HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 Review – Fast Got Faster!

Design

The Cielo X1 2.0 is much lighter than the first version, losing around 34g (US10). It still has a carbon fibre plate with an aggressive forefoot rocker and nearly 40mm of responsive PEBA foam, but it’s the overall geometry and dual-density foam that now make this a much more race-focused model.

From the word go, the forefoot-focussed Active Foot Frame promotes a midfoot strike and immediately wants to move forward in a highly responsive manner.

Fit

The fit of the 2.0 is better than the first version. It’s easier to get on and off thanks to the revised upper design and generally fits neater around the foot.

The length and width are true to size compared to other HOKA models.

The upper volume is a little lower than some shoes, but this is usually the case with racing models and helps lock the foot in place. This isn’t an issue unless you have a particularly high instep, but you’ll know as soon as you pull the shoe on.

Technology

Winged Carbon Plate

The carbon plate in this shoe features several cutouts as well as ‘wings’. These wings curl up around the medial and lateral sides of the midsole in the midfoot area. Their function is to improve stability and perhaps they do a little (we won’t know for sure unless a non-winged version is ever released) but the Cielo X1 2.0 is certainly not a stable ride. See more about this below.

The winged plate and Forefoot-focussed Active Foot Frame combine to create the unique geometry of the shoe. It’s a Speed Centric Metarocker design, which instantly feels like it’s pushing the foot forward from the moment you pull the shoes on.

Midsole

Dynamic cutouts in the midsole differ from the original Cielo in that they move from the lateral side of the shoe in the first shoe, to the medial side in this model. Again, with such a soft midsole foam this means a little instability and we’ll look at that in more depth below.

A Dual Density PEBA midsole is used here. A soft layer for a highly responsive ride and a slightly firmer one for a touch of stability.

Upper

The Engineered jacquard mesh upper is light and highly breathable and perfect for a race day model which, along with a Warp Knit tongue creates a great race shoe upper.

Performance

While a few of my comments above may appear a little negative about stability, they are purely a word of warning.

The shoe is fast, but it’s noticeably unstable compared to the previous model. This isn’t a problem, but merely something to be aware of. It’s a race shoe, so it’s focused on speed rather than control.

Okay, so from the moment I stepped into the shoe it felt very soft and yes, you guessed it a little unstable. The shoe certainly demands a mid to forefoot gait and once above warm-up pace, the shoe comes into its own.

This isn’t a shoe for steady running and in my opinion, anything slower than maybe around 6 minutes 30 seconds per mile isn’t going to work here.

You need to be leaning forward, midfoot striking and pushing into the shoe. Do that and it comes alive. The rocker is probably the most noticeable of any HOKA shoe and the new PEBA foam feels great. It’s smooth and the energy return feels great. There’s a real ‘pop’ to the ride and I found the toe-off great – the shoe really brought a smile to my face on my fast mile intervals on the treadmill.

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Once I slowed down, mid-efforts, the wobble returned, reminding me this is a shoe for speed.

It’s a typical carbon racer, but probably HOKA’s best yet for the longer distances, IF you are efficient.

Comparisons

The market is full of carbon-plated racing shoes nowadays and several have a similar feel to the Cielo.

The best place to start might be with HOKA’s alternatives:

HOKA Rocket X2

The Rocket X2 weighs a fraction less than the Cielo (around 5g) but not that much to be overly concerned about.

The new Cielo is designed with a more aggressive, speed-centric MetaRocker which positively pushes the foot forward in a much more aggressive manner.

Both shoes are fast and feel very smooth riding at speed, the Rocket X2 is more stable and I think would suit a wider range of runners, with the Cielo better suiting those that remain mid to forefoot strikers for the duration of their race.

HOKA Mach X2

The Mach X2 is HOKA’s speed trainer. It’s a fast-feeling shoe and a great choice for faster-paced running where stability is a concern and carbon-plated propulsion less important. The Mach X2 is more stable again than the Rocket X2.

Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3

The new Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3, like the first two versions of this model, offers a very mid-foot focused ride. With its aggressive cutaway in the heel and super-high stack, it manages to swerve World Athletics stack height rules and provide a ride that actively pushes the foot forward.

The Cielo has a similar feel when on the move. Both are meant purely for moving fast and both provide an instantly energetic feel. The HOKA is a little softer overall whereas the Mizuno feels ever so slightly more stable, at least when running quickly!

My Verdict

I’m scoring the shoe positively with an eight out of ten. I think this is a good score BECAUSE I’ve docked a point for the price. I think HOKA need to bring a race shoe in under £200/$220 – others are managing it, so it’s perfectly reasonable to ask.

Another point was docked because of the smaller range of runners the shoe will suit. Okay, that’s not a major issue. Every shoe doesn’t have to suit every runner, but this shoe is a little unstable, and I’m sure some runners will end up making a purchase and be disappointed by the instability. This is a tricky area, I know, but small tweaks could make it a little more stable and increase its possible range of users.

These points aside, the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 is a really great shoe, It’s super-fast and the ride is energetic and enjoyable. It’s kind of what a carbon shoe is all about and if you have a gait that suits it, buy it, you’ll love it!