{"id":3583,"date":"2023-05-11T12:44:51","date_gmt":"2023-05-11T05:44:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/an-honest-review-of-the-hoka-rocket-x-2\/"},"modified":"2023-05-11T12:44:51","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T05:44:51","slug":"an-honest-review-of-the-hoka-rocket-x-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=3583","title":{"rendered":"An Honest Review of the Hoka Rocket X 2"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-franchise outlines-corners relative p-[20px] mt-[30px] sm:flex sm:items-start sm:flex-row\" style=\"min-height:105.83762886598px\">\n<div class=\"article-franchise__text text-default mt-[10px] text-center inline sm:inline-block sm:mt-0 sm:text-left\"> <span class=\"italic text-gray\">With the Well+Good SHOP, our editors put their years of know-how to work in order to pick products (from skin care to self care and beyond) they\u2019re betting you\u2019ll love. While our editors independently select these products, making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission. Happy shopping!<\/span><span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/shop\/\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/shop\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Explore the SHOP<\/a><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Serious runners know the importance of the phrase, &#8220;If the shoe fits, wear it.&#8221; Stability, propulsion, cushioning, balance, heel-to-toe drop; the makings of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/running-sneakers-beginners\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/running-sneakers-beginners\/\">serious running sneaker<\/a> are just that: serious. Because if it doesn&#8217;t fit right or is flat-out uncomfortable, you&#8217;re not going to make it to Mile 13, let along past Mile 1.<\/p>\n<p>So to my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/iron-man-running-gear-recommendations\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/iron-man-running-gear-recommendations\/\">marathon-runners,<\/a> race-day warriors, and devoted after-work urban joggers, meet the <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.com%2Fdeeplink%3Fid%3DvTvGS%2F1ZeSQ%26mid%3D43729%26u1%3DSTMSSY-1060745%26murl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.hoka.com%252Fen%252Fus%252Fall-gender-footwear%252Frocket-x-2%252F1127927.html&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fhoka-rocket-x2-review%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.hoka.com\/en\/us\/all-gender-footwear\/rocket-x-2\/1127927.html\">Hoka Rocket X 2<\/a> ($250), the &#8220;highest performing road racing product in the <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.com%2Fdeeplink%3Fid%3DvTvGS%2F1ZeSQ%26mid%3D43729%26u1%3DSTMSSY-583563%26murl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.hoka.com%252Fen%252Fus%252F&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fhoka-rocket-x2-review%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.hoka.com\/en\/us\/\">Hoka<\/a> line.&#8221; (Which is a fancy way of saying that it allows you to go super fast when you\u2019re running on concrete.) After trying them for myself, they go fast alright, and look and feel good doing it. As a runner, they&#8217;re like nothing I\u2019ve ever worn before\u2014and I mean that in the best way possible. Plus, a podiatrist agrees.<\/p>\n<h2>A bit about the Hoka Rocket X 2<\/h2>\n<p>An all-gender shoe, the Hoka Rocket X 2 is designed for the passionate, competitive runners who want footwear that&#8217;ll keep up with them, mile after mile.. \u201cThis is a serious running shoe. It\u2019s meant to make you want to go fast,\u201d says <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hvfa.com\/provider\/douglas-f-tumen-dpm-facfas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.hvfa.com\/provider\/douglas-f-tumen-dpm-facfas\">Doug Tumen<\/a>, board-certified podiatrist and author of the book, <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FAsk-Foot-Doctor-Real-Life-Pain-Free%2Fdp%2F1642791989%3Ftag%3Dwgtrx1002-20%26asc_refurl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.wellandgood.com%252Fhoka-rocket-x2-review%252F%26asc_source%3Ddirect%26asc_campaign%3Dno-campaign&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fhoka-rocket-x2-review%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Ask-Foot-Doctor-Real-Life-Pain-Free\/dp\/1642791989\"><em>Ask the Foot Doctor<\/em><\/a>. True to its name, the Rocket X 2 is crafted to make you blast-off, propelling you forward to get a more efficient push-off. Other features, like a symmetrical footbed and responsive cushioning, are designed for unyielding stability, balance, and comfort over both short and long distances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"theme-main-2020\">\n<div class=\"wg-inline-shopable\">\n<div class=\"pb-[20px] sm:pb-[35px] sm:flex justify-between\">\n<div class=\"w-full\">\n<figure class=\"block w-full wg-inline-shopable__figure p-0 m-0 mb-[25px]\"> <a data-vars-event=\"product image\" data-vars-info=\"Hoka%2C+All-Gender+Rocket+X+2\" href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.com%2Fdeeplink%3Fid%3DvTvGS%2F1ZeSQ%26mid%3D43729%26u1%3DSTMSSY-1060745%26murl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.hoka.com%252Fen%252Fus%252Fall-gender-footwear%252Frocket-x-2%252F1127927.html&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fhoka-rocket-x2-review%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.hoka.com\/en\/us\/all-gender-footwear\/rocket-x-2\/1127927.html\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"block w-full no-pin js-inline-lazy-load\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Hoka-Rocket-X-2_falsexfalse_true_70.webp\"\/> <\/a><figcaption class=\"text-center text-caption--article text-gray-light block mt-[10px]\"\/> <\/figure>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.com%2Fdeeplink%3Fid%3DvTvGS%2F1ZeSQ%26mid%3D43729%26u1%3DSTMSSY-1060745%26murl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.hoka.com%252Fen%252Fus%252Fall-gender-footwear%252Frocket-x-2%252F1127927.html&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fhoka-rocket-x2-review%2F&amp;event_type=click\" class=\"wg-inline-shopable__subtitle-link\" data-vars-event=\"product name\" data-vars-info=\"Hoka%2C+All-Gender+Rocket+X+2\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" rel=\"sponsored\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.hoka.com\/en\/us\/all-gender-footwear\/rocket-x-2\/1127927.html\"> <\/p>\n<p>Hoka, All-Gender Rocket X 2 \u2014 $250.00<\/p>\n<p> <\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"text-big mb-[5px] wg-inline-shopable__content mt-[10px]\">\n<p><strong>Available sizes:<\/strong> M\/5-W\/6-M\/14-W\/15, in half sizes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Weight<\/strong>: 6.7oz<br \/><strong>Heel-to-toe drop:<\/strong> 5mm<br \/><strong>Stack height<\/strong>: 40mm<\/p>\n<p><strong>Colors:<\/strong> 1<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-shopable-pros\">\n<ul>\n<li>Propels you forward for greater speed <\/li>\n<li>Amazing stability <\/li>\n<li>Super shock absorbing <\/li>\n<li>Designed especially for running <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-shopable-cons\">\n<ul>\n<li>Difficult to put on for the first time <\/li>\n<li>Not great for cold, rainy weather <\/li>\n<li>Expensive <\/li>\n<li>Too technical for casual runs\/other exercise <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>That said, if you&#8217;re more of a casual runner or, say, someone who likes a brisk jog once in a blue moon, Dr. Tumen suggests skipping these shoes; the only folks who should get them are people who regularly hit the pavement and are looking to increase their speed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hoka-rocket-x2-review\/\" current-title=\"The Hoka Rocket Running Sneaker Propels You Forward While Offering Other-Worldly Stability and Cushioning\" current-image=\"WG_SHOP_Hoka-Rocket-Review_feature-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2022-11-10\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hoka-rocket-x2-review\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hoka-rocket-x2-review\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img decoding=\"async\" :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hoka-rocket-x2-review\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\" class=\" js-inline-lazy-load\" src=\"\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;This shoe falls more in that category of &#8216;race day&#8217;, or for your days when you&#8217;re going to do your speed workouts,&#8221; says Dr. Tumen. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou can feel the difference in the midsole, where they put the extra shock absorption with new foam, the dual density, and the carbon plate. Just walking in them, I felt like my feet wanted to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">r<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">un.&#8221; Lastly, Dr. Tumen adds you&#8217;ll want to steer clear from this shoe if you\u2019re an over-pronator, if you wear orthotics, or if you know you want a shoe with more side-to-side support.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>First impressions<\/h2>\n<p>Remember how I said this road-racing shoe is like nothing I\u2019d ever worn before? It&#8217;s also like nothing I&#8217;ve ever <em>seen<\/em> before, and stands out in a sea of plain white sneaks. The see-through teal material engulfs your foot from toe to heel in a lightweight, barely there mesh. It also has a gorgeous neon green on the midsole, tongue, and laces, as well as tangerine accents and soles.<\/p>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_1060937\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1060937\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1060937 size-full js-inline-lazy-load\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"862\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NAC-hokax2_falsexfalse_true_70.webp\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1060937\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo: Author<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>I squeezed the midsole and smiled when I saw how responsive it was, which Dr. Tumen credits to the highly-resilient PEBA foam. PEBA foam, in case you were wondering, is \u201ca thermoplastic elastomer [a rubber-like material] that offers a unique combination of low density, flexibility, small hysteresis, and excellent flex-fatigue resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>3, 2, 1, blast-off: My full review<\/h2>\n<p>For an entire month, I ran, jogged, and walked in the Hoka Rocket X 2. While I typically take my sneakers hiking for a fuller experience, I could tell that the grip on them wouldn\u2019t make for a pleasurable trek up a mountain. For that reason, I skipped testing the kicks on the trail.<\/p>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_1060935\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1060935\" style=\"width: 872px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1060935 size-full js-inline-lazy-load\" alt=\"\" width=\"872\" height=\"736\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Hoka-treadmill_falsexfalse_true_70.webp\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1060935\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo: Author<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>My favorite thing to do in these sneakers is, as Dr. Tumen predicted, running fast\u2014like actually sprinting\u2014especially when I\u2019m running outside. In fact, I actually logged more outside runs with the Rocket X 2s than pretty much any other sneaker <em>ever.<\/em><br \/>I found that they provided superior balance and stability. There were a couple of times when I felt my ankle wanting to go to the side after a wrong step, but the geometry of the shoe brought my foot back to its natural landing every time (saving me from a very embarrassing fall).<\/p>\n<p>Per Dr. Tumen, this otherworldly balance also comes from the fact that the shoe is \u201ca little bit wider on the base of the shoe, which gives you a more stable base of support and is great because the Rocket X 2 is so light, but yet it has this nice wide platform to land on.\u201d Can confirm: it <em>is a\u00a0<\/em>nice, wide platform to land on and provides some of the\u00a0best shock absorption I\u2019ve ever encountered in footwear. The midsole is<em> huge<\/em> (a whopping 40mm of stack height!) and my feet, knees, hips, and back thanked every single millimeter on runs.<\/p>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_1060933\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1060933\" style=\"width: 808px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1060933 size-full js-inline-lazy-load\" alt=\"\" width=\"808\" height=\"1078\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Hoka-Rocket-x-2-stairs_falsexfalse_true_70.webp\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1060933\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo: Author<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>While the Hoka Rocket X 2 definitely propelled me on my outdoor runs, they were also great on the treadmill. I logged a few miles on a Stairmaster just for testing, which honestly wasn&#8217;t that fun. (The high-rise tongue of the shoe was uncomfortable on the front of my ankle.) If you get them, heed Dr. Tumen&#8217;s advice: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c[They&#8217;re] not for standing on a Stairmaster or elliptical machine as much because of the way they constructed the shoe,\u201d says Dr. Tumen. \u201cThe way Hoka designed the carbon-fiber plates between the two layers of foam propels you <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">forward<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>If I\u2019m being fully honest, I\u2019m still reaching for my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hoka-clifton-9-review\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hoka-clifton-9-review\/\">Hoka Clifton 9s<\/a>, which are a bit more casual, if I\u2019m hitting a recovery or base run (aka easy runs) on the treadmill. If, however, I\u2019m running outside and feel like sprinting or playing with my speed, I am blasting off in the Hoka Rocket X 2, No questions asked.<\/p>\n<p>That said, if you live in a very rainy area, they may not be the best purchase because they don\u2019t have great grip and \u201cbecause the mesh is so thin. I mean, you can see your socks through the shoe,&#8221; Dr. Tumen says. From my experience, you can certainly feel the wind breezing in it.<\/p>\n<p>And, per Dr. Tumen, I won\u2019t be the only one sporting these kicks on the pavement: \u201cI think you\u2019re going to see a lot of these on the starting lines at marathons in the fall.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimers__after_content mb-[18px] mt-[16px] pt-[16px]\">\n<div class=\"outline-earmark relative mt-[8px] pt-[10px] pl-[20px]\">\n<p>\n            Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission.          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the Well+Good SHOP, our editors put their years of know-how to work in order to pick products (from skin care to self care and beyond) they\u2019re betting you\u2019ll love. While our editors independently select these products, making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission. Happy shopping! Explore the SHOP Serious runners &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3584,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3583\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}