Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 Review: A Serious Contender for Marathon Race Day

Introduction

The first generation Cielo X1 was a popular choice among marathon racers, especially for runners in the 3 to 5 hour range who wanted something fast but still comfortable out on the roads. Version 2.0 arrives with huge changes: just about every part of the shoe has been updated to make it more competitive. The question is whether Hoka has taken it too far and lost the magic of the original, or finally built a true super shoe that can compete with the big players at the front of the marathon field.

What Changed From Version 1.0

Version 2.0 brings a lighter and more breathable upper, with a nicely padded and built-up heel where version one was much more minimal. Overall weight is significantly down: 54 g lighter in a UK size, which is a huge chunk you can genuinely feel through your foot strike. There is also a much more aggressive rocker at the front of the shoe, while the price, stack height and drop all stay the same as the outgoing model.

The side cutout has moved from the lateral side to the medial side, which may make the inside of the shoe slightly less stable. If you need a bit of support, that could be an issue; if you land on the outside of your foot, as many faster runners do, you get more support on the lateral side.

The key figures: a 40 mm stack at the legal limit with a 7 mm drop, 248 g in the reviewer’s UK size 11.5, a dual-density PeBA midsole with a winged carbon fibre plate, soft foam at the heel, an aggressive forefoot rocker, and a very sticky rubber outsole. There are no width options, and the shoe runs true to size, though one tester had to buy half a size down because the regular size was unavailable and ran slightly small.

Main Strengths

The first thing that stands out is sheer fun. The shoe is fast, bouncy and responsive at all different speeds. Version one was really more of a half marathon and marathon shoe and was not great at slower paces; this version is poppy everywhere. The huge rocker tips you forward into the next stride, and it flows especially well at marathon pace and faster, now feeling fast enough even for 5K and 10K racing.

It is also surprisingly lightweight and very quiet, possibly the quietest super shoe around. If you have used other noisy carbon racers and disliked the sound, this one runs almost completely silent, with no clunkiness.

Fit and lockdown are excellent. The upper holds the foot in place, the laces are much better than version one, and the improved heel cup locks the ankle down with no slip, blisters or hot spots. Wider-footed runners who loved the original should still find plenty of room, though it does not feel quite as wide.

Finally, the shoe has that intangible aura that makes it want to go fast, the kind of feeling usually reserved for the very best super shoes. This is a shoe Hoka’s elite runners can feel confident wearing over the full marathon distance.

Things to Consider Before Buying

It is definitely on the pricey side at £250, which is more than several direct competitors and slightly cheaper than one flagship rival, so it sits right at the top end of the super shoe market.

It is also very awkward to walk in. This is a race shoe through and through, hard to even stand still in, so it should not be considered as a comfortable all-day or walking shoe.

The foam at the back of the shoe is extremely unstable in real-world use, very similar to or slightly worse than one leading competitor. That makes it a poor choice for heel strikers, easy and recovery runs with longer ground contact time, or fatiguing stages late in a long race when you start striking further back. Even a roughly 90K race distance raised doubts about whether that rear instability would hold up.

The cutout moving to the inside is another consideration. Runners who need medial support may feel the shoe collapsing slightly on that side, so it is worth thinking about your own foot strike and use case.

Buying Advice

So is it recommended? Yes, but it will not suit everyone. It is aimed at faster runners who hold a midfoot or forefoot strike for the whole race. If you are in the 3 to 5 hour marathon bracket, it can still work well as long as you are not landing on your heel, because the instability at the back of the shoe will be a problem for some people.

As an upgrade, it is a clear yes: lighter, snappier, better materials and a much better ride. But it is a very different shoe from version one, so if the original was your favourite, it may be worth grabbing a pair of the outgoing model before it disappears.

Conclusion

The Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 is a genuinely impressive evolution: fun, lightweight, quiet and fast across everything from 5K to the marathon. Its rearfoot instability and premium price mean it is best suited to confident midfoot and forefoot strikers racing at pace, rather than as an everyday option for every runner.