Hoka One One Carbon X Shoe Review

The Hoka Clifton Carbon X shoe is the first Hoka shoe with a carbon insert! What does this mean for you? This means this shoe is designed to be light and go fast. Most runners know about the carbon shoe hype from the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT%. This shoe is not only hard to find but also costs $200-$250.

I recently reviewed the Hoka Clifton 7 so it was perfect timing to review Carbon X shoe after the Clifton, which happens to be one of my favorite Hoka shoes.

This high-performance shoe features a specially-engineered carbon fiber plate and an aggressive Meta-Rocker designed to provide an efficient, propulsive ride. The Carbon X is designed to empower athletes to fly.
– HokaOneOne.com

At the time of this review, Hoka was offering five color options, which means you should be able to find at least one color option you like for the Carbon X.

If you are interested in trying the Carbon X, now would be a great time to buy it because the Carbon X 2 was just announced. This means should can definitely score some solid discounts on this shoe.

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Hoka One One Carbon X Shoe Verdict

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If you are looking for a shoe that feels fast with just enough support and plenty of responsiveness, you should try the Carbon X. The price point is a little steep, but man these make you want to go fast.

While this shoe may not work for everyone, it really is great for longer runs, daily training, and races. As I mentioned, this shoe is built to go fast. 

With regards to sizing, I still recommend ordering a 1/2 size up, something I have been doing with the rest of my running shoes recently and they tend to fit much better.

The one thing I am interested in seeing is how these shoes hold up as I put the miles on these. 

If you are looking for a neutral running shoe that is responsive, lightweight, and fast, give the Carbon X a try!

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Here are a few pictures of the Hoka One One Carbon X that I wore for this review.

Hoka One One Carbon X Initial Thoughts

Having worn every version of the Hoka Clifton, Arahi, and a few other models, I was really excited to see how the latest Carbon X would not only look, but feel.

The first thing I noticed was that the upper almost looked like it had too much material, something that went away when I put the shoe, just something I noticed.

Sizing Tip: Some sites tell you to order a 1/2 size up and others say that they run true to size. When sites say different sizing suggestions, it tells me these are probably in the middle of running true to size. I ordered a 1/2 size up to get the right size.

The other thing I noticed was how stiff the shoe was. Usually you can bend a shoe, but with the carbon insert, this shoe is almost impossible to bend, which ironically is what helps propel you forward when running.

The Carbon X’s isn’t the lightest carbon shoe, but light enough to feel and run fast.

Hoka One One Carbon X Shoe Specifications

• Weight: 8.7 Ounces (Men’s size 9)
• Shoe Category: Neutral
• How It Fits: Order 1/2 size up (based on width D)
• Offset: 5mm heel to toe offset
• Forefoot Height: 28mm forefoot height
• Heel Height: 33mm heel height
• Forefoot Width: Medium (wide model available)
• Ultra-Lightweight Seamless Upper and Early Stage Meta-Rocker Geometry
• Previous Model: First Version

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Hoka One One Carbon X Overview

The Hoka One One Carbon X is the first Hoka running shoe with a carbon insert, helping you run faster by propelling you forward with each step. The lightweight shoe combined with the Early Stage Meta-Rocker technology helps to continue to promote a natural running motion.

The shoe balances the line of soft and responsive, meaning that the shoe won’t feel as soft as the Clifton, but instead a little firmer and increased responsiveness.

The Carbon X is a formidable competitor. This high-performance shoe features a specially-engineered carbon fiber plate and an aggressive Meta-Rocker designed to provide an efficient, propulsive ride. Our PROFLY X technology – a special combination of foams, employed with our trademark geometry – delivers an inherently stable, soft and responsive experience. 
– HokaOneOne.com

The high abrasion rubber sole provides traction on most surfaces. This shoe is recommended for road surfaces, paved trails, or the track.

Hoka One One Carbon X Midsole

The Hoka One One Carbon X midsole is the game changer with this shoe. As I have mentioned plenty of times already, the carbon plate inserted in the sole really provides you an extra boost with each stride. 

The sole itself is extremely stiff because of the carbon plate. If you try to bend the shoe up, you will notice its very very hard to do that. Even with the carbon plate, it doesn’t add much in terms of weight as the shoe is still around 8.7oz.

You will notice that if you look closely, there are two layers of foam. One is for comfort (top layer) and one is for propelling you forward (bottom layer). The bottom layer is what gives you a firmer ride when comparing to say the Clifton shoe.

The sole continues to have the Early Meta-Rocker technology, which supports and promotes a more efficient running form, something I wish more shoes had.

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Below are a few pictures of the Carbon X sole.

Hoka One One Carbon X Upper

The Carbon X upper was something I was a bit skeptical when I first saw this shoe. The material almost appears to have some excess material when just holding it. The material is lightweight and very breathable, which makes sense as this is the place that Hoka is trying to cut weight.

The seamless upper construction and gusseted tongue make it comfortable and light.

Here are a few pictures of the upper portion of the Hoka Carbon X.

Buy the Hoka One One Carbon X

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Other options: Jack Rabbit | Holabird Sports | REI.com | Hoka One One | Road Runner Sports | Fleet Feet

Let me know what you think of the Hoka One One Carbon X running shoe!

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Hoka One One Carbon X Ratings