Hoka One One Cielo Road Review

Given the shoe's intended use for 5K-10K, I wasn't sure how it would feel for longer runs and workouts, but I decided to give it a try regardless. I was surprised by how much protection it offers from the ground over longer periods of time. I don't feel terribly beat up after a 10-mile road workout or a 75+ minute treadmill session; I think the shoe's moderate stack height of 33mm in the heel and 30mm in the forefoot is to thank for this. I'd be comfortable racing a half marathon or up to 90 minutes in this shoe, but I wouldn't want to spend 2 or more hours in it--mostly due to the narrow forefoot. 

The forefoot construction is my main qualm with the shoe, as the narrow toe-box contributes to making the shoe feel less stable when cornering. If Hoka had made it just a smidge wider for the big toe to do its job, the Cielo Road would be one of my favorite shoes ever, especially since the shoe really does give you that extra "pop" for workouts. 

I'd describe the ride of this shoe as snappy. With its slight rocker shape and light weight, the shoe wants to run fast, but it won't pitch you forward as noticeably as other racing shoes on the market--you still have to do the work, and that, combined with a low heel-to-toe drop, may demand more of the lower leg muscles than some runners are used to.  

Durability:

I think a lot of runners balk at the idea of getting a racing shoe because of the way that the shoes are marketed: here for a good time, not a long time. In the case of the Cielo Road, I'm thinking this isn't the case.

After putting 75 miles on my pair, I'd expect to see at least a little bit of wear in the outsole rubber, a weak spot in the upper of the forefoot, and some compression of the foam. I have yet to find any of it. In fact, the shoe has become a bit more enjoyable each time I wear it--particularly since the upper was so stiff when I took them out of the box.

With upper materials like this one, some runners might want to consider their risk of hotspots. I am usually fortunate and I have rarely blistered in any shoe. The Cielo Road did create a hotspot on my heel with the first two runs I logged in them.

Fit:

I have long, narrow, mostly flat feet, and I wear an 8.5W in most road shoes. The lockdown across the midfoot is excellent in the Cielo Road, but the heel could be a bit more snug. Now, the toe-box is another story. If I feel like my toes are smashed into a toe-box, it's likely that any runner with normal width feet will feel as if they've stepped into a children's ballet slipper. That being said, I wouldn't advise any runners with wide feet to buy this shoe--unless you're not attached to having all 10 toenails and you only plan to run fast road 5Ks without any aggressive turns or hills to descend.

The Cielo Road was my first introduction to plateless uptempo road shoes, and I'd definitely recommend them to other runners who want the old school racing flat feel while still having some underfoot protection. These shoes are fun, fast, and versatile--especially for the pricetag.