Hylo Athletics Axis Review
By Bach Pham
Hylo Athletics AxisPrice: $175 at Hylo Athletics
Weight: 10.4 oz, 295 g (men's size 9)
Stack Height: 38 mm heel / 30 mm forefoot
Drop: 8 mm
Shoe Purpose: Mild stability daily trainer
Pros: Fairly smooth ride, subtle stability
Cons: Outsole seeing early wear, volume slightly lower in toebox
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Hylo Axis is a new model for the brand focused on offering a supportive ride with premium cushion. The Hypervolt midsole provides a slightly firm feel out of box that eases with miles into a smooth, decently comfortable ride over time. There is a heel clip called ESS Tech that wraps around the heel for some light guidance while a large flowing outsole from front-to-back provides a lot of rigidity to help make the ride more stable. True to Hylo, there are bio-based elements in every part of the shoe including a castor bean upper, natural rubber outsole, and bio-based EVA in the midsole.
SIMILAR SHOES: Saucony Guide 19, Hoka Gaviota 6
PAST MODEL: New Model
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Bach: The Hylo Axis length-wise fits fairly true-to-size for me. The toebox volume is just slightly on the lower side I felt, but gave me no issues. It does taper a bit, but the upper opens up just enough. The midfoot has fairly standard width (the lighter upper helps make it feel like more room than it is) and the heel is fairly standard with light padding. For the rearfoot, I did not experience any concerns with heel slipping. The heel counter is partially rigid, but more flexible and lighter than most stability shoes I've tested this year.
The upper is a Jacquard warp knit upper that feels on the lighter side. There is less structure around the upper part of the midfoot, with some overlays acting like light sidewalls on both sides of the foot to keep you locked in. It's an adaptable lacing feel that lets you get as tight or loose as you want, but a really tight lacing does bite slightly. I had to adjust during a couple of my runs because I was a little too hard on it. Once I got it laced with just the right pressure I had no issues. Compared to recent shoes, I did find the Axis to be a unique upper that felt light and breathable and for the most part suited my running needs fine.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit Bach well:
Nike Pegasus 40, Saucony Guide 17, Mizuno Wave Inspire 19, Saucony
Endorphin Speed 3, Nike Structure 25
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Asics Kayano 30, Puma Electrify Nitro, Brooks Hyperion, Hoka Clifton 9 GTX
Shoes that have fit large: Hoka Gaviota 5, Reebok Floatride Energy X
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: No
How Flexible is the Shoe: No
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: Yes
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: Maybe
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Medium
PERFORMANCE
Bach: Fresh out of box and on foot, the Axis felt like a world of firm. The outsole seemed like a lot and the sole felt fairly stiff. Across the first run and after a long walk though, everything broke in nicely and the shoe settled into a fairly smooth, middle-of-the-road cushioning that feels a bit lighter than its listed weight. The Hypervolt midsole is a supercritical nitrogen-infused bio-based EVA. It's decently responsive on the run and responds to picking up the pace for strides and light workouts. Its fairly comparable to HOKA midsoles in feel. Nothing highly flashy, but in the field of stability footwear it is one of the more versatile options.
The shoe performs best at daily training runs. I didn't love the shoe for longer than hour runs. The sole didn't feel like it had quite enough comfort and give once you start getting past the hour mark. It knocks out daily runs and runs up to an hour well and the sole is responsive enough to handle some light workout runs that are on the shorter side. It is not a workout trainer by any means, but it can handle some uptempo running. I always am interested in how midsoles respond to running up steep hills as they are a large part of my daily runs, and this handled them fine without feeling plodding. The ride itself is smooth thanks to a decent bevel and generous rocker.
The outsole has started to see some wear in my heel after 20 miles. It may be early wear that doesn't go anywhere, but it is more than I typically see for myself. The design is a unique one, simulating a river. It's a very flat design that helps keep the ride smooth at the expensive of a little extra tacky grip. It does okay on wet roads, but is not as grippy as a waffle outsole. I would not take it off-roading due to the current durability of it.
I found this to be a solid walking shoe as well and went on several longish walks in the shoe without any issues. It's a great one for this department and for standing around.
The Bio-Based Elements
60% bio-based upper with castor bean-derived yarn
50% bio-based EVA
60% natural rubber outsole
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Bach: Axis aims to be a modern stability shoe and it does so through generous width, mild sole flaring, and strategically placed outsole. They also have a heel wrap they call ESS Support which provides some extremely light guidance. The combination of the elements helps offer a fairly supportive shoe on the milder side. I can see both neutral runners and those who need some stability getting along with this model. If you like stable neutral shoes, this could be okay for you if you are interested in a smooth ride and want a shoe that really focuses on sustainability. No element is massively standout, but rather a lot of different elements working together to provide that supportive ride. Between the light guidance in the rear and the massive width in the forefoot, there is enough basic stability components to suit a lot of runners here. If you need major guidance or major medial support, this is very much on the lighter end of the stability spectrum.
Get more thoughts on the Hylo Axis from Matt in our recent podcast.
From the Maker: Details on the Axis Upper Material
"We've actually increased the bio-based content from Impact to Axis. So it's now up at 50%. So 50% of the entire midsole is bio-based. With the increased bio-based content, and in the upper itself, is a world first upper that kind of nobody's used before. Kind of the uniqueness of it is, it's say it's a blend of like. And corn. So it's a bio-based upper, with what is known as a monofilament. There's sort of two main sort of yarn structures, a multifilament and a monofilament. A multifilament is where the, the yarn structure is kind of cut. Basically, but a monofilament is where it's permanently extruded, which creates more strength.
So if you think of a support product and the need for the upper to be slightly more structured and secure, this monofilament structure creates just a really nice, comfortable but supportive feel in the upper. So it's just, it's just been like a really fun journey to take, you know, our learnings from a materiality point of view, but also." - Hylo Cofounder Michael Doughty
Want to learn more about the development of the shoe? Read out recent interview with cofounder Micheal Doughty.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Bach: The Axis is a great starting point as far as new model from Hylo. It's a versatile stability trainer that has a smoother ride than many of its peers and some interesting design elements like the outsole and ways bio-based ingredients are used throughout. I do think the forefoot could be a slightly less tapered design that opens up just a little more room. The sole is fairly good for what it is, but I did feel that it needed a little more tweaking to be resilient for longer efforts.
The shoe aims to be the higher stacked alternative to the Impact, but I feel that there are a few ways Hylo could explore Axis v2 to meet its current price point ($175). The shoe could either focus more on being a stability shoe and lower stack height some to be lighter and really compete with the Guide and Arahi, which may help lower price point as well. The sole is more similar to those in many ways. The shoe could also become more premium in cushioning feel and comfort to match with Gaviota and Kayano to really match the price point. I think it sits inbetween everything currently as is. I think it needs to carve its identity one way or the other a little more in the future, despite being a really solid entry for version one.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Bach: The Hylo Axis is a daily driver for runners who have mild stability needs. The ride is much smoother than a lot of stability shoes I've tested in the past year which helps make it worth a consideration. The midsole is versatile enough for a few different runs like short distance workouts and strides, which is not entirely common for stability shoes. For recreational runners this should tick off a lot of boxes, especially since it also doubles as a great walking and standing shoe. I have some concerns with durability and the lack of long run versatility, but for a first outing there's a lot to like.
In comparing it to other models, it is going to be far less integrated stability than a Brooks Adrenaline or HOKA Gaviota, but comparable to a Saucony Guide or Diadora Cellula. The ride is similar to the Gaviota in its rocker, but smoother and a bit more versatile. The ASICS Kayano is a bit more versatile with its ability to do longer efforts well and the midsole is just more premium in general. I think most runners, especially newer runners who want a nice, modern trainer with decent support will do okay with the Axis if they are interested in Hylo, especially before the much more neutral Impact.
GRADES
Bach
Fit: B+ (Overall fairly good fit and feel, just the slight tapering and lower volume forefoot and occasionally finicky lacing)
Performance: B+ (A true daily trainer that has a nice mix of versatility for a stability shoe. Ride is smooth. Midsole is on the basic side, but more versatile for uptempo work than most stability shoes. Long runs are lacking, but gets the job done)
Stability: B+ (A very modern stable trainer that will suit a lot of runners)
Value: B- (It's in the top end of the category price-wise, but could be more value to those who want to focus on buying sustainability focused footwear. Some early outsole wear)
Personal: B+ (Solid first offering for their new trainer. I think I have a couple of options in this category that it competes with like the Cellula 2 and Guide 19 that I really enjoy, but this is fairly competitive with them)
Overall Design: B+
SHOP | SUPPORT DORHylo Athletics AxisPrice: $175 at Hylo Athletics
*Using the link to purchase helps support Doctors of Running. Thanks so much!
Check out Gear We Love
Naked Belt The best way to carry your phone and goods on the run. No bounce and various sizes for waist.
Saysky Running Gear: We were really taken aback by this Scandinavian company's ultra-thin, durable performance clothing
Skratch Recovery, Coffee Flavor: Mental and physical boost post run. Coffee flavor is excellent and goes great straight into a fresh brewed cup
goodr Sunglases: Run in style with goodr's super fun sunglasses.
Feetures Socks: Massively grippy socks that will make you feel more one with the shoe
Amphipod Hydraform Handheld Water Bottle: Perfect for long runs when you need hydration in the summer
Trigger Point Foam Roller: Help get those knots out post-run and feel better for tomorrow
Ciele Hat: Our team's favorite running hat of choice!
Fractel Hats: Our team's wider fitting running hat of choice!
FURTHER READING
Update to a really fun breakout max cushion trainer.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
Thanks for reading!
FOLLOW DOCTORS OF RUNNING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: Doctors of Running
Youtube Channel: Doctors of Running
Instagram: @doctorsofrunning
LinkedIn: Doctors of Running
Strava: Doctors of Running
Podcast: Virtual Roundtable
PODCAST
Check out the Doctors of Running Podcast to find more reviews, interviews, and running features from the team.
Visit our Podcast Page
Find us on Apple
Find us on Spotify
Contact us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com
NEXT: Mizuno Neo Zen 2
