Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 Performance Review

Hoka’s most aggressive and unapologetically Hoka road racing shoe was last year’s Cielo X1. That shoe had a lateral cut out that bothered some people and was thus much better for forefoot strikers than heel strikers. The Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 aims to correct some of the issues with the original while maintaining the signature Hoka look and aggressive bounce. Let’s find out if Hoka was successful.

What is the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0?

According to the product page, the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 is “[a] tip-of-the-spear product tuned for higher tempo pickups” and “a must for speed seekers.” The description continues, “[e]ngineered with an aggressive forefoot rocker and ultra-responsive dual-density PEBA midsole with snappy carbon fiber plate, this pace-pushing road racer has been finished with a light, breathable upper. Designed with dynamic cutouts for weight savings and a cushioned collar to ensure secure foot lockdown, we’ve employed a sticky rubber outsole for improved traction when chasing those PRs.”

We like this description because it directly mentions how the technology in the shoe influences the Cielo X1 2.0’s ride and use cases. There’s some flowery marketing language, but that’s to be expected. Overall, it’s the sort of description that gets us excited to put a shoe on our feet.

Cushion

Drew: The Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 features two layers of PEBA bisected by a carbon plate. That’s a fairly common setup for a road racing shoe. However, the bounce from the Cielo X1 2.0’s midsole isn’t common. Landing on the shoe’s generous midfoot results in a bounce-back only found amongst top-of-the-line road racing shoes. It’s also incredibly fun, making tempo sessions, track intervals, and long-distance pace workouts feel easier.

The Cielo X1 2.0’s rocker also works smoothly on both heel and midfoot landing. Just look at the pictures and you’ll see how early the toe curvature starts. The shoe quickly and almost imperceptibly rocks from heel, to midfoot, to toe. It does this quicker than my foot does naturally and just like with the shoe’s bounce, it feels like it’s making running easier.

Now, the Cielo X1 2.0, like most super shoes, is awkward to walk in; but easy miles feel ok… Still, this shoe is most at home when going fast…whatever that speed may be for the runner.

I love this midsole and easily have it among my favorite super shoes. Annie, did the Cielo X1 2.0 make you feel like running was easier too? 

Annie: It absolutely did. I also love what Drew said about the Cielo X1 2.0 being at home with whatever “fast” may be for a given runner. For all of its exceptional bounce and despite its aggressive rocker, it is still quite approachable. Drew is way faster than I am, and I still benefited tremendously from the Cielo X1 2.0’s setup (though I’m not benefitting from having to type out its mildly cumbersome name repeatedly…but I digress).

Don’t get me wrong. I, like Drew, found it straight-up funny to walk around in the Cielo X1 2.0 due to its squishy heel – to the point that I initially wondered whether it would be friendly to heel striking or able to handle the long hours on-feet that come with less speedy marathon times. But given the fact that the shoe never felt unnatural during warmup and cooldown miles and comfort was reliable during long runs, I’m inclined to believe the geometry holds up regardless of not only your pace prowess but also your running gait (short of perhaps extreme overpronation).

Support

Drew: For a super shoe, the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 takes corners and handles uneven surfaces fairly well. But the base doesn’t feel quite as wide as the original, so it doesn’t feel quite as stable as last year’s model. But the stability of the Cielo X1 2.0 is right in line with other top-of-the-line road racers.

That said, Hoka moved the midsole cutout (for weight savings and to make the plate visible) from the lateral side to the medial side. The original setup was unusable for some because most people land on the lateral side and some even land directly where that cutout was located. For me, the lateral cutout made my ankles do more stability work, and that feeling is completely gone here. The medial cutout position just feels more natural and makes landings more secure.

So while I wouldn’t say support is high, it’s standard for a racing shoe and solves previous potential problem areas.

Annie: Full disclosure, support is a realm where I am frequently of the mind that less is more – particularly with regard to a shoe built for speed. But I felt the Cielo X1 2.0 struck the right balance for a highly cushioned, road racing shoe. It wasn’t squirrelly underfoot and managed to be easy to securely plant in, thanks to its thoughtfully sculpted base, broad-enough mid and forefoot, and its excellent midfoot and heel lockdown.

There are just enough hints of structure in the upper, namely around the heel, midfoot, and via the eyestays, for secure containment without any actual bulk or rigidity pressing into the foot – something I especially appreciate as someone whose feet prefer more flexible surroundings. I will say there’s a difference between ‘flexible’ and ‘stretchy’ when it comes to the upper…but we’ll get to that.

Traction

Drew: Hoka calls the Cielo X1 2.0’s outsole “sticky rubber”. I don’t know that it’s stickier than most outsole rubbers, but it did the job. It handled the remains of wintry conditions well and kept me upright despite several snowy, icy missteps. I didn’t notice any slippage in wet areas either.

But the rubber is showing a good amount of wear and tear. It’s plenty thick, so I don’t expect to wear through the outsole before the typical 200-250 miles expected from a modern racing shoe; but you’ll definitely be able to see your high-wear areas quite quickly as the concrete shreds the rubber. It’s nothing to worry about; the Cielo X1 2.0 will just look a bit more well-used than expected for the amount of miles on the shoe. 

Annie: The Cielo X1 2.0’s grip impressed me, and it definitely faced more than its share of wet, mucky conditions throughout testing this February and March. I felt confident cornering in the rain at any effort, only experiencing a hint of slip on a clump of mud atop a wet wooden boardwalk.

As for the outsole durability, I’m not burning through the actual thickness of the rubber too quickly, but I am seeing the same rapid smoothing Drew mentioned when it comes to the finer details of the traction pattern in my high-wear areas. In my case, it thus far seems like it’s going to be more of a cosmetic rather than a performance issue over the life of the shoe.

Upper

Drew: I love the comfy knit upper on last year’s Cielo X1, so I wasn’t looking forward to the change to the engineered jacquard mesh. Any time a shoe does that, it’s typically a downgrade. But given the racing-focused nature of the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0, I see the point.

This new engineered jacquard mesh feels plasticky, more like the upper of the Hoka Rocket X 2, though not as impermeable. It still won’t take on water like the original Cielo’s knit upper, and it’s more breathable than the Rocket X 2 (and the similar upper on the original Nike Vaporfly Next%). It’s not as stretchy as the original knit, but it is much lighter. I found it to be comfortable and think it’s a dependable race-day upper.

Annie: Yeah, the upper material feels plasticky yet breathable with a clear focus on racing rather than luxury. I really enjoyed its lightweight feel and found it plenty comfortable against the foot. Like we noted above though, it’s not stretchy. So finding your correct size (especially for wide-footers) is going to be important. But it does still flex nicely with the foot – it’s just not going to expand beyond its resting dimensions, so to speak.

Is the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 wide foot friendly?

Annie: If you are someone who usually wears men’s sizing, you’ll likely find a recognizably snug race fit that narrows at the arch and heel and which may come up the teensiest bit short. If most of your width is at the ball of the foot, you might get away with going true-to-size. But if you are “big for your size” with regard to either length or to width through the midfoot and heel, you may want to try on both your usual size and a half size up to be sure you’re getting the friendliest and most effective fit possible in a shoe that’s going to be taking you through key workouts and races.

The Cielo X1 2.0 actually provided my best fit ever in a Hoka, and I think that’s in large part due to the combination of its unisex sizing and snug-but-not-stifling race fit. Let me explain…

I wear a women’s 6.5 or 6 in just about any shoe. My true size is frequently “in-between” in both length and width. My best-fitting women’s Hoka shoes are usually a 6D (women’s wide) due to the snug forefoot fit that’s characteristic of many Hoka models. Since most unisex shoes (though this is not confirmed by Hoka) are typically built on a last that’s closer to men’s standard sizing and width (D), I feel I’m getting that little bit of extra width in the Cielo X1 2.0 right where I need it – at the ball of the foot.

I’ll also note that Hoka’s unisex (or men’s) conversion to women’s sizing is not 1.5 sizes as with several other brands. Instead, as you can see in the photo of the box for my pair, the women’s 6.5 is technically a unisex/men’s 5.5 (rather than the size 5 it might be elsewhere).

For fit reference, a Hoka women’s 6.5 tends to have a little more than a thumb’s width of extra space at the end for me; whereas, in the Cielo X1 2.0, the women’s 6.5/unisex 5.5 has a perfectly tidy thumb’s width of space. Perhaps because the Cielo X1 2.0 is a race shoe, it has a slightly more conservative fit in length than many of the other “same-sized” women’s Hokas I’ve tested. But whatever the reason, it made the unisex 5.5 in the Cielo X1 2.0 a great fit for me.

SO, to recap my sizing math and hopefully allow you to then better understand your own potential fit:

Best women’s Hoka daily trainer size: 6D

Most typical women’s size in many other brands: 6.5B

Usual men’s/unisex size in other brands: 5(D)

Perfect fit in Cielo X1 2.0’s unisex sizing: unisex 5.5/women’s 6.5

The moral of the story is: if you wear women’s sizing, but you also like/need a bit more width than a standard women’s B-width usually offers, you may likewise benefit from the Cielo X1 2.0’s unisex racing fit. Just pay attention to how your own size and fit tendencies might best convert.

Is the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 worth $275?

Drew: Yes, the all-round high-performing nature of the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 makes it worth shelling out for a shoe on the high end of the road racing shoe range. Can you get by with less? Yes, of course. We have plenty of options in the $220-$250 range on our best marathon running shoes list. But, almost all marathon-focused shoes are going up in price (thanks, inflation!), and this is one of the bounciest. So if you’ve got the cash, it’s worth the slightly higher price.

Annie: Like Drew said, there are great race shoes that cost less, and you shouldn’t begrudge yourself opting for one of those if your budget dictates (as many of ours would). $275 is an eye-watering number no matter what. But, if the price isn’t prohibitive, the Cielo X1 2.0 indeed delivers the top-end performance to earn that top-end price.

How to use the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0

The Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 is best used any time a runner wants to go fast – whether that’s a road race from the 5K to marathon, tempo or interval sessions, or any other workouts that require picking up speed, the Cielo X1 2.0 is a reliable and fun companion.

Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 Summary

Drew: The Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 is a top-tier road racing and speed shoe. It’s protective, bouncy, and fun and makes running feel easier. And that’s exactly what I want on race day.

Annie: I enjoyed every outing in the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 and was particularly grateful for it during those training doldrums when running had started to otherwise feel especially hard. There is enough comfort to carry even middling runners like myself through extended hours on-feet, and the Cielo X1 2.0’s joyful bounce and adaptable yet aggressive geometry provide the fast feeling and fast results expected of a high-caliber race model.

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 43, 6’6″ 200lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Annie Keris (age 39, 5’0” 117lbs): Typically follows a “two days on, one day off” running routine. “On” days include daily miles, speed work, and long runs. An “off” day usually involves yoga and mobility/recovery work. Enjoys occasional racing but perhaps enjoys the training process even more. Gravitates most toward the half marathon distance, but ventures into the 10k and 5k as well. The marathon is thus far uncharted territory…

Disclosure

While Hoka did provide pairs of the Cielo X1 2.0 to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.