HOKA - Rocket X3

Summary

Newest shoe in the rocket X line, X3 has some being improvements and some other needs to be improved. I like the shoe, I don't love this shoe. Lightweight responsive race shoe, an over all workhorse. Good for many distances.

Posted Jul 30, 2025

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Rocket X3

4.0/5

(1)

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Pros

Improved heel
Mesh upper

Cons

Durability. This is a max 250 mile shoe
.7 oz heavier than x2

Rocket X3 had comes with some big expectations as the replacement to the amazing X2. I like the shoe but I don't love it.
HOKA did fix the major issue, the heel cup and the X2, remodeled the upper, and added about half an ounce. The carbon plate have been modified from the previous version to add "winglets".

Comparing apples to apples!

HOKA Rocket X3 Review — Out the box noticeable difference. X2s with 36 mi on them. Noticeable heel cup improvement.

The overall feel of the shoe, how it fits one's foot, has been greatly improved. The thin heel cup has been replaced with the padded one on the collar. I no longer need a shoe horn to put on my race shoes. (That's not a joke I really needed a shoe horn to get on the x2s!).

I burned through three pairs of X2s, ending their lifespan at about 250 mi. As a supinator and heel striker, I do tend to wear out in an unusual manner. (More to follow in the next subcategory) The change to the sticky rubber may increase the life of the soul, yet TBD.

The actual changing of the upper materials is a plus and minus. It is more breathable, But I'd really did like the technical synthetic mesh. It is a more comfortable and breathable design. The warp knit jacquard is far more comfortable on the foot. Your foot definitely stays cooler longer with this improvement.

The gusseted tongue is no longer a thing, and I had zero issues with tongue movement. I use a heel lock with all my shoes, No significant change in midfoot restriction.

10% break in comparing to my soon-to-be-retired X2s

My intent is to wear these shoes for the Sydney Marathon August of 2025. My retired X2s in the photo are from the Marine Corps Marathon of 2024. Estimated where is about 10%. (23 to 25 mi compared to 230).

As a supinator, I wish the Cielo X1 2.0 had better durability than it does, The feel for that shoe for me is pretty good. The plan for both of these shoes are 10 mi and above races. The Cielo I wore for Cherry blossom 10 Mile, Boston Marathon, New York City half, and a The rent to home base 9K. All races felt great, But that shoe is not going to put up with the abuse I put it through. Conversely, I've only run the X3 in training run so far, Tempo and long run for breaking. Shoe feels good, and it looks like so far I'll have increased durability.