The Sneaker Snip with Zaire Saunders

Hoka Carbon x3

I was very excited to try out a pair of Hokas. The brand comes with such high praise across the running community. Physical therapists and foot specialists have made recommendations for my workouts. I won’t speak for the overall line of Hoka but the Carbon x3 wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. The super shoe has a meta rocker that promotes a rolling effect. It gives you a nice lift which feels like you’re getting propelled forward. You’ll enjoy it best when you're doing some speed intervals during your long runs.

However, the shoe doesn’t have that pop as you would get from some of the other super shoes. The quality of energy return can't compete with Hokas competitors. You will go fast in the shoe, but your legs will feel it too. In some cases, you might have a longer recovery time.

The upper is less to be desired. The tongue and upper are connected so the idea is the shoe would slide on like a slipper. Unfortunately, when you lace up the sneaker, your feet might feel uncomfortable as it could potentially feel tight in the forefront. I had a difficult time finding the best lockdown.