All the news that's fit to run
It’s official: The HOKA Skyward X 2 has made history. It’s the first running shoe to actually subtract stack height in an update, instead of adding a couple millimeters…or 5. Fine, it’s not the first ever, but you’d have a much better chance finding a pull tab in a hay stack than wearing a circumcised updated pair.
Forget everything you thought you knew about the Clifton. Ok, now, forget everything you knew you knew about the Clifton. Because the Clifton 10 is a Clifton in name only. After not releasing an updated Clifton in 2024, HOKA came out of the gates strong in 2025 with a completely redesigned model that bears no resemblance to the Clifton 9. Or the 8. Or the 7…
The Bondi was never mistaken for an exciting shoe; that all changed this year. HOKA’s flagship pair has been completely retooled from top to bottom for a shoe that can go the distance.
Recently, HOKA shoes like the Clifton and Bondi have transcended the running space to become popular lifestyle shoes. But it’s clear HOKA is positioning the Skyflow as a pair for runners. It’s described by HOKA as a shoe designed to “elevate your daily running practice, and a shoe that “redefines the idea of daily driver.”
If that wasn’t enough evidence, HOKA’s product line manager describes it as a “run-specialty specific model you can only get at run specialty stores.” You hear that, walkers?! Find another shoe to stroll in, lazy sloths!
Despite carrying a heavy weight and price tag, you’ll feel light on your feet in the HOKA Skyward X, a tremendous super trainer that can conquer daily miles with ease. In this HOKA Skyward X review, I detail all the innovations packed into this shoe, including a convex carbon fiber plate, super critical EVA rocker, and suspension system.
I’ve always been intrigued by HOKA. In many ways, they were among the originators of max cushion running shoes, launching the beefy Bondi back in 2011 amid the barefoot running craze. Three short years later came the Clifton in 2014. HOKA zigged when other companies were zagging. For that, they should be commended. As a max cushion fanatic, I, for one, am grateful. Hell, all six of my top shoes of 2023 were max cushion shoes. Read on for my HOKA Clifton 9 review.