What do you get when you merge the super critical EVA foam of the Mach 6 with the geometry of the Skyward X and the upper of the Clifton 9? The answer, of course, is the all-new Hoka Skyflow. But are they any good? Here’s my first impressions review of the Hoka Skyflow.

If you’re a fellow running shoe nerd, you’re likely quite excited about a couple (or maybe all) of the upcoming releases scheduled for July. Whether it’s the long-awaited second instalment of the Asics Superblast, the third iteration of Puma’s Deviate Nitro Elite, or something else entirely, there’s some highly anticipated shoes hitting the shelves. Consequently, you’d be forgiven for letting the subject of today’s review – the Hoka Skyflow – fly under the radar.

I read about the Skyflow some months back, but wasn’t quite sure who it was aimed at or where it was supposed to fit in Hoka’s product lineup. The word ‘versatile’ was frequently banded about in discussions of the Skyflow, but that was it. As we edged closer to release however, my interest piqued after hearing that the Skyflow was essentially an amalgamation of features from the Mach 6, Clifton, Bondi, and Skyward X. 

I haven’t run in the Clifton nor the Bondi, but the other two are shoes I’ve owned. While the Skyward X has been immensely successful for Hoka, it wasn’t a shoe I loved. Despite having an exceptionally energetic and fun midsole with a geometry that inspires forward motion, the proximity of the stiff carbon plate to the foot felt awkward at easy paces. For a running shoe to be considered “super”, it needs to perform excellently in every type of session you throw at it. Unfortunately, the Skyward X didn’t.

However, I’m excited to see the Skyflow adopt the geometry of the Skyward X. As much as I’m a fan of carbon and TPU plates or rods, I’d rather a plateless daily trainer. Will the Skyward X inspired geometry help the plateless Skyflow excel in easy recovery miles where the Skyward X failed?

More than the geometry of the Skyflow, regular readers will remember the glowing review I gave the Hoka Mach 6. The Mach 6 was one of the best daily trainers I’ve tried to date. Prior to its release, I’d seen a number of complaints about Hoka’s decision to continue to employ EVA in their uptempo trainer, rather than the PEBA foams favoured by the masses. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love me some PEBA. But the super critical EVA used in the Mach 6 showed that there’s more to life than PEBA. The midsole of the Mach 6 sat in a sweet spot that struck the perfect balance between soft and firm. It was plush, comfortable, lively, and energetic.

So how will the Skyflow, with even more of the super critical EVA foam used in the Mach 6 (an extra 4mm throughout, if i’m not mistaken), feel and how will it perform? Is this Hoka’s latest recovery shoe? Their latest daily trainer?

Hoka Skyflow Tech Specs

Stack: Men’s – 40mm/35mm; Women’s – 38mm/33mm
Heel-to-toe drop: 5mm
Pronation: Neutral

Hoka Skyflow Design

I’m struggling here, Hoka! I’ve always tried to defend Hoka’s designs and colourways. For the most part, I think they look great and really it shouldn’t even matter if the shoes do their job! The first time I had to side with the masses regarding design was with the introduction of the Skyward X. It’s an ugly shoe that resembles a slab of toothpaste. Sorry, Hoka.

Unfortunately, the geometry isn’t all the Skyflow retains from the DNA of the Skyward X. It also continues the tradition of absolutely horrific colourways. What I don’t understand, is when the Skyflow was announced, it was flaunted in a beautiful lime, orange, and white colourway. Where is it?

The all white with gold accents is growing on me. But like the other men’s colourways, it’s just a little boring. The women’s colourways for the Skyflow are significantly nicer than the men’s, something that stood true for the Skyward X. Can we just share, please?

How Much Does The Hoka Skyflow Weigh?

The Hoka Skyflow came in at a respectable 280 grams in my UK size 8.5 (or US 9D). Considering the stack height and the structured upper, it’s a very reasonable weight. The same size Nike Invincible 3 (with a less padded upper, I might add), for comparison, weighs 310 grams.

First Run

So let me straight away caveat this review by saying I know it’s almost impossible to form any definitive opinions on the basis of one relatively short run. Nonetheless, there’s such a dearth of information about these shoes I felt obliged to get something published.

So, I’ve decided to write an ongoing, updated every couple of days review of the Skyflow so you’re able to read my experience of the shoe as the mileage increases. It may be a little disjointed until I’ve really made my mind up, but hopefully it provides some insight.

The Skyflow arrived Monday July 1st. Owing to tired legs from the previous day’s long run, I’d originally planned to have a rest day. However, the Hoka Skyflow were offensively white and needed scuffing up a little (great excuse), and I thought it the perfect opportunity to test the recovery qualities of the shoe.

The run ended up being 7KMs and change at an average pace of 5:50/km or ~9:22/mile. As expected from a trainer with a heavily structured and padded upper, the shoes were comfortable. More importantly, they did a fantastic job at keeping my legs turning over despite them feeling tired and heavy. The rockered geometry borrowed from the Skyward X clearly worked well, and in the absence of a firm plate in the Skyflow, I know which I’d rather pick up for easy/recovery mileage. 

With the stack and upper of the shoe, I was hardly surprised that it performed well at slow paces. What I was surprised by, however, was their performance when I decided to throw in a couple of strides. I (briefly) took the Skyflow down to 4:10/km or ~6:43/mile. The ease at which pace could be picked up in the Skyflow was honestly shocking. Moreover, the shoes just felt really comfortable at these paces. Of course, with this only being a brief strides test, I can’t speak to how it feels to maintain these paces, but that will be something I focus on in subsequent runs.

The only downside I noticed on this first run was the upper running quite warm. It’s definitely something I’ll keep an eye on and update, but I’m hardly surprised considering the Clifton-esque upper.

I haven’t used the Skyflow in wet conditions yet, but what I can say is the outsole is a serious improvement on something like the Mach 6 which, on anything other than asphalt, can be absolutely lethal!

Based on first impressions, I can see the Skyflow being a great daily trainer suitable for a multitude of session types from recovery miles, easy with strides, to long runs, too. Again, at the time of writing I’ve done only one run in the Skyflow so take everything with a pinch of salt. I’ll run my next intervals session in these just to see how they perform for those unable to have a rotation of shoes.

Check back soon for updates to the Hoka Skyflow review! Alternatively, if you’re in the UK and fancy grabbing a pair of these, you can find them at Hoka by clicking here (NOT an affiliate link)