The Cielo X1 2.0’s midsole, with its 100% PEBA foam, winged carbon plate, and aggressive rocker, delivers a responsive yet unstable ride. It’s faster and lighter than the v1 but sacrifices stability, making it best for forefoot strikers at faster paces.
Cody: “PEBA midsole for the win! It’s fast, responsive, and felt like it was made for my stride—like running on a spring-loaded cloud. This shoe is built to go straight and fast, so if your race has lots of sharp turns, maybe don’t channel your inner Formula 1 driver. It’s a rocket in a straight line, but cornering isn’t exactly its party trick.”
Eric: “The midsole is super unique. A very aggressive rocker, peba foam, and an interesting winged carbon fiber plate all make for a very responsive ride. They also make for a very unstable ride. The original Cielo X1 was very stable which made it easily accessible for a lot of runners looking to run a marathon who might not traditionally enjoy a supershoe. In my mind that shoe was completely more of a supertrainer given the overall weight. With this years update Hoka has gone the complete opposite direction chasing a midsole geometry they biases the forefoot. So much so that the forefoot almost protrudes out creating a ‘Wave Rebellion Flash’ esque midsole shape. This is a shoe that for me feels great on intervals and I think could take up to a half marathon MAYBE but would definitely struggle in the later stages of a marathon.”
The HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 brings significant midsole updates while maintaining its 40mm heel and 33mm forefoot stack height measurements. However, the thickest part of the heel now reaches 46mm, making it feel even more cushioned. The shoe still features 100% PEBA foam and a winged carbon plate, both of which have been tweaked. One of the biggest changes is the more aggressive heel rocker and the shift of the midsole cutout from the lateral to the medial side. Personally, I found these made the shoe feel unstable, especially when landing on the back half—it felt wobbly, almost like I was fighting with the shoe (this wasn’t an issue with the v1). However, when landing more toward the forefoot at faster paces, the ride felt much smoother. I personally thought the rocker felt good at half marathon pace and below, however it had too much cushion underfoot for my 10k and below preferences. I think the half marathon is the sweet spot for me, as I think at the end of a marathon, my form would break down and I’d be dealing with the unstable back half of the shoe. Overall, the midsole feels faster and lighter than v1 but comes at the cost of stability, with a specific pace and foot strike window where it performs best.