It’s the 5th day of week 5 of Gold Coast Marathon (GCM21) training and it’s absolutely pouring out there. With the body already subjected to training stresses, I’m just not going to risk putting it under further strain and risk catching a cold during this pandemic. Moderate exercise is proven to boost the immunity system but marathon training is an entirely different matter and while I typically will run in the rain (wearing a jacket of course) during normal times, we’re simply not living in normal times now. So, all I can do is to wait this rain out and hopefully I’ll still be able to execute today’s plan.

Meanwhile, there’s this review to finish up. And yes, it’s another Hoka. It was an unexpected purchase actually, a shoe I don’t really need. I was at Running Lab 1Utama to check out several Hokas for daily training and was torn between the Rincon 2 and Clifton 7, but ended up really intrigued by the faster models like the Rocket X and Carbon X 2. With so many fast shoes already in my rotation, another pair is really really not needed but I succumbed and I left with the Rincon (I reviewed it here) and Carbon X 2. In hindsight, I ought to have gone with the Clifton 7 and Rocket X. As it turns out, my experience with Hoka now includes the Clifton 4, 2 Tracers v1s, Clayton 2, Rincon 2 and this pair of Carbon X 2 (CX2).

As usual, a person’s wear experience depends in part on the runner’s build and paces, so here are some of my stats. You’ll noticed that my weight has dropped:

Height: 176cm | Weight: 57.3-58kgs | Gait: Neutral | Working towards Goal Marathon Pace of 4:45/km

And here are the specs of the CX2:

Weight (US10): 8.9oz/252g (as weighed with stock sockliner)
Stack Height: 39mm/34mm
Offset: 5mm
Midsole: PROFLY™ X, carbon fibre plate.
Mileage logged: 105km (covered in 5 runs)

I reasoned that with the mileage that I’m staring at, I needed a long distance training shoe. Never mind that the Endorphin Speed is already a very capable shoe for that, or the under-utilized Vaporfly 4% FK Ekiden is rotting away in the box with no races… But you should try reasoning with a shoe geek that he doesn’t need another extra pair. Heck, I sometimes fail to reason with myself so good luck with that😅. You know that the CX2 was heavily marketed as a long distance (read: Marathon and above) training/racing shoe and Hoka put together an event to break the 100K world record featuring the shoe. After breaking the 80K world record in 2019 during Project Carbon X (yup, you guessed it, wearing the OG Carbon X), Jim Walmsley came agonizingly close to doing it again earlier this year. Catch the highlights here].

Back to the shoe. You will notice a set of numbers inscribed onto the midsoles of several new Hoka models and wonder what they denote. Well, according to Hoka’s CX2 website, they represent:

• Spring measurement (curvature of the shoe, measuring how high the heel and toe are off the ground) – 41×36^mm
• Volume  (total volume of foam in the midsole) – 728.00^cm3
• Carbon 

Upper and Fit
This makes it the perfect time to talk about the upper. And that’s what really got me when I slid my foot in for the very first time. The thin engineered mesh just hugs my feet really well. I’ve medium-volume feet, with my left foot slightly longer than the right so it’s pretty much true to size for me (a bit more on this later). The CX2 has a what I would call a performance fit in that it leans towards a slightly snug, yet not uncomfortable, overall fit.

It’s got a notched gusseted tongue that’s thoughtfully lightly padded at the top to reduce any knot pressure. Since I train very early in the morning, I really appreciate the large reflective elements at the top of the tongue and around the rigid heel counter. The padding around the collar is not done up excessively and as with the trend these days, the shoe has a sweep-back heel tab which doubles up as a very effective “pull tab”.  Finally, the CX2’s sockliner is removable but so thin that it offers no cushioning whatsoever.

Midsole
The 39/34mm stack height is substantial but in my opinion, the CX2 retains a race-ready look., unlike say the Alphafly. The thick slab of ProFly X midsole can be deceiving and I shall delve into it in the Ride section below. As with all Hokas, the CX2 has a forefoot meta-rocker courtesy of an aggressive toe-spring to facilitate fast turnovers and propulsive toe-off. The midsole is nicely sculpted and has a bit of a flare on both the medial and lateral sides, which provides an element of stability.

The embedded carbon fibre plate has a split-toe shape and has been moved closer to the ground to allow the foot to rest on a thicker stack of foam. Some reviewers commented that this tweak makes the CX2 feels a lot less harsh than the OG.

The CX2 sports a split “swallow-tail” extended midsole. While the Kinvara 12 was the first to announce this new heel  geometry, the Carbon X 2 is the quicker one to the shelves in Malaysia. Expect more shoes to adopt this as well.

Outsole
Exposed rubberized EVA outsole is what you get with the CX2. While the Clifton and Rincon have some rubber placements, the CX2 is completely devoid of it.  There are plenty of grooves and sipes that cut across the shoe but you’d be mistaken to think that the shoe is flexible. The carbon plate pretty much ensures that the shoe is stiff and if you still need some reminding, there’s the exposed area where you can get a peek of the plate.

The Ride and Use Case
The CX2 has been described as a highly cushioned and plush shoe but it’s anything but. The substantial stack height adds to the illusion that tons of cushioning are at your disposal. The step-in feel is certainly comfortable but firm underfoot. The inherent stiffness and meta-rocker sensation are immediately apparent. While the ride is a firm one, road harshness is surprisingly tempered.

Long runs completed = 5; Trashed legs = 0

In terms of ride stiffness, the CX2 is somewhere in between the Endorphin Speed and Zoom Fly SP Fast or even the Glideride, although Nike’s React and Asics’ Flytefoam midsoles, once broken in, are both more forgiving than Hoka’s ProFly X. In my opinion, the decision by Hoka to go with firm over soft midsole, more so for a high-stack shoe such as the CX2, is befuddling. Perhaps they wanted to differentiate the CX2 from the similarly priced and carbon-plated Rocket X (Spring measurement: 40x15mm; Volume: 612.00^cm3), a lighter, more fun, more forgiving and more responsive shoe. To add a little comfort, I swapped out the thin cushionless stock sockliner for Sofsole ones (try saying that quickly aloud!) and things were much improved, albeit at the cost of weight increase. 

On a more positive note, the upper feels superbly light, airy and comfortable. There’s been absolutely no sogginess in the vamp nor sockliner after my runs, and I’m one who sweat a lot! That really says something about the breathability of the shoe.

It’s generally easy to dial in the lacing except for my finicky right foot. I’ve noticed significant heel slippage on the right shoe towards the end of my long runs. This phenomenon isn’t unique to the CX2 though, and I’ve encountered the same for the Vaporfly 4%, Invincible, Tempo Next%, and Rincon. My right foot, sigh 🤦🏻‍♂️ …

As a long run shoe, the CX2 is serviceable. It helps you get the miles in and can operate between the moderate to quicker paces without fanfare. However, it doesn’t stand out in any area, the Profly X-Carbon combo being not particularly exciting to run in due to its rather dull demeanour when compared to super foams from other companies. The rubberized foam outsole is holding up nicely though – the forefoot is basically unscathed with most of the wear only at the usual lateral heel areas.

I’m left with a little mixed feeling over the CX2. At RM809, I wanted it to be the de facto long run (20-32km) shoe (just like how the ZoomX racers are for racing) for me but it ended up sharing the role with the ever-reliable  Endorphin Speed.

Numbers and even reviews such as this one may intrigue you but what truly matter is for you to try out the shoe for yourself at the store. Who knows, your take on the shoe may be different. Consider your intended use case (e.g. “Will you be using the shoe for daily training, long runs or speedwork?), personal fit (e.g. wide or narrow feet?) and preference (e.g. “Do you like firmer or softer shoes?) count for more than just reviews. So, go try out/purchase the Hoka One One Carbon X 2 at Running Lab 1U. They’re also available online at Checkpoint Spot Asia.

Disclosures: I purchased the Hoka One One Carbon X 2 with my own money, so no obligations due to any parties whatsoever!

Not too long ago, “serious” runners found themselves chuckling at the sight of runners in platform shoes, you know those with thick slabs of midsole foam with huge prints of Hoka on the upper? I admit that I was one of those who thought the trend was a little too hokey. Today, nearly all brands have an offering or two that fall under the max cushioned category. Many high-stack options no longer come with weight penalties although Nike’s seem to be heading that direction with the Zoom Miler and Invincible which I reviewed here. NB’s Fresh Foam More v3 and Saucony’s Triumph 8 are likewise pretty weighty as well.

Personally, I’m good with high-stack shoes as long as they’re cushioned (not all thick shoes are soft, see believeintherun’s review of Saucony Axon), reasonably light for daily use (while lightweight shoes are a must for racing, I’m not snobbish enough not to try those between 10.5 to 11oz if they offer a balanced ride for daily training) and versatile enough to handle a couple of quicker final KMs of a long run. Thankfully, shoe tech has advanced to a point that we can get all enjoy the good stuff in a thick pair of shoe.

I count the Skechers GoRun Ultra, Hoka One One Clifton 4 and Clayton 2 as my early adoption of high-stacked, cushioned shoes. My shoe rotation today includes those from the soft to the firm end of the high-stack segment such as the Invincible to the Hoka One One Carbon X2. I count the shoe which I’m reviewing today as somewhere in between those two. I’ve covered 80km in the Rincon 2 in just 7 runs (longest being 16K, with paces of my runs ranging from easy to long fast finish) which says a lot about the versatility of the shoe. Since a person’s wear experience depends in part on the runner’s build and paces, here are some of my stats:

Height: 176cm | Weight: 58-59.5kgs | Gait: Neutral | Working towards Goal Marathon Pace of 4:45/km

The Rincon 2 (R2 for the sake of brevity in this review) comes in at around 8.2oz for my US10 which makes it the lightest training shoe in my rotation, lighter than the Endorphin Speed, Carbon X2, my retired pair of Novablast and Peg 37, and way lighter than the Invincible. The R2 has a stack height of 32/27mm for a 5mm offset and its midsole is traditional compression moulded EVA.

Continuing the very ordinary setup, the upper design is very simple engineered mesh without extraneous overlays. The heel counter is semi-rigid which is enough to provide good heel lockdown. The tongue is not gusseted but it doesn’t slide around since it’s wide enough to wrap over the foot. Padding is sufficient all-around without going overboard. I employ the runner’s knot lacing and the padding allows for tight and secure cinching. You do get a honking huge pull tab in the rear as well. The outsole is predominantly exposed EVA but there are rubber plugs in the high wear areas. Deep grooves ensure that there are plenty of depth for the material to wear through. 

The R2 is a visually pleasing shoe. It looks thick but in fact rides lower than the 39/31mm Endorphin Speed. The step-in feel is comfortable although there’s a sense of firmness under the feet which caught me by surprise. You could replace the glued on sockliner with a softer option but I find that unnecessary to tear that out at least for now. Coming off the Peg 37-Novablast pairing and rotating in the Speed, the 5mm R2 needs a little adjustment for my feet and legs. It’s really been awhile since I wore anything lower than a 6mm offset shoe. There was some mild tightness in the lower legs following first couple of runs but the body has adjusted since.

The step-in firmness extends to the running experience as well. I’d say that it’s a little more cushioned than the Kinvara 12 (tried them in-store recently) but firmer than the Novablast. The shoe does soften up just a bit after 40km and it’s stayed stable and pleasant to run in. Breathability is good, which is surprising since the mesh construction doesn’t appear to provide it. The shoe has a generous toebox height, no chance of black toenails! 

A few years ago, pulling on shoes this light would probably mess up my easy day paces but not these days. I’ve had no problems running easy paces in the R2, fully aware of how many miles I’ve yet to run over this marathon training cycle. 

I don’t have any complains about the Rincon 2 after 80km. It’s a simple shoe that’ll work for many types of runners. Even those who need a bit of stability would be perfectly fine, what with the shoe’s midsole sidewalls cradling the feet.  

Concerns about the durability of the mostly-foam outsole is a common point brought up in reviews. You can already see the wear on the middle piece of exposed foam in the photo above. That’s where most runners push off and Hoka inexplicably missed extending the rubber coverage here. Nevertheless, there are plenty of depth in the foam to wear through so I believe after these initial signs of wear, the wear rate will taper off.  I’ve had a similar experience with the Clayton 2 [review] so I expect the R2’s outsole to last at least 500km. If there’s a concern, it has to be the durability of the EVA which could bottom out after 300km. I shall see how it goes.

For now, I’m enjoying the Rincon 2 as a versatile daily trainer. They don’t demand much from fatigued legs but I sometimes wish for a bit more cushioning in such a lightweight package. For that, I’ll keep my options open for the Mach 4 or Clifton 7/8 down the road. The Hoka One One Rincon 2 retails for RM509 and is available at Running Lab 1U or online at Checkpoint Spot Asia. 

Disclosure: I purchased the Rincon with my own money so no obligations whatsoever.