Rocket X 3 vs Streakfly 2

The Rocket X 3 is Hoka's do-it-all carbon racing shoe, the leaner, cheaper stablemate to the maximal Cielo X1. Where the Cielo goes big on stack and cushioning, the Rocket X 3 keeps things sharp: a PEBA midsole, a full carbon plate and a 40mm heel that stays legal for racing. At 210g it is not the lightest super shoe on the shelf, but it is versatile in a way the pure marathon rockets are not. This is a race shoe you can genuinely run across distances, from a 5K where you want turnover to a marathon where you want protection late on. We rate it as the sensible carbon racer for runners who want one fast shoe to cover everything rather than a shelf of specialists. At an RRP of 239 pounds it is priced with the elite pack, so you are paying for that flexibility.

The Streakfly 2 is Nike's short-distance specialist: a featherweight carbon racing shoe built to fly over 5K and 10K, not to baby your legs through a marathon. At 165g it is one of the lightest plated road racers you can buy, and that shows the moment you lift the pace. This is the rare super-shoe that stays nimble and low to the ground, so it turns and accelerates like a racing flat while still giving you the carbon snap you expect from a modern running shoe. Compared with the Vaporfly 4, which is built for the full and half, the Streakfly trades stack and long-haul cushioning for speed, agility and a more connected feel for the road. We rate it highly for parkrun PBs, track 5Ks and sharp interval sessions. At 170 pounds RRP it is a focused tool, and we would buy it knowing exactly what it is for.