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Hoka Cielo X1 2.0: The Up & Runners Review

The Up & Runners

Posted Apr 03, 2025

HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 is a high-performance road racing shoe designed for speed, ideal for half to full marathons. It features a lighter design, a more aggressive rocker, and a responsive ride, but its stability and versatility come with some trade-offs.

Total

Form

Performance

Value

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Cielo X1 2.0

3.4/5

(1)

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Pros

Lighter than the v1
Responsive ride with a bouncy midsole
Secure, breathable upper with improved comfort
Great outsole grip, even in light snow and rain

Cons

Can be unstable, especially for heel strikers
Too aggressive rocker for some runners
Limited pace versatility
Not ideal for runners needing stability

HOKA’s Cielo X1 2.0 aims to refine its predecessor with a lighter build, a more aggressive rocker, and an improved upper. Billed as a road racing shoe for 5K to marathon distances, it promises pure speed with a responsive ride. After rigorous testing, our trio from "The Up & Runners"—Cody, Eric, and Blake—logged a combined 93 miles to see if this updated racer lives up to the hype. Spoiler: it’s a speed demon with some serious caveats.

Cielo X1 2.0 At a Glance

Hoka Cielo X1 2.0: The Up & Runners Review

How It Compares to Other Shoes

Cody Jett

To me, the HOKA Cielo X1 and the Cielo X1 2.0 are completely different animals. The original X1 felt more like a super trainer—versatile, comfortable, and capable across a range of paces. The X1 2.0, on the other hand, is a full-blown super shoe, built for speed and race day performance. If you’re trying to compare it to something else on the market, the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3 comes to mind with its aggressive geometry and race focus—but I’m happy to report that the Cielo X1 2.0 feels noticeably more stable, especially at high speeds.

Eric: Similar in overall geometry to the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 2. Midsole foam is very soft, almost like the new TPEE foam in the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4.

Blake: “VS HOKA Rocket X2: I’d pick the Rocket X2 for race day. It has a more traditional rocker/midsole geometry that I think is better for a wider range of runners (including myself), and I think that it feels more stable. However, the Rocket X2 still has plenty of cushion and bounce.”

Performance & Versatility

The Cielo X1 2.0 is a dedicated race-day shoe built for speed, excelling at half marathon to marathon distances for forefoot and midfoot strikers. However, its aggressive rocker and instability limit its versatility, making it a challenging choice for heel strikers or slower paces.

Cody (logged 31 miles): “I really enjoyed the Cielo X1 2.0 when the pace picked up—whether it was structured speed workout, a race-effort run, or a long run with some tempo miles thrown in, the shoe delivered that snappy, responsive feel I was hoping for. It’s like driving a sports car: absolutely thrilling when you’re going fast, but not exactly built for cruising. That lack of versatility makes it a bit of a one-trick pony, especially at a steep $275 price point. You’ll probably want to save this one for big workouts or race day—it’s too good (and too pricey) to waste on easy miles.”

Eric McIntyre

(logged 31 miles): The performance of the shoe is phenomenal… but this statement is followed by a pretty big ‘if.’ That ‘if’ is IF you have strong lower leg muscles, no stability needs, and ideally are a forefoot striker. The overall ride of the shoe is very responsive. This shoe clearly wants to go fast, so much so in fact that when you slow down the shoe is maybe one of the most unstable shoes I’ve ever experienced. For me so long as I was running around threshold pace or faster (around 7 min mile pace for me right now) then the shoe was smooth, responsive, and everything I would want in a racing shoe. That being said if I slowed down my current marathon pacing or as my body fatigued then the shoe noticeably struggles. This is the type of shoe where you need to remind yourself that supershoes are not meant to be made for the everyman, but rather the professionals. With that in mind I think that for these shoes to be effective for the marathon, ideally a runner is a sub 3 if not almost 2:40 and below pace marathoner.

Blake (logged 31 miles): “The Cielo X1 2.0 is definitely a high performance race day shoe. Its unique rocker does limit its versatility though. I found it to work best for mid-to-forefoot strikers, and that heel strikers might struggle with its instability.”

Upper

The Cielo X1 2.0’s upper is a significant improvement over the original, featuring a breathable, lightweight jacquard mesh and a more traditional heel counter for a secure, comfortable fit. It accommodates slightly wider feet, offers a streamlined lockdown without sacrificing breathability, and includes upgraded laces and a padded ankle collar for enhanced comfort and stability.

Cody: “The upper on the Cielo X1 2.0 is a big win. It’s breathable, lightweight, and plays surprisingly nice with my slightly wider feet—no squeezing, no hotspots, no angry toes. Honestly, it’s the upgrade we were all waiting for. The old version felt like it was trying to be a race day shoe but missed the memo; this one finally gets the assignment. It’s snug in the right places.”

Eric: “The upper is a HUGE upgrade over the original. An engineered jacquard mesh with a more traditional heel counter makes for a very comfortable overall experience. Sometimes brands go too minimal on race uppers and it creates a baggy or loose experience. With the Cielo X1 2.0 you get just enough structure to create a streamlined fit, without sacrificing breathability or weight. I’m a big fan and would love to see brands implementing things like a more traditional heel counter and moving away from sock like race uppers.”

Blake Graf

The upper now uses a jacquard mesh instead of knit and has what I think is a much improved tongue and ankle collar. The collar is lightly padded and I found it to be much more comfortable than v1. I had no issues with fit or lock-down. The upper felt secure on my foot with no rubbing or heel slip. I went with the usual men’s size 12 and had a thumbs width at the end. I’ll mention the laces real quick too. In the initial pairs of the Cielo X1 v1, they had these ribbon laces that weren’t great. On later color releases they switched to the laces on the v2, and this was a big upgrade. They stayed tied and I had no issues with them.

Midsole

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.”

Blake Graf

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.

Outsole

The outsole has less rubber coverage than the v1, saving weight while maintaining solid grip across various conditions, including light snow and rain. It’s a reliable performer for road racing.

Cody: “The outsole is solid—no complaints here. It held up well in all the conditions I threw at it, from wet roads to dry pavement. I’ll also give a shoutout to the midsole cutouts, which felt like a small miracle. It’s always a win when your shoe doesn’t turn into a portable gravel collector.”

Eric McIntyre

Hoka has done a great job with their racing outsoles and this shoe is no different. I ran in some light snow and rain, with a little bit of frost on the ground, and had no issues whatsoever with slippage. It also seems that the outsole is a little bit thinner than those from last years Cielo X1 as well as the Rocket X2 from a few years ago. I have to think this adds some weight savings but gives you the same security.

Blake: “The outsole has less rubber coverage which does help save weight, making it almost an ounce and a half lighter than v1. I haven’t had any issues so far with grip and durability with the outsole. It uses a new sticky rubber formula, and is better than some of the other road racer outsoles out there.”

Who should buy the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0?

✔️ Best For:

Runners seeking a high-performance race day shoe for half to full marathons (Cody)
Forefoot or midfoot strikers, especially sub-3 marathoners (Eric)
Those with efficient strides looking for speed work from 5K to half marathon (Blake)

❌ Not Ideal For:

Heel strikers due to instability (Cody, Blake)
Runners needing stability or versatility (Eric)
Those who prefer a more cushioned, stable ride for slower paces (Cody)

Final Verdict

Cody Jett

With the super shoe category more stacked than ever, the Cielo X1 2.0 definitely has some stiff competition. For me, it’s a solid option—light, fast, and fun to run in—but it’s not a plug-and-play kind of shoe. You’ve got to be ready to stay up on those toes and keep the pace way up. If you can do that, this shoe will reward you.

Eric: “It depends. If you’re thinking strictly marathoners then I’d say sub 3’ers, forefoot strikers, those with VERY efficient strides. Otherwise I think midfoot strikers can utilize the shoe for speed work as well as racing from the 5k-half.”

Blake: “The Cielo X1 2.0 is more aggressive, lighter, and has a more comfortable upper. However, the new geometry may not play nicely with heel strikers, and I found the shoe to be more unstable overall.”