Kit & Gear

REVIEW: HOKA Tecton X 2

A DYNAMIC SHIFT IN TRAIL RUNNING

Reengineered to maximize weight savings, the HOKA Tecton X 2 has been refined with a brand new Matryx® upper. Light, breathable, and inherently hydrophobic, our high-contrast Matryx® upper enlists a lay-flat gusseted tongue to help mitigate trail debris. A propulsive trail runner designed to inspire confidence on varied terrain, the Tecton X 2 is propelled by the same parallel carbon fibre plates that made its predecessor a fast favorite among trail running enthusiasts.

SHOP ALL HOKA TECTON X 2 NOW

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GB Ultra-Distance Trail Runner and HOKA athlete George Foster has been busy putting these exciting new trail shoes to the test. Check out his review below;

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The HOKA Tecton X 2 in summary;

• A completely reengineered upper maximizes both weight savings and performance.

• A lightweight carbon-plated trail racing shoe, built for speed and propulsion

• Out-of-the-box comfort, with firm and responsive cushioning

• Suitable for a range of distances

• Best suited to a dry and hard-packed trail terrain

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First thing’s first, I’m a HOKA athlete so my opinion is biased towards the brand that is supporting me. The principal reason that I’m with that brand is because their products are really good. So, yes, there is a bias but equally the reason my words (spoiler alert) are positive about this shoe is because...it really is that good. With that disclaimer out of the way, on to the review...

It is no coincidence that the HOKA ‘way’ of addressing the carbon-plate issue in trail shoes is now in use by almost all serious contenders in the plated trail shoe market. The winged plate construction provides the stability and propulsion as standard in carbon-plated shoes in the road world but with the nuance required due to the changing nature underfoot of trail environments.

Since the Tecton X was released in 2021, carbon-plated trail shoes have exploded in popularity and the options out there are many. Now HOKA have released the Tecton X 2. Given the warp-speed developments and offerings from other brands, how does the new Tecton perform? Do they still deserve their place at the top of the tree? Are they ground-breaking (or should that be shaking)? Does this new iteration represent a seismic (pun very much intended) shift in innovation?

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS

A commonly understood phenomenon of running, whatever the discipline pursued, is that bright, colourful shoes take a minimum, A MINIMUM, of five seconds off your mile time. This may be why HOKA are so popular? Their shoes, almost unequivocally, feature an exuberance of colours. Indeed, one look at the palette on their website showcases the designer’s tastes, or sense of humour, with such brave matches as ‘scuba blue’ with ‘diva pink’ and ‘evening primrose’ with ‘blue coral’. Delicious. The Tecton X 2 carries the flag for even the most Dali-an of users, the options coming in at either ...Given what was said earlier, before waxing lyrical about hues and shades, speed is clearly at the forefront of the design for this shoe, as with the previous iteration, from the high-contrast Matyrx upper to the Vibram Litebase with Megagrip rubber compound on the outsole.

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THE UPPER

Perhaps the biggest and most obvious of differences between the previous model and the new is that of the upper, both in terms of its aesthetics and the material used. Gone is the jacquard (where did THAT word come from?!) mesh, replaced by the darling of trail running shoe upper material, Matryx, to give a lightweight, tough and breathable upper to keep those all-important money makers climate-controlled and secure. Gone, too, is the mountain boot threading extending down to the knuckles of your toes, instead you are treated to a more ‘regular’ lacing system. I was quite a fan of the former ‘tip-of-the-toes' lacing style, though the X 2 is certainly not lacking in security and lockdown (is it still too early to say that word?!) and the frustrating issue with ensuring a first-time cinch is completely eviscerated in this new model. The foot, for me at least, is fully hugged from heel spurs to gammy toenails.

Aside from those changes the familiar comfort and feel remains unchanged, the toe rand is slightly less robust (as robust as less than half a millimetre of material can be) but still delivers in its duties, though remember no amount of material will protect you if you punt a rock blade-handing down a hill. It is a narrow-to-medium fitting shoe with a toe-box slightly narrower than the Tecton X delivering a precise, racer-feel to it, whilst still being comfortable enough for long days in the hills...trust me!

Another feature that has crept into some of the HOKA trail line, and is almost endemic to the road models, is that of the flared heel counter. I’m not convinced on the utility of this on the trail range, unless it is to give other runners a sporting-chance to catch up as the HOKA wearer excavates pebbles and stones from their socks and soles? Fortunately, and unfortunately for those other runners, the Tecton range has eschewed this design in favour of the traditional profile kept by the Rocket and the Zinal, amongst others, in the road- and trail-lines respectively. Long may that continue.

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MIDSOLE

The midsole is the lynchpin of the carbon-plated shoe, if it sucks then the plate(s) becomes meaningless, if it is too firm, or too soft, then the desired effect is lost. Happily, the Tecton X 2 performs as well as it did the last time around, sandwiched snuggly in the proven Profly + midsole to provide more snap than a card game with your nan and a forgiving nature to put the holiest of saints to shame. Nothing has changed with the twin, forked carbon plates; an innovation adopted by most shoe companies in the trail world with a penchant for competitiveness.

The expectation, or myth, that a carbon-plated shoes performs like a carbon-plated shoe, be that on road or trail, was dispelled long ago but is perhaps worth reiterating here.  The issue in trail running is that stability, as it is in terms of terrain and underfoot conditions, is inherently hard to come by with a carbon plate, which by design seeks to maintain its lateral integrity. HOKA originally solved this problem by diverging their plate into two parallel ‘wings’, which allow a degree of movement underfoot, sacrificing some element of rebound in the name of manoeuvrability. Other brands have followed suit and now the purpose of carbon plates in trail shoes focuses first on stability over a crocodile-friendly snappy return, something that was perhaps found through accident rather than design in initial models across the pioneer brands.

What does this mean for the shoe? Well, it works. You get a stable ride with the ‘pop’ that you would expect from a carbon plate. Is it an Alphafly or a Rocket X 2? No, but you already know that.

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OUTSOLE

As per the age-old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” HOKA haven’t broken it, so they didn’t fix it. The same Vibram Litebase rubber as the original model surgically applied to the exposed foam of the midsole works. Genuinely. If you’re a nerd (guilty) when it comes to rubber compounds and their efficacy over certain terrain, on such-and-such a rock type or in conditions ranging from arid desert to windswept fell, then rest assured, for a trail shoe there isn’t a huge amount better for the vast majority of situations that will be likely encountered. It will not be great on steep, wet grass or in ankle-deep clay but it’s simply not designed with those exactitudes in mind, there are other shoes out there that will do that specific job a lot better. What it will do is provide you with a worthy option that covers the widest range of possibilities that the trail Gods have created for your enjoyment. It will comfortably handle road to canal path to hard-packed trail to scree to mountain trod to Alpine singletrack to road again. Imagine being lucky enough to live somewhere that that is the reality on your local loop?!   

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OVERALL

The HOKA Tecton X was my out-of-the-box favourite shoe for training and racing and so I was eagerly awaiting the newest iteration but also excited to see how HOKA could possibly improve it. Some of those improvements are more subtle than others, some of them are obvious, but all the same this certainly isn’t a case of hobbling a dead cert. In fact, far from it. When too often companies can be guilty of trying to reinvent the wheel and producing a square, HOKA have come up trumps with a fun, do-all, flat-out baller of a shoe, equally at home on steady, local trail runs as it is for fast, go-till-your-eyes-bleed (not recommended) uphill tempos and races the world over.

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Honest / Pragmatic Thoughts

These shoes are closer fitting than their predecessor, but the foam feels firmer and a bit more responsive, a slight improvement on what was already a great aspect. That closer fit, especially in the toe box, may be an issue for some over the original Tecton X (it does ease and open up a touch as you wear them in). For me it wasn’t a deal breaker and the X 2 will become my race shoe of choice purely because those ‘one-percent’ aspects, like the foam and the precision, outweigh the minor issues. Talking of weight, this is still a very light shoe but it marries slender weight with comfort and stability. To me it is more of a ‘race’ shoe than an out-and-out daily trainer and so, while I would do specific sessions in it, I would reserve it for those days when I want to rip the legs of myself and others...not in a weird way, mind.

The heel cuff sits right under the outer ankle bone, particularly on my right foot, which is therefore excused by the peculiarity of my foot anatomy rather than the shoe construction, however the fact remains that the heel cuff IS on the firmer side and until it softens, which it did after only a few uses, it can possibly cause discomfort. This is compounded, again potentially, by the drop of the shoe, which at 5mm is comfortably ‘mid-table’ though the relative firmness of the midsole makes it feel a touch less forgiving. To me it’s not as firm or unforgiving as the Zinal, which is a shoe I wish I could get on with but alas, it is a bit too stripped back for me and my precious trotters for anything but short, sharp efforts, which is coincidentally exactly what that model is designed for. Again, this isn’t a major concern and I’m only including it as I feel I should try to anticipate any naysaying.

Essentially, I can’t fault this shoe, not in any meaningful way at least. It’s a whole lot of shoe, without being a whole lot of shoe...if that makes sense?

SHOP ALL HOKA TECTON X 2 NOW

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Want a bit more bite in the outsole?

HOKA Mafate Speed 4 – feels like a carbon-plated shoe without having any carbon plate at all. Really responsive midsole (genuinely) and the best grip you’ll get on a HOKA for more ‘British’ conditions. Feels comfortable enough for proper ultras but quick and light for short bursts on the fells.

Don’t want a carbon plate?

HOKA Zinal – essentially the Tecton X without the ‘X’. As minimal as it currently gets for HOKA with a low-profile set-up making it a really good option for shorter, faster races without the need for too much underfoot protection but plenty of underfoot feel. I guess the clue is in the name...Zinal...I’d suggest it would be quite good for that!

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George Foster is an international fell and ultra-distance trail runner. You can follow all of his running adventures here

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