Polish pro Robert Wilkowiecki wrote this on his insta before the race:


"Less than 3 weeks to the World Champs so most of the decisions have been made.

I’ve also been checking out different shoes lately. In the final showdown, I left 2 models: Nike Vaporfly 3 and HOKA Rocket X2, rejecting even Nike Alphafly 1, which I ran in Texas.

Several times during training, I collected parameters from Stryd, lactate, heart rate and of course MY FEELING and both of these models came out very similar. Nike is a bit lighter and with a higher drop, and HOKA heavier for my size by about 60g per pair with a drop of 5mm and a boat-shaped profile and a slightly wider sole. Despite the slightly heavier weight, I feel a little more stable wearing HOKA and as a result I feel like I have better control over my steps.

So in Nice you will see me wearing HOKA Rocket X2. @hokarunnerspoland

What else would you like to know about my choices?

P.S. NON-SPONSORED selection! :)"


I think it confirms your impression in that they are very close in performance and that - if they have no sponsor obligations - will go by what feels best.

For those that have tried the Rocket X2, did you find them stiffer, and less soft than some of the other top shoes?
That was the impression I got the few times I had them in hand at recent expos. But did not get to run in them...

I currently have the X2 and Alpha Fly, and have run in the Rocket X and Vaporfly in the last two years... to me, nothing compares to the bounce of the Alpha Fly, but I still prefer the X2. I might even love them :)

the X2 absolutely needs to fix the non-existent heal pull, getting these things on is very challenging for me; I'd definitely not wear them for a sprint or OLY for this reason.

I think the big brands are very similar: nike, adidas, hoka (now not before x2!), saycony.
So probably if not sponsored they will fins the one with the drop they like and enough "stability" . Not sure everyone would wear the same for an open marathon vs ironman.

Well, the sponsorship thing could def take the 'surprise' out of it... :)
I didn't look at all 6 either, but I do see a big 'HOKA' logo on the front of Laidlow's trisuit...

Note - One of my favorite shoes lately is the Adidas Adios Pro 3. I was surprised to see Lange using it, didn't realize any of them were using Adidas! But again, sponsorship def played a part, as their logo is on his suit.

Rocket X2 is the stiffest and most stable. Felt good in sessions, felt sluggish in the 70.3 I ran them in.

Vaporfly 3 is faster, lighter, and feels unstable especially cornering. But I didn't have any issues in the two 70.3s I ran them in. Each was a HM PR. The Rocket X2 HM was sandwiched in the middle of my two PRs with the Vaporfly.

Vaporfly foam is definitely less durable.

Alphafly 2 is also softer than the Rocket X2 but I haven't ran in them since the back of the heel started tearing up my foot after 100 miles or so.

what i observe over the past 2-3 years is sponsorship isnt big enough ($$$) currently to have athletes run in slow shoes. Hoka lost a few athletes in past year because they didnt have a offering that could match nike alphafly. no one is willing to take a 7-9min hit on there marathon time because of a pair of shoes.

In testing with my crew, we found it to be very individual but some have respond very well to the new Hoka Rocket X2 and i consider it on par with the alpha fly. But it s not easy to test, there is some subjectivity and everyone react differently.

---

Jonathan Caron / Professional Coach / ironman champions / age group world champions
Jonnyo Coaching
Instargram

I have most super shoes and Rocket X2 is definitely way up there with Alphafly 1, but their heel area sucks. It's hard to put on because there's not much to hold on to and it's very flimsy. If they had added a loop like Alphaflys and made a little firmer, they would have hit the jackpot. Anyway, you should still try them. They are like butter. Very smooth ride, bouncy, stable and fast.

I figured that Hoka being a big sponsor played into a lot of this but here's an example of a pro choosing their super shoe. They lagged behind in their first attempt at putting out a competitive super shoe. Wonder if they've really closed the gap. All for competition but the pure running world is still being dominated by Nike/Adidas.