Hoka Cielo X1
Weight: 9.3 oz
Drop: 7mm
MSRP: $275
Mileage at Time of Review: 33
Traditional running logic states that the lightest shoe will always be the fastest. I’m not sure that is the case anymore with the advent of modern shoe technology and this shoe provides evidence to the fact that speed and weight aren’t necessarily as tied as we’ve always made them. I’m also gonna say that as a bigger runner, this may be one of the best racing shoes for larger runners.
The Breakdown
The Outsole
The outsole features a generous amount of rubber for a race day shoe. This combined with the durability of the Peba midsole will create a race shoe that I expect to get more miles out of than some of my other racers. While Hoka hasn’t always had the best rubber in the business, this is a huge improvement over their past shoes and I felt confident moving in and out of puddles during workouts and didn’t feel that I was going to be worried about my foot slipping out from under me the way I did circa the Mach 4 era when outsole rubber was non-existent.
The Midsole
The midsole features two layers of Peba with a full length, winged carbon plate in between. In order to make the shoe lighter the midsole features some fairly extreme cutouts but I didn’t feel that these cutouts in any way decreased or interfered with the performance of the shoe. The rocker profile built into the shoe is very aggressive, as seen by the overall shape of the shoe. It goes without saying that there are very similar design concepts between the Cielo X1 and the Mizuno Rebellion Pro. Both have that aggressive rocker design, but the I think that this shoe provides more stability through the stride because it has a wider base. The winged carbon plate also provides some extra lateral stability to the shoe.
The Upper
For the most part I really like the upper of this shoe. It is well structured, very breathable and has a good feel. Compared to other shoes in the category, this upper is far more substantial. The heel collar has excellent structure and you feel very locked into the shoe when running. The laces have exceptional grip and a tacky feeling when tying them. My one complaint with the upper is the tongue. It is an asymmetrical gussetted tongue, but when you tighten the laces, there is extra material that bunches up between the lacing. There is no performance detriment and once I started running, I never noticed it, but it annoyed me at the start of each run.
The Fit
I recommend purchasing true to size on this shoe. It has a very nice roomy upper and the length runs full size. I often find that shoes designed for high performance have what I think of as a “race fit” and often go up half a size, but this one feels quite nice in my normal size 10 medium.
Ladies, this is a unisex shoe and while I think the men should go true to size, I would go a full size to size and a half down from your normal fit. It does have a roomier fit relative to other racers, which is why I would say you might consider the extra half size down. I don’t know why race shoes tend to fall into the unisex category, and I can only imagine how frustrating it must be as a consumer when trainers and tempo shoes are sized appropriately and you have to take your best guess on the racers.
Running and Walking
As this is a race shoe I will only be reviewing it from a run/walk perspective.
Throughout my testing of the X1, I have thoroughly enjoyed every mile I’ve put in. A lot of the race shoes feel great when I’m running faster paces but become progressively less stable in slower paces or rest intervals. This shoe is very unique in the fact that no matter what pace you are running or walking, it feels very stable through the entire stride. About six years ago I had to have an ankle surgery and now there are some shoes that cause that ankle to flare up if they are too wobbly in the heal, and this shoe felt excellent from my easy pace up through my interval pacing.
While this shoe is heavier for a racing shoe, I think that this is a good test case for the idea that it may not be just about weight anymore. Shoe technology, design and materials have progressed so much that I don’t think we can only evaluate a racing shoe’s efficacy based on whether or not it lands below a certain number of ounces. Hoka refers to this shape as a “speed-centric” rocker and while it looks very different from the traditional racer, or any other shoe for that matter, the design allows for runners with a variety of different styles to take advantage of the rocker and plate combination. If you land further back on your mid foot or even into the heal, the rocker moves you through the stride with incredible efficiency, and then engages the plate as you move into the push off. If you land mid foot to fore foot then you engage the plate as you would any other racer, and still benefit from front end of the rocker design.
If you are a run/walker or a pure walker, I think this shoe can still be beneficial. If you like to walk race or you’re looking for a racing shoe that you can run/walk in, this shoe feels just as good walking as it does running. I found that it was easier to keep an aggressive walking pace in this shoe as it is so stable in the heel and the rocker profile moves you so quickly through the stride that my walking paces naturally picked up with the same effort level.
Summary
I think that this is a very special shoe that a lot of people seem to be sleeping on. It’s not the lightest racing shoe, but as I stated above, I’m not sure that is the most important metric anymore as shoe technology has progressed. I think that this shoe will keep you running and walking more efficiently in longer races, and in that case, it is my opinion that one or two extra ounces is worth it. If you have the chance to get a pair on your feet, take them for a spin and let me know what you think in the comments.
Until then, stay safe and keep moving forward!