The HOKA Skyward X 2 is one of the most interesting long-run shoes HOKA has released in years. It’s big, premium, heavily cushioned and packed with technology, yet somehow still manages to feel surprisingly stable and versatile underfoot. After putting solid mileage into the shoe ahead of launch, I came away seriously impressed — but there’s one thing that stops it from being an easy recommendation.
At its core, the Skyward X 2 is a max-stack “super trainer” designed for high-mileage comfort. Think of it as HOKA’s answer to shoes like the Nike Vomero Premium, ASICS Superblast and Puma MagMax Nitro. It’s built for runners who want a luxurious, highly cushioned ride for marathon training, recovery miles and long steady efforts, but with enough responsiveness to comfortably pick up the pace when needed.
The specs immediately tell you this is a serious piece of kit. The Skyward X 2 weighs around 300g in a UK 10 and features an enormous 44mm heel stack with a 39mm forefoot, creating a 5mm drop. Inside the midsole sits a full-length convex carbon plate sandwiched between two different foams: a PEBA-based top layer for softness and energy return, and a supercritical EVA frame underneath for stability and structure. HOKA has also updated the shoe with a lighter jacquard mesh upper, trimming roughly 20g from the previous version.
What makes the shoe work so well is the balance between cushioning and control. Despite the towering stack height, the Skyward X 2 never feels overly soft or unstable. That dual-density setup delivers a highly cushioned ride without the wobbliness that can creep into some max-stack shoes during longer runs. The PEBA foam gives the shoe a smooth, energetic feel, while the EVA frame keeps everything planted and predictable, especially once fatigue starts to kick in.
That stability matters. For marathon training and long runs, especially beyond the 18-mile mark, softer shoes can sometimes become problematic as form deteriorates. The Skyward X 2 avoids that issue brilliantly. It feels comfortable at easy paces but can also handle marathon pace efforts without feeling sluggish or awkward. The carbon plate isn’t overly aggressive either, which is a good thing in a long-run shoe. Instead of forcing turnover, it simply helps the shoe roll smoothly through transitions and adds a subtle bounce to the ride.
The ride itself actually reminds me a lot of the Mizuno Neo Vista 2 — and that’s high praise because I absolutely love that shoe. There’s a similar “just works” quality here. The Skyward X 2 feels protective, efficient and easy to run in. It’s one of those shoes you forget about while running because everything simply feels natural.
Comfort is another highlight. The new jacquard mesh upper feels premium, breathable and secure without becoming overly restrictive. The tongue isn’t gusseted, but the padding around the top of the foot adds to the plush step-in feel. Lockdown is generally solid, although I did need to cinch the laces fairly tightly to get the fit dialled in.
That said, the fit won’t work perfectly for everyone. I experienced some fairly aggressive rubbing on my left pinky toe during warmer runs, while the right shoe felt completely fine. It’s one of those frustratingly foot-specific issues that some runners may never encounter, but if you have wider feet it’s definitely worth considering waiting for a wide version if one becomes available. KT tape solved the issue for me, but it’s still something to be aware of before spending this much money on a shoe.
Outsole durability also raises a slight question mark. Early signs of wear were already appearing around my natural strike pattern after relatively limited mileage. That doesn’t necessarily mean durability will be poor long-term, but it’ll be interesting to see how the outsole holds up deeper into marathon training.
And now we get to the biggest issue with the Skyward X 2: the price.
At £190, this shoe sits firmly in premium territory, and that makes it incredibly difficult to justify. Yes, the technology is impressive. Yes, the ride quality is excellent. But the reality is there are simply too many outstanding alternatives available for significantly less money. Shoes like the Neo Vista 2, Nike Vomero Plus and Puma MagMax Nitro all offer somewhat similar experiences at much lower prices. Even the ASICS Superblast 3 sits in the same conversation, and most runners will probably gravitate towards that instead.
That’s what makes the Skyward X 2 such a frustrating shoe. Because purely from a performance standpoint, it’s excellent. It delivers exactly what many runners want from a modern long-run shoe: stability, protection, responsiveness and comfort all wrapped into one highly cushioned package. HOKA has genuinely done a fantastic job with the ride experience.
But at £190, it becomes a much harder sell than it should be.
If you can find the shoe discounted, though, the conversation changes completely. At closer to £160-£170, the Skyward X 2 suddenly becomes much more competitive and far easier to recommend. Because underneath the painful price tag is a genuinely superb long-distance trainer that absolutely deserves attention.
For me personally, despite the toe rubbing and eye-watering cost, this is still a shoe I want to keep running in. It fits perfectly into that marathon training role where comfort, consistency and stability matter more than outright speed. And that’s probably the biggest compliment I can give it.
The HOKA Skyward X 2 may be overpriced, but it’s also one of the best long-run shoes HOKA has made in a very long time.
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