AT SOME POINT in your life, you’ll come across something that makes you think, how could this get any better? It might’ve been the meal your mum always cooked on Sunday nights when you were a kid. It could be that car you had when you were a fiery teenager and the coolness of your wheels was all that really mattered. Or it could be the moment when you finally kick up your feet after a long week at work. There are some things in life that are hard to beat.
The Hoka Cielo X1 is one of these things. Attracting near-universal praise, the Cielo X1 was touted as one of the best race day shoes money could buy. Immensely fast, highly responsive and extremely lightweight, we eulogised the shoe so heavily in our own review it bordered on hagiography. But then, Hoka was presented with that same question: how could this get any better?
With the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0, Hoka has set out to improve upon near-perfection. With a name like a Star Wars droid and a visual design that seemingly blends the futuristic aesthetics of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Cielo X1 2.0 adds new innovations to an already avant-garde silhouette in an attempt to deliver one of the fastest running shoes on the planet. Does it hold up? We put it to the test to find out.
The specs
So, how do you improve upon near-perfection? The Cielo X1 2.0 starts by reducing weight. The shoe is 35g lighter than the Cielo X1, weighing in at 229 grams. Although it is worth noting that this is still slightly heavier than most race day shoes, but there’s a reason for the extra weight.
The Cielo X1 2.0 has a lot of foam. Two layers of PEBA midsole foam, to be exact. This is where most of the shoe’s heft comes from, but it results in a hyper-responsive ride that provides a propulsive feeling. This is boosted by the shoe’s angular MetaRocker profile.
All that foam does make the shoe slightly heavier, but to compensate for this, the Cielo X1 2.0 has a number of foam cut-outs in the midsole. These are strategically placed in areas where the foam wouldn’t be providing much bounce anyway, as runners tend to land more strongly elsewhere.
Up top, the shoe’s upper is incredibly lightweight, while the collar is cushioned for a lockdown fit. A new, grippier rubber outsole also provides more traction than the Cielo X1.
The Cielo X1 2.0, as a super shoe, does indeed feature a carbon plate. This is visible in multiple points of the midsole thanks to the foam cutaways. The carbon plate differs from that of the Cielo X1, and is now in a winged shape to improve stability and responsiveness.
The look
Like the Cielo X1, the X1 2.0 is hard to miss. Available in two colourways – frost/lava and frost/black – the shoe is visually striking in every colour it comes in and is certain to make an impression on passersby.
The foam cutaways underfoot give the whole shoe an air of futurism. The visible carbon plate seems almost boastful – a message to other runners that you take this stuff seriously. The same goes for the two-layered midsole, with the textured upper layer creating a stark contrast to the lower layer. The Cielo X1 2.0 will indeed make you look like a pro.
The test
While the Cielo X1 2.0 is designed for race day, I’m not one to run a marathon for every running shoe review. A fast-paced 5K seemed more appropriate, so that’s what I set out to do, alternating between a conversational pace and faster intervals.
The Cielo X1 2.0 is one of those shoes you can simply feel working its magic as soon as you put it on. I attribute this feeling to the carbon plate and rocker profile, which provide a great deal of responsiveness and bounce from the get-go. The Cielo X1 2.0 makes you want to run fast, and running at a conversational pace actually seems like a disservice to the shoe.
After a few kilometres, I came across one of my few issues with the Cielo X1 2.0. The foam cutaways in the midsole are supposedly places where foam apparently isn’t needed, with the largest cutaway being on the inner arch. The only problem is, I think I need that piece of foam. I found my feet turning inwardly more than usual, causing some over-pronation. This wasn’t a major issue on a 5K, but it could be on a longer effort.
Beyond that, there isn’t that much to complain about with the Cielo X1 2.0. It’s as responsive as any shoe on the market and helped me run a very fast 5K, making the quicker interval segments feel easy.
The verdict
The Cielo X1 2.0 improves upon its predecessor in almost every aspect and would be a worthy choice as your next race day shoe. It is seriously fast and is one of the most responsive shoes I’ve ever run in. If you’re an over-pronator, it might be worth looking elsewhere for extra support, but then again, foot pronation is highly individual so perhaps my experience won’t be felt by others.
Retailing at $399, the Cielo X1 2.0 is a significant outlay – but all supershoes are. It’s an investment, but ultimately, I think it’s one worth making.
Find out more about the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 here.
