Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 Review: More Fast, More Fun

Introduction to the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0

ROBBE: Everyone remembers one of those days as a kid, usually a summer day, that is just perfect. A whole day at an amusement park, riding roller coasters until the lights come on the carousel, loaded up with cotton candy and kettle corn. An afternoon swimming at the pool, buying Fun Dip from the snack bar, coming home slightly sunburned before laying down and closing your eyes, exhausted from all of the stuff that will one day become nostalgia. Right before the day ends, you think: “How can it get better than this?” And really, it can’t. Bryan Adams was right: those were the best days of our lives. 

Luckily, we’re all runners now. And we live in a time when the salve of running shoes can heal us– if only briefly and superficially– from the capture of sudden onset adulting, an affliction we never saw coming during those endless summers. When a good running shoe hits you, it’s like an adrenaline shot to the heart, if only for the feeling that you’re young again.

Nothing gives that feeling like a fast and fun shoe, which is exactly what the Hoka Cielo X1 was when it debuted last year. I said it when we reviewed it and I stand by my words: it was the most fun running shoe I’d ever run in. The PEBA midsole, the MetaRocker geometry, the fit and the function– everything aligned the way it should. It put an actual smile on my face whenever I laced it up.

Hoka said it was a racing shoe. They were wrong. At 9.3 ounces for a men’s 10, it was a great mid-to-uptempo shoe. It had all the comfort of a good trainer with the aggressive feel of a rockered speedster and settled nicely into that certain range. But we weren’t going for PB’s in the thing.

Hoka still says the Cielo X1 is a racing shoe. And now they’re right. Because the Cielo X1 2.0 is a speed machine, which is why the name sounds like an aftermarket intake system or the next Star Wars droid. 

Some of the stuff is the same in this version. We still get a generous stack of dual layer PEBA (39 mm in the heel, 32 mm in the forefoot), a winged carbon fiber plate, an Active Foot frame, a sticky rubber outsole, and a secure fitting upper. 

But much has changed. For starters, it lost an ounce of weight. The trashy Christmas-ribbon laces have been replaced with normal ones. The aggressive midsole cutout is now on the medial side. The carbon fiber plate is scooped in such a way that– when the shoe is rocked on a table– it acts as a drinking bird or other perpetual motion device. And instead of a knit upper, we get a thin, engineered jacquard mesh with a warp knit tongue. 

All of these things are improvements, which means that maybe our best days aren’t behind us.

MEAGHAN: Robbe reminisced about the good old days, but for those of us who have been in the running world for some time now, the evolution of racing shoes has only gotten better. I mean, it was less than 10 years ago when racing shoes were nothing but glorified ballet flats. Back then, stack height was just a term held for pancakes at the post-race brunch. But now our race day options come with 40 mm of bouncy foam, carbon fiber plates and engineered mesh uppers that are light and breathable. 

But we’re here to talk about one specific day shoe: the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0. The original Cielo X1 was one of my favorite shoes– for training. It didn’t feel like a true racer, weighing in over 7.5 oz for my W7.5, but the bounce and the fun were there. Hoka heard us (or someone) when we complained about the upper material, laces and overall weight of the shoe, as version two has changed all of these things. So without further ado, let’s get into it. 

THOMAS: If you’ve been following along, you already know I loved the Cielo X1—but not for its original purpose. I assumed the 2.0 would be just a minor update to the upper. Turns out, I was wrong. As Robbe and Meg hinted in their intro, this is an entirely new shoe. It’s built for racing and delivers on that promise, all while keeping the elements that made me love the original.

What we like about the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0

ROBBE: Before I say “everything,” let me say this: We ran the Miami Half Marathon this weekend and ran the shoe in the Hoka Cielo X 2.0. I want to be fully transparent and tell you that we received our entries from Hoka, we did a podcast with the designer of this shoe and the product line manager, we led a group run with Hoka, and we went to a Hoka after party. You may think: why should I trust you to give an honest review? And you would be right to think that. 

But we also ran in the Bondi 9. Other runners got to test it at our shakeout run as well. It’s a shoe that Thomas and Meg reviewed, but which I think is a mediocre shoe at best. That shoe will see 50 times the sales volume of the Cielo X1 2.0, a premium niche shoe that will see limited sales in comparison. But I would tell you not to buy the Bondi, unless you’re a professional walker. I guess it’s fine, it’s a basic running shoe, but for anyone who’s actually reading this far into a shoe review, I know you’re a serious runner and I can tell you that there are much better shoes than the Bondi in its price range.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s get into the Cielo X1 2.0. If you ran in the first version, you know the fun factor that I’m talking about. I was highly skeptical that all of that would carry over into version 2, but I am here to tell you that it did. 

I’m going to jump to the ride of the shoe since it’s the shining star. The PEBA midsole is bouncy and fun and fast, even more than the first version. The trampoline effect is in full force. But the ride is even more aggressive this go-around thanks to a sharp-angle spoon styling of the carbon fiber plate. When I say this thing rocks, I mean it rolls. Its closest comparison would be the bonkers Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro.

When you start running, it’s immediately clear that this shoe wants to go. Like a hound on the hunt, this thing pulls hard on the leash– and you really have no choice but to go with it. The roll through the stride is quick with an aggressive toe-off. I imagine myself looking like a Bugs Bunny roadrunner, legs spinning in a fan-like motion. Really, I look like a middle aged man running in molasses, but it’s the perception that counts. Just don’t look at your reflection in storefront windows. 

Either way, the ride is unlike any other shoe out there. It’s the most fun and you don’t want it to stop. Just make sure you keep it going, because– like a spinning top– you don’t want it to slow down and lose its form. In that way, the Cielo X1 2.0 is different from the first version of the shoe. Instead of staying in that middle zone where the first one resided, this shoe wants to jump straight into fifth gear. It really does feel like a racing shoe.

Aside from the half marathon, I also did a 7-mile workout with 20 minutes at tempo (7:30/mile) and followed by 200-meter repeats from 6:30 down to 6:00. It kept getting faster and easier the more I dropped the hammer. What more could you ask for?

As far as comfort, it’s all there. After a half marathon distance (and only running three long runs since October), my legs felt fresher than anything the day after. No issues whatsoever. (Editor’s note: We should point out that Meg took second place non-elite at the Miami Half Marathon.)

The outsole rubber is surprisingly grippy. Going through water stations and pavement slick with fluids of all kinds, I was shocked at how well it gripped. I intentionally tried to slip by aggressively turning my toe, yet the outsole held firm.

Moving onto the upper, the fit is immaculate. It felt snug and secure at all spots, but with just enough room in the toe box that I didn’t get any pressure or hot spots. The toe box has perennially been one of Hoka’s glaring weaknesses, but it’s perfectly fine in this shoe. There are a few uppers that fit like a glove: Norda 001, Brooks Hyperion, and this. That’s something that’s hard to come by, but you love it when you can get it. 

Because of the secure upper fit and because of the Active Frame design which kind of cradles the foot, the stability is better than you would imagine (especially after walking in the shoe). The foot stays locked over the midsole and gives you confidence, especially when picking up the pace.

Also, new laces. They’re good. Maybe not great (they’re actually a bit long), but adequate.

MEAGHAN: I love to start with aesthetics and it was clear from opening the box that the Cielo X1 2.0 was meant for race day. The colorway is a bit flashy (I enjoyed the sparkles) and the upper looks as minimal as it feels. The step-in feel also confirmed race day vibes; the see-through mesh is snug but not suffocating, like a friendly hug from someone who understands personal space, and the rockered geometry had me excited to get out on the roads. The laces have been updated to a standard flat lace and the knit tongue is very light, but adds just a touch of comfort. 

I know a lot of people were concerned about the “fun” factor being removed, something we saw with the evolution of the New Balance SC Elite. But this is not the case. The bouncy, PEBA foam remains and the extreme rocker only adds to the underfoot roll. Once you get going in these shoes, you just want to keep running. And the faster you run, the more they seem to come alive. I “raced” the Miami Half in these shoes (more of a slow death march) and they were the only thing on my body that felt as good at mile 1 as mile 13. The bounce was there, the fun was there, I just wasn’t ready for the humidity and heat of So Flo. 

I mentioned this in the introduction, but it’s also worth adding in this section as well. The weight of this shoe has dropped significantly– from 7.6 oz. to 6.5 oz. for my W7.5. Another reason this shoe checks out for race day.

THOMAS: From the moment I stepped into the Cielo X1 2.0 and felt the midsole shift me into a forward-leaning stance, one thought came to mind: this feels like the Mizuno Rebellion Pro, just not as aggressive. And that’s a good thing. After years of trial and error, Hoka has finally mastered its premium foams. The midsole’s resilience is as bouncy and energetic as anything on the market. With an improved upper, fixed laces, and a dialed-in heel counter, my only wish was for a lighter ride—and Hoka delivered. The shoe dropped over an ounce.

For this review, I put the Cielo X1 2.0 through two speed workouts and raced the Miami Half Marathon in them. The workouts: an 11-mile run with 12x400m repeats between 7:30-6:50 pace, and an 8.5-mile run with 6x800m at a 7:30 pace. The ride is soft and bouncy at a 9-minute warm-up pace but firms up as you push faster. The quicker the turnover, the more the plate engages. At slower speeds, it provides just a touch of stability. Warning: Do not use this shoe for walking. The original Cielo X1 handled any pace with ease. The 2.0, however, leans more toward tempo and speed work.

I struggle in warm weather, and with the Miami Half starting at 75ºF, this race was a grind. But the Cielo X1 2.0 proved to be a surprisingly solid choice for a two-hour half marathon—my legs and feet felt great afterward. I almost forgot to mention how good the traction was during the 95% humidity. The rubber outsole is tacky AF, even through the water stations.

The Cielo X1 2.0 fits true to size.

What we don’t like about the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0

ROBBE: I love a good rocker and a great fit and an even better ride, so you can probably tell that this section won’t have much. But I’ll find something for someone.

If you have any stability issues, or have support needs on the medial side, well– just move on. The Cielo X1 2.0 is not meant for you. The medial cutout is super aggressive. Hoka said they did this to provide more stability at faster speeds when supinating onto the outer edge. That’s fair. But the medial side definitely collapses, which is super noticeable at slower paces. That said– this is a race shoe, so it is meant for faster paces. When you’re running fast, it will mitigate most of the problems you encounter at slower paces.

That’s not to say it’s a terrible shoe at slower or mid paces. I ran most of the half marathon at that exact pace. You just notice that you’re engaging a whole bunch of muscles you don’t usually work with, thanks to the bouncy foam and the rocker and the medial cutout and all the other crazy stuff going on in this shoe. It also kind of feels like there’s a fulcrum under the midfoot, which can feel awkward depending on your pace. And good luck walking to the start in this shoe– it’s like your foot doesn’t know if it wants to live in the past or the future. All in all, the shoe feels much more unstable than version 1. I was convinced I was going to roll my notoriously weak ankles at some point during my week of testing (luckily, I survived). So the rules here are: no walking and no slow running. Try to keep it faster.

While this shoe does actually fall into the race realm of weight on this go around, it still is one of the heavier race day options, up there with the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 2 and slightly less than the Salomon S/Lab Spectur. However, it’s actually a touch lighter than the Hoka Rocket X 2, so if you enjoyed that one then you will absolutely love this one. I think that overall, the touch of extra weight is offset by the propulsive rocker, which makes it a legit competitor on race day. 

All of that said, the rocker feeling of this shoe can be a bit jarring and aggressive if you’re not used to it, so it may not be for everyone. But if you’re open to some weird foot stuff, then this may be right up your alley.

As with the Bluth family stair car, you’re gonna get hop-ons in the form of rocks. I was packing my shoes to come home from the race and found a stowaway wedged in between the foam cutout in the heel.

I will also say that after a hard 7-mile workout in the shoe, I did feel a bit of tenderness in the spot where the plate hits hard (the aforementioned fulcrum). Just be aware that depending on your foot and where it lands, this could be an issue. I would also advise flat-footed runners to stay away.

Lastly, $275 is still a lot of money. I feel like Hoka’s prices have been a touch above everyone else’s, and that’s a trend that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. At least it’s the same as the first version.

MEAGHAN: I mentioned I liked the aesthetics, and I generally do, but if I’m nitpicking– Hoka shoes always have one too many colors. The general blues are great, but then you’ve got a black collar and laces, black hoka logo with a neon yellow outline and a splash of red on the midsole and tongue. I feel like we could do without one or two of those? 

Outside of looks, I think the rockered geometry might take a little getting used to. It’s pretty extreme, which is great when you’re moving fast, but feels a bit awkward when you’re jogging or walking around (why did our photographer Justin choose these to wear around all day? No idea). 

THOMAS: Robbe already covered the stability disclaimer, and Meg touched on the aesthetics. For me, though, it always comes down to the colors—and almost across the board, Hoka’s choices kill me. I’m a Northeast guy; the tropical-themed palettes they love to use just don’t do it for me. And don’t get me started on the sparkles.

This shoe, for example: the black-lined collar is solid, but then you get a translucent vamp bordered by teal. Look, I know I have a problem. But I want a shoe that works with a good sock combo, and if you match the collar with a black sock, the vamp looks awful. If you’re reading this thinking “What a jackass,” I get it. Honestly, the fact that this is my biggest complaint about the shoe makes me feel ridiculous. But also—how great is it that this is all I have to complain about?

Final thoughts on the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0

ROBBE (14 out of 15): Hoka somehow managed to make the most fun running shoe on the market even more fun. The combination of the bouncy midsole foam, the aggressive carbon fiber plate, the race-ready upper, and the MetaRocker geometry make this shoe a legit race day option. I mean it when I say there’s nothing else on the market that feels like the Cielo X1 2.0. It’s truly a shoe that makes you feel like the future of running is here and only getting better. It’s the kind of shoe that– when you close your eyes– makes you feel like the days of your youth have somehow boomeranged back to you. Is that worth $275? Not sure, but I’m willing to find out.

MEAGHAN (14 out of 15): In terms of general shoe updates, this might be one of the best. The Hoka Cielo X1 was such a fun shoe, but it was too heavy, with bad laces and just didn’t fit the mold of a race day shoe. Hoka managed to keep the fun and fix literally every single one of our complaints. The Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 is officially in my top three race day picks. 

THOMAS (14 out of 15): I loved the Cielo X1—within its limits. The Cielo X1 2.0 refines what needed fixing and delivers a phenomenal, race-ready shoe. While Hoka has long been a go-to for trail racers, road runners haven’t had a true Hoka contender to toe the line with the best. Now they do. You’ve got to try this one.

You can pick up the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 on February 15 for $275 using the buttons below.