Can Hoka really compete with Nike when it comes to carbon-plated shoes? After all, Nike pioneered the technology with its Vaporfly.
First off, Hoka One One is targeting very long distances (ultras) with its Carbon X 3. The brand leans on American ultra-trail champion Jim Walmsley to promote this road shoe.
Nike, for its part, is betting on its Alphafly for the marathon. It’s the shoe Kelvin Kiptum wore to set a new marathon world record in 2023!
The Nike Alphafly does have an elite setup built to go very fast: an ultralight design (218 g / 7.7 oz) and a maximalist sole with a carbon plate (40 mm under the heel). By comparison, Hoka’s Carbon X 3 is less impressive at 242 g / 8.5 oz with a 32 mm heel stack.
The drop is also lower on the Carbon X 3, at 5 mm versus 8 mm for the Alphafly.
Hoka has finally moved to supercritical foam (a specific manufacturing process) with its PROFLY X+ midsole, while the Alphafly uses ZoomX, a Pebax-based foam. In practice, that means a firmer feel on the Hoka.
Finally, testers note that the Nike Alphafly’s ride is far more responsive than the Hoka Carbon X 3’s. The Hoka offers smooth transitions and helps you save effort, but the propulsion and bounce of the Nike Alphafly 3 are much more impressive according to runners.
Carbon X or Alphafly: Which Should You Choose?
While the Alphafly delivers a more efficient ride and therefore more speed, the Hoka has other things going for it.
First, it’s more versatile and more stable, which makes it comfortable even at easy paces, whereas the Alphafly is better kept for fast running. Second, the Hoka’s durability is better. Those factors make the Carbon X 3 a shoe you can use for daily training, which isn’t the case for the Nike.
Put simply, it’s a choice between performance and versatility. If you want a shoe for pure racing, pick the Alphafly. If you want a more versatile carbon-plated shoe to enjoy on your daily runs, we recommend the Carbon X 3.
