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The brand new carbon racer from On – the Cloudboom Echo 3 – has just landed. With a new midsole foam, fewer Clouds and some serious marathon racing intent. So how does it stack up against the competition? We put it to the test up against HOKA’s relatively new race-ready contender, the HOKA Rocket X2. If you’re considering these two shoes, we’re here to help you work out which one you should buy. Hit play to get our verdict on the On Cloudboom Echo 3 vs HOKA Rocket X2.

JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:40 – Design Details & Shoe Comparison
2:58 – Fit
4:58 – The Run Test
15:13 – Verdict

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Hi people welcome to the runtest it's Kieran here and in this video we are Putting the brand new carbon racer from On the cloud boom Echo 3 up against Hocus relatively new race ready Contender the Hoka rocket X2 if you're Considering these two shoes we're here To help you work out which one of these You should buy so hit play to get our Verdict on the rocket X2 versus the on Cloudroom Echo 3. Oh and before you tell Us all in the comments we know Tom calls It the rocket X3 throughout too many Numbers too many shoe names we'd already Shot this a whole load of videos going Up on embargo day today so we didn't Have time to reshoot it but please Forgive us please forgive us but also You could comment and moan anyway but Anyway on to the review [Music] Now first up some quick details then When it comes to stack height the on Cloud boom Echo has a stack of 37 mils In the hill 28 in the forefoot for a Nine mil drop the rocket X2 has a stack Of 36 mils in a hill 31 in the forefoot And a much lower five mil drop when it Comes to weight in our UK men's eight And a half test shoe the cloud boom Echo Weigh in 8.1 ounces or 230 grams the Rocket X2 are a shade lighter at 7.8 Ounces or 221 grams on price the cloud Boom echo of 260 pounds or 289.89 the

Rocket X2 are significantly cheaper at 220 pounds or 250 now onto a shoe whip Then well both of these shoes are built For racing and faster efforts the rocket X2 has been completely overhauled you've Got a two-part Pro fly x midsole with a Higher stack that mixes dual density Peaba midsole foam it puts a softer Layer closer to the foot and a firmer Layer that's more responsive on the Bottom sandwich in between those layers You've got a spoon-shaped offset carbon Fiber plate that how Focus says actually Improves the rebound over its previous Shoes there's also an early stage rocker Here to improve toe spring and that's Supposed to also smooth the transitions As well up top you've got some very snug Synthetic mesh uppers you've got Gusseted tongues there's an internal Foot cage to create a race ready hugging Fit that gives you nice locked in feel Flip over and on the outsole you've got The familiar weight saving sonal rubber Reinforcements in those kind of high Traction high impact areas so that's There just to boost grip and durability Over to the cloud beam Echo 3 then and Let's start with the midsole this is the First shoe to feature On's New helion Hyper foam it's a Caster beam derived Foam inside that midsole there's a full Carbon rocker shaped speedboard the Midsole is narrower than the rocket X2

So you've got a slightly smaller Landing Platform on this shoe up top you've got A woven one piece upper that's got a few More breathable zones the tongues are Half gusseted so there's a gusset just On one side the other big difference Here from the rocket so the heel collars These on the ons are more padded they're More traditional than the Rockets got a More minimal padded collars a bit more Racy flip The Echoes over and you've got A pretty thin but substantial covering Of rubber in the forefoot here but There's a lot less on the heels and Those impact zones but more on that Later [Music] Fit for me in both of these shoes I Would say that in the hokka rocket X3 I'm innate I've got an 8 in both of These shoes they both have a very Similar fit for me actually they're not Particularly roomy shoes they're race Shoes so they are a little bit lean on The feet but I haven't had any issues With them so they both felt very Comfortable for me over all of the runs That I've done in them so I I would Definitely stay to my size in both of These shoes I don't think I definitely Wouldn't want to go smaller and I don't Think I want any extra space in these Shoes so I'd stay to my size both of These shoes fit me well in my normal

Running shoe size which is a nine in the UK they are both us 9.5 sometimes I'm a 10 in the US sometimes on 9.5 but either Way it tends to be a size I can always Get along with so yeah I've been Perfectly happy with them in my normal Running shoe size you've got a slightly More cramped fit on the hookah I would Say and it's a bit different around the Heel where it's got this very flexible Heel with very little structure at all Whereas the on does have a little bit of An internal heel counter had did have Some heel rubbing with the Hoka rocket X2 that I think I've with a heel locking The laces haven't really had it since But the on has a better fit around the Heel I'd say a more supportive and less Robbie fit so that's one thing to look Out for with the Hoka but overall I was Happy with my normal size but I do have Quite a narrow foot and I'm sure the Hoka will be a bit of a problem for some People if you have wider feet just Because it is pretty cramped in places Fit for me I ran in a UK and a half in Both of these shoes I think they've both Got quite a tight kind of hugging race For particularly across the top of the Foot down into that you know big toe Knuckle area they can be quite tight There so if you've got big wide feet That may be something to consider in Terms of going half a size up you're

Going to have quite a compact toe box Here it's a real kind of race-hugging Kind of tight fit I know some people Have had issues with kind of roominess In the rocket X2 over longer distances Half marathons and more so that may be One thing to consider I personally have Run fine and they're a little bit narrow Maybe on my first run but I feel like They loosened off a bit but for me I Would recommend going true to size Unless you've got a particularly wide Foot and then it might be worth looking At potentially half a size up [Music] Oh So onto the run test then well I've run Around 30 miles in both of these shoes With the same mix of Paces from slow and Steady to all out that's on a mix of Terrain plenty of Road plenty of tarmac And a good helping of light River paths Kind of sort of compact kind of Stony Groomed Parts I've run half marathons in Both I've run a marathon in the rocket X2 and I've spent two and a half hours In the cloud boom Echo to see how they Cope with a bit more long time on feet I've also done a side by side Mile with One shoe on each foot and here's what I Found when I did that So I've just done the side-by-side mile I've got the on clubber back on the left Foot I've got the hook of Rocket X2 on

The right foot now we've done Comparisons of these with the vaporfly 3 And other shoes on the channel I think The distinction between these two shoes Is much less product pronounced they are Very similar shoes overall I think they Both hit a kind of sweet spot here where They've got a midsole a rocker geometry And a plate that's all kind of Functioning together to give you a Slightly sort of firmer snappier ride Something that kind of rolls you through Your step really nicely with good NSG They're all they're nice they're light They're agile they are Nimble they feel Racy on the foot they encourage you I Think into good form they do run a bit Firmer and that may be a consideration For people who are thinking about Whether or not you want to put them on For a full Marathon but I've done both In these shoes I've done those long Hours and I find them fine I do like a Firmer shoe though so if you like Something that's a little bit more Forgiving then maybe you want to look Somewhere else the babyfly 3 is Certainly a little bit softer and you Get a little bit more cushion protection From those the one thing that I did Notice here between these two shoes the On problem Echo there's a bit more under The ball of the foot so I think that Sort of toast bring rocker geometry

Thing that's going on there puts a Little bit more uh foam under the ball Of the foot if you like that sensation It almost engages a bit earlier I think Than the rocket X2 which is a little bit Kind of more mellowed out in terms of That it's a bit more kind of smooth I Think that overall rocker the other Thing I think there's a little bit more In the heel on the cloud broom Echo so There's maybe a little bit more Protection towards the back you land you Can feel your heel engaging a little bit More if you're Landing further back There's not so much on the rocket X2 it Sort of feels a bit wobbly if you land Anywhere sort of further back and it Definitely performs better when you're Kind of up on the mid to forefoot I Think the rocket X2 both of these shoes I think really encourage you to run in Your best form I think that both of These shoes have done something really Smart which is that they have managed to Sort of incorporate some of the best Bits or some of the sensations I think You've got in the early Vapor Flies into The shoes they feel racy they filled Direct they feel firm they feel springy They feel like they make you want to Have a quick turnover there's not too Much kind of squishing of the phone You're not waiting for it to come back And react at the same time the foam

Isn't there's some energy there but it's Not kind of boingy boingy it's not the Same as something like the alpha fly and I just think that creates a sensation That just makes you give you a little Bit more ground contact it makes you Feel like you're a little bit more in Control and I really like that I'm not Sure if everyone else does but that's a Sensation that I like in a ratio I think These shoes particularly for the Half Marathon distance or for really kind of Fast interval sessions Up Tempo runs I Think these are really good I don't Think there's a huge amount to choose in Terms of the overall comfort and the way That they feel on the foot either you Know it's a very close match here for Ride for fit for feel for energy so yeah At some point I'm gonna have to make a Verdict so these two shoes are Interesting because they're two of the New shoes that came have come out and in Many ways they're quite similar to right The hooker rocket X3 is really really Nice racing shoe um I've used it a few Quite a few times now Um I really I think it's really fast Shoe I think it's the best ratio that Hawker has ever created Um and it just has a lovely amount of Pop feels very light on the feet Um it feels like there's a nice rolling Action to it uh and it just feels very

Nimble you can you can really pick up The pace quickly in this shoe I've used It for park run it felt great for that I've used it for intervals and I've used It for track as well and for all of the Runs I've done it it's it's just felt Really good Um I think that probably the standout Thing for me about the Hocker rocket X3 Is the midsole is Um it's often you probably expect from a Aqua ratio Um for me it's not the softest foam out There but it is definitely Nicely comfortable and and soft when You're out running in it but it's got a Nice bit of rebound and responsiveness To it as well so it really delivers well At those for me at those shorter Distance races 5K 10K and up to half Marathon I really like this shoe for Those sort of distances Marathon I think It'd be finer um for me but I would Still want to go for something a little Bit more cushioned like the alpha flight Or the soccer new dolphin Pro 3 but I Don't think it's I don't think it's far Off Um the on cloud boom Echo 3 is very Similar in a lot of ways actually and I Didn't think I'd ever say that about an On shoe it's definitely The best performance shoe that on has Released it's really really impressive

Update to what has previously not have Been pretty disappointing performance Use the on-cloud boom Echo previously And the original cloud on on um Cloud Boom wasn't a big fan of those shoes There's some massive overhauls to this Shoe it does not look like those those Predecessors Um it looks like a completely new shoe There's not the cloud Tech's very Minimal in it Um and the foam is is different it feels Softer it feels bouncier it feels more Responsive it feels lighter it's just Got loads more to it and I really like Running in this and like like the Hawkerock X3 I think it's a shoe that Really works for me up to about half Marathon I think I could do a marathon In this as well I just probably wouldn't Go for it I just don't think it's got Enough cushioning for me but for most People it probably will have um and it's Just that yeah they're both just really Simmery in the way that they're very Nice nice poppy Um similar level of softness to them Both Um and they can deliver pretty much the Same thing so this is a really difficult Verses to do because I'd be really Struggling to pick one at one of these Two shoes uh one of the things that I Would say uh actually firstly the upper

The upper I like on both of these shoes I actually prefer the upper on the Cardboard Echo 3 I just think it's a Little bit more comfortable Um I like the feel of that one the um The hooker rocket X3 just was a little Bit too plasticky for me Um and just doesn't feel as comfortable But there's not much in it the other Thing I'd say about the outsoles This is weird thing that's happening to Me at the moment I don't know what's Going on Um but I keep ripping off the bottoms of My performance ratios Um I don't know if it's because I'm Running differently at the moment uh but It's happened on The Vape fly 3 it's Happened on the Hawker rocket X3 and It's happened on I on cloud boom echo3 And it always seems to be on the outside Of the back section of the outsole now It could be that I've changed my running Style slightly but I do think there's a A level where the rubber on the outsole Of a lot of performance shoes is really Getting quite thin at the moment Presumably to save weight and I have Seen other people who have tested the uh On cloudview Echo three there's signs of The rubber coming off as well so I don't Think it's an isolated thing I've Definitely taken it too far this is from The first run but I think there may be

Um some durability issues specifically With the on cloudview mecho 3 but I did Have the same issue with the hooker Rocket X3 as well so um possibly with that as Well but we'll see uh what happens over The next few weeks so cloudy with Mac O3 And the rocket X2 are similar in a way In that they are both carbon shoes that Have brought their brands back into the Game in a sense they armor and Hoka were Well behind the pack when it came to Carbon Super Shoes yeah things like the Carbon X3 and the rocket X from Hoka Which were fine shoes but they weren't Super Shoes same with the um on cloud Boom echo which was a firmer feeling Shoe had a nice rocker this wasn't the Game as fast as real Super Fusion a lot Of that was just down to Mid cell phones And both of these do now have peeba Midsoles and it just makes all the Difference you've got a higher stack You've got a bouncier a more responsive Foam under your foot and it just means That they both now deliver the Performance you expect from a super shoe I'd say the Hoka is a little bit softer For me especially around the heel and it Is a lot lower drop than the echo 3 and It feels like a low Drop shoe the hoco So Soft at the heel for me sometimes it Feels even lower than it's you know Listed drop almost close to flat and

That's great at times it feels very Nimble and grounded and actually a Little bit more available a lot of Carbon shoes because of that at the same Time I think I get a little bit more tip Through and rocker from the cloud boom Echo 3 which has that thermofoam really Pronounced rocker design a big scooped Carbon plate and it feels like it's Tipping me forward a bit better and Helping me tick over either on long runs Or even over short races I've done short Races in both these shoes like I've done A 5K race in the Echo 3 and a park run And a 7.2 K race in the hooker rocket X And they were kind of all out races Where you're redlining it quite early in This trying to tick over and keep Pushing for as long as you can I think That just comes slightly more naturally To me with the cloud boom Echo because Uh it has got that high drop which suits Me a little bit better as a shuffly heel Striking Runner I think I would say on The Cloudy mecco is that it's got this Foam does feel quite dense to me and When I'm not pushing hard I sometimes Don't really feel the play that much so When I am engaged and running well and Hitting my straps I get a nice sink into The phone hit the plate and get a nice Booming response but there are times When if I'm just moving a little bit More slowly or I start to really tire

And slow down a bit in races it doesn't Feel like you're getting quite as much Booming propulsion from the shoe as Others the hooker has a softer foam and It feels like it's easier to get the Punch from the play as a result you can Even slower Pace as I certainly felt the Punch from the plate in the hooker so it Might be something to consider so if You're a lighter Runner I don't know if You'll feel necessarily the Bounce from The Cloudy mecho 3 quite as much oh the Other difference I've noticed between The shoes over the run test is that the Hookers outsole is pretty good actually Um it's quite thick it's pretty durable Um I did a ridiculously wet track Session industry running quite short Reps I think 300 is 200 that kind of Thing and the grip really impressed me Throughout now I'm not any problems with Grip with the Cloudy Mac O3 but I do Think it's not gonna be as durable Especially around the heel as the hoker Got a little bit of flaking on one of The patches of rubber at the back there Does seem to be a problem other people Have noticed with the shoe as well so That's something to look out for with The echo 3 durability of the outsole Might not be outstanding So a couple of really good new carbon Shoes on the Block this year both of Them are probably ranked slightly below

The very best available things like the Bayfly 3 but both Certainly a big leap forward for their Respective Brands as shoes that I really Enjoyed running fast in and I'd be happy Racing in over any distance I slightly Prefer the ride feel of the cloud beam Echo 3 myself I like that it's got that Very aggressive rocker almost that Slightly firmer feeling underfoot and Then the big booming balance is there When you run hard put enough impact into The foam to get that nice explosive Um feeling off your toes the hook is Probably a slightly more approachable Shoe I think it's a lovely shoe to pull On for actually a range of paces and if You feel the bouncing it straight away When you are running in it but the low Drop does almost flatten out with me a Little bit when running hard and I Prefer the slightly more Tippy forward Feeling I get from the cloud boom Echo 3. at the same time the rocket X is Still an excellent shoe and it is Notably cheaper than the Cloudy mecho 3 Which has come out a little bit too Strong with its RRP it's fair to say Especially in the US where it's 290 that Is a big I think No-No for me basically With these two rounds in particular when You are trying to lure people back to Your Racing shoes having not had a top Class one for a while the hookers priced

About par for the carbon market and I Think that's fair enough it's a good Shoe you can go and pick it up and you Won't be disappointed cloudy mecho 3 is A little bit too expensive and looking At a price that you're not getting a Jump in performance equivalent to the Jump in price so although I do slightly Further rifle of the echo 3 the rocket X2 is probably one I'd be happier Recommending to people just because I Think it's a slightly more approachable Shoe and a lot cheaper just look out for The heel design on it a little bit I Think the heel design is certainly a Little bit better on the cloud in f03 so My verdict on these two shoes is really Really difficult cool because I think They essentially do the same thing and I I could use them both for exactly the Same sort of ruins that I I would be Going out to do the same races I think It really boils down to me for the just The feeling of the the speed on the Run Um and when I've been running fast in Both of these shoes they're pretty Similar I just feel like the Hawker Rocket X3 has just got a bit more pop in It just feels a little bit lighter on The feet it just feels like it's really Popping you forward with every step when I did a park run in this it just it felt Great it felt very similar to something Like the vapor fly for me um which I

Think is is great and it's hawker's Doing a great job at the moment with With it with a lot of his shoes Um the on climbing mecho 3 isn't far off I think it's a great shoe Um I just think it probably it lacks a Little bit of liveliness that I get from The hog rocket X3 but there's really Really not much in it and I think It's basically going to boil down to how Cheap you can get these shoes and also If you're a fan of shoe designs and if More importantly if you're a fan of on Shoe designs you've got a really good Performance shoe now Um which I don't think they've ever had Before so this is a big win for on fans Who really want a good run ratio Um but I think I'm gonna go Pocket Rocket X3 just because I think there's a Little bit more to it well my verdict in A nutshell this is On's best carbon Ratio by far this is also hoka's best Carbon ratio in my opinion and I'm a big Fan of both of these shoes for racing Anything up to the Marathon distance They probably lend themselves a little Bit better I think to halves but I also Knew people who went beyond the marathon Did 55 mile comrades Ultra in the rocket X2 so there's an argument to say you can Go further in the rocket X2 they are a Little bit more cushioned slightly so We've got the right conditions but the

Hugging fit higher I think will have to Work for you to do that I feel like the On cloudy Mecca might be a little bit Firm for two long hours on feet but for Me there's not a huge amount to choose Here in terms of ride and performance Between these two shoes the hoka's Marginally softer the ons fit is a Little roomier and overall I think They're a little bit more comfortable on The foot but largely comes down to price When you're considering these two and as Much as I like the echo 3 I don't think You're getting 40 pound odd better Performance or durability so if I'm Choosing one shoe based on value it has To be the rocket X2 that would be the One that I would spend my money on so There you have it that has been our head To head of the rocket X2 and the brand New Cloud boom Echo 3. hope you found it Useful if there's anything that we Missed here hit us up in the comments Below if you think we've got it all Wrong let us know why don't forget to Hit like And subscribe and ring that Bell to hear about new vids when they Land there will be more head-to-heads Featuring both of these two shoes coming Soon on the channel there may be some People ready to check those out in the Meantime if you want to see our full Rocket X2 review that's appearing on the Channel just about now

Otherwise as ever it's been a real Pleasure chatting carbon shoes with you Good luck on your running out there Everyone we hope to see you again soon On the channel and uh yeah go get it Whatever it is that you're trying to Achieve