It’s hard for racing shoes to stand out these days, because most of the best carbon plate running shoes have converged on a similar design in a bid to be the fastest option on the market.
Many shoes now have a good case to be the speediest, with the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 currently topping my personal charts on that front. However, another way you can attract runners is to offer a more rounded design.
That’s exactly what the Hoka Rocket X3 does. It doesn’t have as aggressive and unstable a ride as many super-shoes, but is still lightweight and fast while being more stable and supportive.
As a result I think it will suit a lot of runners perfectly, even if it’s not as propulsively fast as some shoes, because it does offer a little more comfort and stability, which is especially valuable in longer events like marathons and for regular training use.
Hoka Rocket X3 review: Price and availability
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The Hoka Rocket X3 launched on July 1 and costs $250 in the U.S. and £220 in the U.K. That’s the same price as the Hoka Rocket X2, and cheaper than the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0, which is the other carbon super-shoe in the brand’s range.
Hoka Rocket X3 review: Design and fit
The Hoka Rocket X3 launched in the grey and white color that I tested and fit me well in my normal running shoe size, the same size I use for other Hoka shoes including the Cielo X1 2.0 and Rocket X2.
The new pair has a higher drop than the Rocket X2, with a 7mm offset from heel to toe compared with 5mm on its predecessor. It’s also lighter, weighing 7.3oz in my US men’s size 9.5 compared to 7.9oz for the Rocket X2. It’s the lightest Hoka carbon shoe to date, in fact.
Upper
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The Rocket X3 has a single-layer warp knit upper that’s lightweight and highly breathable. There’s a little padding around the collar and tongue of the shoe and it has held my foot securely during fast runs.
I haven’t had any complaints with the upper during my testing so far, and I’ve appreciated the breathable material while running in a summer heatwave.
Midsole
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The Rocket X3 has a dual-density midsole with two layers of PEBA foam that sandwich a carbon plate. The softer layer of foam increases the comfort and bounciness of the shoe, while the firmer layer makes it more stable.
This plate has a wing on the outside of the forefoot to increase stability, and there are also sidewalls of foam that frame the back of your foot to add more support at the rear of the shoe.
While there are cutouts on the bottom of the midsole, these are positioned centrally which means the Rocket X3 is more stable than carbon shoes with cutouts on the medial side of the foot.
Outsole
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The Rocket X3 has a sticky rubber outsole that offers better grip than the outsole on the Rocket X2, which I did find could be slippery on wet roads and tracks.
Like most racing shoes, rubber is used sparingly on the outsole of the Rocket X3 to keep the weight down. The forefoot is covered, and there are two strips of rubber at the heel, but otherwise the midsole is left exposed.
Hoka Rocket X3 review: Running performance
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While I liked the Hoka Rocket X2 and actually ran my 10K PB in that pair, it got a little lost in the carbon plate running shoe crowd as just another lightweight racing option.
In the time since Hoka launched the Rocket X2, it has released two versions of its Cielo racer. The first, the Hoka Cielo X1, was a comfortable, bouncy and stable shoe that I loved for fast training but found a bit heavy for racing.
The Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 is the current flagship racer in the lineup and is much lighter and faster than the Cielo X1, with a more rockered but less stable design.
With the Cielo X1 2.0 already in place, Hoka has aimed to create a different ride with the Rocket X3. It has a smoother ride that’s less bouncy and rockered than the Cielo X1 2.0, and is more comfortable and stable.
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That’s especially noticeable at the heel, which offers more support than most carbon racing shoes. The lightweight design and mild rocker then help to roll you through and off your toes quickly.
I’ve done sessions with all-out 400m and 300m reps in the shoe, as well as longer interval workouts at around my marathon or half marathon pace, and the Rocket X3 felt great. It’s fast and smooth, and comfortable enough for warm ups and cool downs too.
It doesn’t feel as springy and efficient as some carbon shoes though, like the Puma Fast-R 3 or Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris, trading this all-out speed for a more natural ride.
Whether that’s a good thing will depend on your preferences as a runner. In general, I love highly-rockered race shoes and want the fastest shoe possible for my key events. However, for many runners, more support will be more valuable, especially for longer races.
Should you buy the Hoka Rocket X3?
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Hoka has made a great racer in the Rocket X3, and one that will have broader appeal than many carbon super-shoes. It’s light and fast, but more comfortable and supportive than many rivals.
For pure speed when chasing PRs, I’d turn to a few shoes ahead of it, especially the Puma Fast-R 3. The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is another one to consider that has the comfort of the Rocket X3, though isn’t quite as stable.
However, if you need to balance speed with support to deliver your best performance in races, or want a more comfortable carbon shoe to use for a mix of training and racing, the Rocket X3 is certainly worth considering.
