that I think Will dictate which shoe may be or might Work for you best uh but ultim I think They're two very nice shoes to run in I'll start with the weights now these Aren't super light shoes um either of These shoes but your Skyward X is Slightly heavier I think in ice if you Don't factor in the adid shoe I think it Handles that weight well but I think Ultimately compare it to the Adidas shoe Which is a few grams lighter in terms of What you're getting in that upper it Just feels like a lighter shoe to run in Compared to the skyw X and you know you Wouldn't think there was a few grams in It from that um point of view I think Ultimately what that does or enables is For these shoes to work s different or Feel different when you are running a Little bit quicker in and I think Ultimately that's down to the weights Slight weight difference but also in ter Of getting in the mid soole now with the Adash shoe I think it definitely feels The nicest shoe to run fast in I think When you ease off in that shoe it feels Awkward it definitely feels less stable It feels like you feel the stiffness of The the kind of overall mid sole but When you run a little bit quicker in That shoe and I definitely think you can Run a bit faster in the anida shoe You're always engaging what you're
Getting in that midsole that stiffness Goes away and it kind of comes to life I Think and it feels really nice to kind Of roll through and it feels energetic Propulsive very exciting to run in that Shoe with the Skyward X it is in terms Of getting the midsole I still think It's quite nice in terms of that feel I Think you know it's plush without Feeling overly plush I think the Combination of the two Foams that you're Getting there the carbon play I think Does give you a kind of kind of pretty Lively ride it still feels pretty Enjoyable I think you can run probably Moderate Paces in it you wouldn't want To do the kind of type of speed that you Want to do in the Adidas or kind of Enables you to do in the shoe um but I Do think you can run a little bit Quicker in this shoe but I think if you Know you're looking at something like a Very fast kind of 10K 5K run maybe a Race I would be going for the ad Shu Overall in comparison um I think that's The B main thing for me I think with the Sky X it feels more comfortable at Slower longer kind of cruising Paces Where I think you can Cruise in the a That shoe but in a very different way I Think more fast Up Tempo Paces when you Ease off and try to to run slow in the Shoe it just feels a lot more awkward so For me the Skyward X is a lot more
Stable it's a lot more comfortable you Can Cruise an issue but I also think it Feels that you're getting a quite Enjoyable ride in there as well too and It's protective as well and feels a lot More kind of protective overall and I Think it's going to be a lot more Accessible in terms of that experience Other things I think outside wise I Think the gripping and traction has been Absolutely fine I've been generally Running in drier conditions in both of These shoes in my kind of kind of run Testing with them I say you're getting a Little bit more rubber in the outsole on The Skyward X I think ultimate it's Going to probably give you a little bit More durability and obviously adds to The overall weight of the shoe but I Think in terms of what you're going to Get lifespan of these shoes I think Probably the skyex is going to give you A little bit more I run a little bit More in the skyex as well too compared To the adash shoe and I think you know I'm not you know I'm seeing massive uh Worrying amounts of kind of wear in that Kind of outso so from an outo point of View I think maybe you're going to get a Little bit more life out of the sky Where I think you you think of the type Runs it's going to be design for long Kind of easy runs then that makes sense And in testing I've done north of 50
Mies in both of these shoes much more Than that in the prime X2 strung I've Marathon tested the prime X2 strung done Allout mile tests and plenty of long Time on feet kind of mixed Pac tests in The Hocus Skyward X I've also done Longer runs up to about 90 minutes on Feet some slower as well to see how they Faire at easier pace and the old 10K With faster segments thrown in for both Shoes that's mostly been on road with The odd Park path thrown in as well now I loved the strung X but the X2 was a a Bit of a mixed bag for me I don't think The upper change works I much preferred Having more control over the fit and the Lock down I also think an already pretty Unstable Sho is now even more so because Of the bigger volume of squashy sort of Springy wobbly Light Strike Pro foam That you've got here so it's not a great Shoe in corners but it kind of works Best when you're doing straight road Urban city marathons but despite that I Love running in this shoe it's got fun Wild crazy energy and on the right day Moving with the right intent I can Definitely see this as a mar PB Potential shoe it's got that energy Sparing effect that you really need with 6 miles to go in a marathon even if it Won't be quite forgiving if you're not Running well it's kind of same as the Alphafly or the original strung there's
An obvious price hike here to consider Over the original strung and overall I Think I preferred the first generation So if you can find that for cheaper I'd Probably go for that over both of these Shoes that we're going to talk about Here now when it comes to the Hocus Skywood X I don't think I've ever been So confused by a shoe for half a mile I Can love it for half a mile I'll then Find it bizarre and slightly unnatural And at times I found myself thinking it Could be a good option to take on a 50 m Ultra like the comrades and 20 strides Later I find the massive stack sometimes Troublingly unstable sometimes a bit too Soft and sinky and sometimes when I Strike right there's loads of energy and Liveliness to it that feels really good But there's an inconsistency here for me In the way that I run and for me I find This shoe sort of controls me rather Than the other way around at times it's A bit wild like the prime X2 strong it's Left me wondering what the Sho is really For I'd never really sort of considered It as a strong rival being honest Particularly not for racing it just Looked to be like a big kind of Cruiser Like shoe for me but then when you look At the core details the big stack the Carbon plate slightly lighter this shoe Is maybe this is a genuine racing rival After all anyway to tease out the final
Details I did a sidebyside mile with one Sh on each foot and here's what I found So I've just on the side by side mile I've got the Adidas Prime X too strong To the left foot I've got the Hocus Skyward X on the right foot biggest Difference here I think these are both Wild shoes they are both World Slightly Out of control shoes you do have to work To control both them the difference here I think is that when I run and and run And concentrate on how I'm landing in The added X Prime x2o strong I do feel Like I control it much more than the Hoker skywood X which I still feel has This kind of inconsistent Landing the Skyward X definitely sort of softer it Takes a little bit more time for that Foam and the plate to kick in and to Respond and come back there's a more Immediacy in the Adidas Prime X strung And I really like that immediacy a bit More the other thing I really noticed What I'm doing this is the roering on The Adidas Prime X Trung is far more Pronounced you really get that roll Through from when you kind of land if You're Landing mid to 4 foot on the toes It kind of rolls you and then pings you The foam compresses a little and it Bounces back really quickly the Skyward X you've still got that big stack but You just land a bit flatter maybe that's The drop as well it's got a shallower
Drop but it's it's softer it takes a Little bit more time for that foam to Return there's a bit more in the heel on The sky X so if you want a bit more Protection further back you're going to Get that but the overall the way that I Differentiate these shoes I think think The Adidas Prime X2 strung is a much More poppy Lively faster shoe it's Definitely a shoe I would consider Racing a marathon in I don't think I Would choose the Hocus Skyward X it just Doesn't have the energy for me it feels Sort of somewhere between a cruiser and Sometimes it's got that life but I find It a little bit Ponderous sometimes a bit sinky Sometimes when I'm landing I feel like I'm to walking sand I don't get that With the adids prime X drung I just get Punched with that get the best out of it When you're up and you're punching and You're really really focusing on how You're landing and moving forward and it Doesn't really give you much of an Option to be sort of back on your heels And sort of running with sort of more Ragged or tired form you got to be using That shoe with good energy the Skyward X I think sort of sometimes it can make You feel like you can run with ragged Form but then it's still quite wobbly And a little bit uncontrolled and the Other thing I really think despite the
Fact that primx 2 strong strong is the Heavier shoe because of the lightweight Uppers and the way the sort of those Uppers are a bit more racy there's less Kind of structure to the top of the shoe I think it feels lighter on the foot I Think it runs lighter than the Skyward X Which feels a bit more shoe on the foot Overall so that's another big Differentiator verdict then and I think The way I split these shoes for me the Adidas Prime X2 strong is most Definitely a ray shoe or at least a Topend fast fast training shoe it's a Shoe you want to use to go at it and It's better than the Skyward X for that Kind of running it's more immediate it's More energetic it's more aggressive I Find The Rocker works better I wouldn't Use this shoe I don't think for daily Training you know easier mild daily Training because it's a bit wild but for Racing up to the marathon I think it's a Really fun shoe though obviously it's Not race legal on the flip side the Hoker Skyward X is more of a training Shoe for me I personally wouldn't choose It for my racing or even sort of for my Top end efforts but I'm not a massive Fan of the shoe overall I feel like it Drops between two camps it's not race Enough to race or be a sure I'd choose For my faster runs and it's not stable Enough for daily training for me
Sometimes I love it sometimes I feel Like I've got alien boots controlling my Gate the ride is a little bit too Inconsistent for me there's an argument To say the Hocus Skyward X is more Versatile than the prime X2 strong I'd Rather run fast miles in the hoker than I would slow miles in the strong X2 but Even though the prime X2 strong lacks That versatility and has a bigger price Tag I think I would choose it over the Skyward X so my V whether you should go For this the Hawker SC X or this the Adas Prim X 2.0 strung I think the way I Look at is these are two very different For me kind of um max stack uh kind of Daily trainer shoes that's what you're Going to call super trainer shoes I Think if you're looking for that kind of Max stack uh super trainer that you can Run faster in then I think it's going to Be the adid Das shoe if you want Something that has that similar or fits That similar criteria but it's better Suited to running longer easy runs want That Comfort protection and want Something more stable then I would go For the Skyward X now terms of the shoe That I would use or probably use more Frequently I think it probably would be The Skyward X I think I've used this More post my kind of initial kind of Testing of these two shoes I think the Reason I put that down to is I probably
Got shoes that kind of fit the profile Of the types of runs I would use Probably look to use at the ad that shoe In I think I look at other daily trainer Shoes like the new Balan Rebel V4 which Has a faster Edge you can ease off a Little bit in that things like the Mac Six as well too I think those kind of Shoes serve me um in a similar way um That I think the prim X 2.0 strong That's how I would use it whereas I Think with the Skyward X if I was Looking for Comfort protection something To go and use for a long run I've just Wanted something to enjoy that kind of Run and just feel really nice to run in Then it would be the skyx and that's the Shoe that ultimately I think if I had to Pick between the two I would probably be Going for that they're both very good Shoes as I said both very fun shoes and I think if you want the faster feeling Shoe it's the adise SHO if you want the More comfortable shoe that does allow You to run a little bit quicker in as Well too and I think it can handle that Um it Fields a lot more comfortable and More accessible uh then this is the shoe I'd be going for and it's definitely the Shoe I've spent a little bit more time In post testing comes the verdict I Think these are two slightly different Kinds of Maxx super trainers the primax Is the more speed focused one it's a
Shoe you could even race in if you Wanted it doesn't really feel great for Short sharp reps and that kind of thing But you can certainly cruise through Fast long runs do of tempo sessions Easter steady runs and even just some General daily training and it is a Versatile shoe all around but it's a bit Fast a bit more aggressive and a bit Less stable around than the sky X which Feels more controlled and a more of a Daily trainer really that you could use For lots of relaxed runs it's not so Comfortable at all out speed it's a big Shoe pretty heavy not that Punchy but it Does feel fun to roll around in on easy Paces both these shoes certainly have The fun Factor they also both have Massive price tags so that's something To consider as well and and like I said In the run test neither of shoes I'd Necessarily pick out myself to use in my Rotation because they are so big but if You're chosing between them I would look At it that way if you want the faster Shoe the bouncer shoe the more you know Aggressive shoe it is the prim X2 for Sure if you want more of a control daily Trainer then the Hocus goldex does it I Think and for me that probably makes it A slightly better pick because although The primx maybe has a bit more Versatility it's a bit more fun to run In like I wouldn't use this to race and
I wouldn't use it for my fastest Sessions so it end up doing the same job As I do in the hoker anyway which is Just lots of daily training runs you Know a bit of Versatility there and for Those purposes I think the extra Stability and control you get with a sky Deex is probably welcome because rhy Lots of broken Pavements cambered Pavements that kind of thing and a more Grounded wide shoe like the hoker just Is a bit better for just relaxed Rhymes We don't really feel the need to have All that extra Tech you have in the Prime x 2 but it is the fastest shoe and That will obviously benefit some people Who are viewing it more as a real Allrounder that can do all your speed Sessions which I didn't feel the scalex Was all that good at scalex is also a Lot cheaper though as well so that's Something to consider as well so yeah That's how I look if you're looking for A one shoe to do everything probably the Prime X2 has more versatility if you're Looking for a bouncy daily super trainer That you can do lots of easy and long Runs in the skyex is a little bit more Grounded a little bit less fun but Probably a little bit more practical and Effective for that purpose okay so there You have it that is our take on how this The hwos sky X compares to this the ads Primx 2.0 strong now if you got any
Questions about this video let us know In the comments if you want to see any Other comparison shoe videos with this Shoe or this shoe do let us know in the Comments as well too as always like And Subscribe hit that little bell to find Out about latest videos and yeah we'll See you for the next run Test's video [Music]
