Mach X Running Shoe (Men)

I've been rocking Hoka shoes for years (Mach 4, Arahi 5, Clifton 8, Arahi 6, Clifton 9, Rocket X 2) and this one is my favorite shoe so far. It's a joy to run in. Comfortable without being overly plush and feels stable even at faster speeds. I'd happily wear this shoe in a variety of circumstances: long run, tempo run, treadmill hills, race day (10k, 1/2 marathon, full marathon). My favorite do it all shoe from Hoka. Good value at the sale price.

I've been enjoying running in the Mach X. Medium to long runs get a little extra kick from the plate, and the foam is the perfect blend of comfortable and responsive. However, I do have a real issue with the durability: after just my first run, I noticed a smallish crack forming in the heel foam. I have no idea whether this is a manufacturing issue, but for this one shoe at least, I really wonder how long these (expensive) shoes are going to last.

I ran Clifton 9's and couldn't find any in here in my size. I read about these on the Hoka website, did research, and bought them. They are very different to the point that the front pads of BOTH my feet go to sleep when I run them. It only happens with these shoes - but I had run about 15 miles beofre realizing it so it didn't seem right to exchange them either.... grrrr. I don't have enough money to just toss these and buy Clifton 9's again so I will just ride it out but I did not get the greatest support from Hoka which I usually do. Anyway, beware...