Anybody run in these two? The last couple of years I have been a Nike person for racing but a Hoka Clifton runner for training. I decided to try the Rocket X this time around. I have done a couple runs from 7-15 miles and the fit is great. They just feel flat and stiff. My Nike vaporfly 4% feel like they throw me forward wear the Rocket X just feel like a stiff shoe. I was thinking of trying the Metaspeed, but it has been a LONG time since I have worn ASICS. Anybody compared the two shoes? I checked YouTube, but didn’t really find anything helpful. Most written reviews say great things about Metaspeed where-as the Rocket X reviews are kind of Bla, but Jan Frodeno wears them so they can’t be that bad? I need something for my next Ironman in a couple weeks. TIA
Edit. How much time do you think I’d lose wearing the Rocket X vs Metaspeed?
Never ran in the metaspeed, but traction on the rocket x is the worst on any shoe I have ever experienced. Fit and feel are great until there is any moisture. I ran in the rocket x approx 10 times and returned them. Even on dry pavement, if I was sweating to took water over my head, it was like ice skating. This is why frodeno ate it at the tri challenge.
…My Nike vaporfly 4% feel like they throw me forward wear the Rocket X just feel like a stiff shoe…
I feel like the Nike’s have kind of ruined/spoiled me in that regard. Every other shoe I try now feels as you describe, just flat and stiff. A few have some sponginess to them, but still not the same. Every other super shoe that comes out is always compared to the Nike’s in the reviews, and the Nike’s still seem to always come out on top. Seems like no one has been able to match them yet for the combo of light weight and spring.
I’ve never run in the Nikes or the Asics. Have you thought about the Saucony’s? I used the Rocket X’s for races this year and really liked them. I felt like I was noticeably faster running in those than other shoes I had been running in like Cliftons or Rincons. Had 3 good races in the Rocket X’s. Then I tried the Endorphin Speeds in training and they felt faster by a lot. I just got a pair of Endorphin Pro 2’s and they feel faster still. According to my Garmin, my VO2 max keeps going up, but I think it might be reflective of the shoes allowing me to run faster at the same effort level, and not my actual Vo2 max going up. I have one more race coming up, and I am going to use the Endorphin Pro 2s for it.
I have not. I just read great reviews about the metaspeed about the same time my rocket x arrived. I can’t find them anywhere though and I don’t want to purchase online for sizing issues. I’ll run in my rockets for my next Ironman. It’s in 3 weeks anyway so I’m running out of time. Once the metaspeed production numbers get up and shipping starts, I’ll try them.
I have them both, and most other carbon shoes as well, the metaspeed sky feels similar like the nikes in like having that springy pop. Upper is a bit strange roomy and due to the way the interior is not that good to run in sockless iscthatbiscwhat you prefer. Specialy the part where the tongue is attached to the upper.
But the sole feels and probably is pebax based foam.
The hoka’s, all of them, feel flatish and unresponsive compared to the pebax based foam shoes.
But true, the fit of the rocket x is superb.
Interesting comment about the inside of the shoe and running sockless… at Boulder 70.3 Sam Long said he chose this shoe specifically because he would save some time by running sockless in it.
The hoka’s, all of them, feel flatish and unresponsive compared to the pebax based foam shoes.
But true, the fit of the rocket x is superb.
That’s because foam is what makes most of the performance difference and carbon is what does the selling. We keep calling super shoes “carbon shoes” after all…
Hoka doesn’t make super shoes. They make regular shoes with carbon.