The Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 is the update to one of our favourite carbon racing shoes of 2024 and for the new Cielo, Hoka is making some pretty significant changes.
It’s going lighter, making improvements to the upper and there’s some reworking of that lively midsole we loved racing and using for long runs too.
Tester Mike has taken the Cielo X1 2.0 for a spin to see what it’s made of and get a sense if this is a new carbon racing shoe you should be excited for when it launches at the end of February 2025.
(Note: Details on stack heights were not available to us at the time of testing)
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Intro
00:43 – Price and what’s new from Cielo X1
01:57 – How do they fit?
03:59 – The Run Test
07:25 – Early thoughts
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Hey this is M for the r testers this is The Haw cell X1 2.0 very storm battered Haw cell X1 2.0 and that is of course The update to this Sho the C X1 which is Fair to say we were pretty much in Agreement this is one of the shoes of 2024 one of our favorite carbon Racing Shoes now they're definitely are some Changes in the X1 2.0 we'll get into What exactly those are Then I'll get into some early running Thoughts after a very stormy Sunday run In this shoe and then give you some Early thoughts on the Haw yellow X1 2.0 so here's what we know about the Haw Cell X1 2.0 let's start with price and While we don't have official UK pricing Just yet we know the US price is $275 so Anticipate that means the UK price Should sit at the same £250 as the C X1 now the first big change is weight Our UK men's size eight dropped on the Scales at 196 G which is a sizable drop From the cello X1 it's got a 7 mm drop And while we don't have the specifics on The stack Heights just yet it will be a Legal racer like the cell X1 at the Upper Hawkers moved an engineered Jackard meshan adding a new tongue laces And redesigning the heel collar inside Lies a new sock line to add bounce and Sits on a dual density p midso setup Like the cell X1 with cutouts now Focused at the medial areas of the shoe
There's also an updated wind carbon Plate sandwich in the middle of that Peber that along with hawker's speed Centric Metar rocker creates that Lively Aggressive ride a 4ot focused active Foot frame is also there to better Secure and stabilize your feet at the Front of the shoe down below is a sticky Rubber out so to provide your grip with A little more exposed foam compared to The cell X1 Okay so let's get into fit first and I Would definitely say there's some Changes in terms of that fit now it's Fair to say that with the cell X1 it was Definitely a tricky customer to get on Now that has definitely changed here With this shoe but that's not the first Thing that we really notice here with Yellow X1 2.0 I think the first thing Really to notice here is that it's a bit More of a narrow shoe I think for the C X1 it's quite a broad shoe quite a very Accommodating shoe in general it's Definitely narrowed a bit more with the Cow X1 2.0 you can definitely see that And I'll kind of show a bit more of a Closeup in terms of that kind of change There so what that has done I think for Me in my narra you know which I didn't Really have a problem with the cx1 in Terms of that fit it definitely feels Like it's a bit more dialed in with that Fit there are some other changes here
The laces have changed I think for the Better these are going to be laces you Know not going to have issues and we Have had some issues those kind of early Versions where they've come undone and There a change in those laces the tongue Has changed as well I think it sits more A li beer on the top of your foot and That's kind of what I found and then There's definitely a change in the hill Color as well you can see see you know That kind of thinner kind of Hill collar We had on Cell X1 where there was more Kind of padding in the inside of the Hill collar it's a bit more traditional In that sense here there's a bit more of A kind of narrow in that kind of Hill Collar as well too at the back there the Achilles now for me you know that fit Made it absolutely fine it definitely Kind of secures things a little bit Better now I've had this in the UK size Eight that's the same size I had yell X1 For me it's feeling like a a similar Kind of experience as I said the big Things or big takeaways for me in that First run is that it's definitely Narrowed a little bit for me which is Fine in my narrow feet the laces have Changed the tongue has slightly changed I think possibly for the better but that Hill color is just a bit more Traditional in terms of that fit and the At the back of the shoe so I think you
Know people probably going to prefer That it's just easier to slip on overall You know and it was easy to slip on in That first run so yeah for me I would Probably be saying it's probably going To be a true to size fitting shoe but Just a lot more of a narrow one compared To the Catt X1 So into the first run now I had 10 miles To do I'm training for a half marathon At the moment today called for kind of Sticking at my kind of marathon pace so That at the moment that's kind of 7:30 740 minute mile Pace I did drop it down In places to my kind of 10K and kind of Of half marathon pace as well to see how It handles some slightly quicker running Time and before even getting out in this Shoe I could see even from kind of Lacing it up that it is definitely less Stable than the previous cell X1 now I Talked a little bit about the change in The kind of design and you know it Definitely is more narrow than the C X1 I think you know in essence the midso Makeup is very similar it's that dual Density kind of peber based midsole you Got that kind of carbon plate sandwiched In the middle as well that kind of Winged version you've got that kind of Meta rocker geometry that we know Associate with hacker shoes and kind of Racing Focus Shoes as well now you've Got that kind of cutout design as well
But the cutout has moved and I think That's really important here and you can Kind of see and I'll show that the Cutout was kind of moving it's gone Slightly back a little bit closer to the Hill that kind of decoupled effect that You get here is a little bit more Pronounce I think and it's down to Having that kind of narrow fit having You know that kind of Mido sitting in a More narrow form and I think focuses That kind of lively feeling that we got From cx1 and just creates a more Aggressive feeling it definitely felt More aggressive when I started getting Out out in this shoe you know the Transitions just feel a little bit Quicker and a little bit more life you Still get that good great bely light From cx1 that's what I saw in that run But it just feels like it's working a Little bit quicker for me and I think You know that's great that's kind of What we liked about the first shoe but I Think it's just doing it a little bit More and it's kind of tuning it up to Feel a little bit more lively for me This is probably with the changes it's Going to fit a little bit better as a Kind of shorter distance shoe without Losing the qualties that we liked about Cx1 and it being a longer run shoe now I Did 10 miles in it it felt very good From start to finish in the shoe as I
Said it still got That Bouncy Lively Enjoyable feeling that really rocked Feeling but it's just feels like it's You know Hawker has amped up the Aggressiveness in this shoe and what it Means is that it's going to feel a Little bit less stable what I really Noticed that is where you know when I Was cornering in this shoe I always Really had to put the brakes on in this Shoe I know it really gave me an Opportunity to test what the out soole Was made of I would be a bit wary about Going all out in kind of wetter Conditions in this shoe it it felt fine And kind of flatter straighter areas but You know just when I was turning around Corners as I said I really had to put The brakes on in the shoe and you know Really kind of introduce that kind of More you know unstable feeling that You're getting here but the qualities of The CLX one is very much still there me That run it you know it felt great it Felt enjoyable felt Lively definitely More aggressive than the c x one for me And I think the changes the geometry and Where those kind of cutouts and you know The dro in weight as well which is I Think is really important here really Made for a more lively shoe definitely a Positive first run in this shoe I'm Definitely looking forward to running More in the cell X1 2.0 I think it's
Going to excite a lot of people I think The changes are really important here And I think make it potentially a a much Better shoe across distances but will Still feel like a shoe that you're going To want to run kind of longer in as well So yeah really liking it so far I'll get Into some early thoughts about cell X1 2.0 Next so some early first run thoughts on The hocky cell X1 2.0 now I think if you Liked the cell X1 and you like the idea Of a shoe that is lighter has a nicer Upper has all those kind of same kind of Lively bouncy qualities as the yellow X1 But maybe even amps it up even more That's kind of what I'm seeing in the Version here I think you know what those Changes will potentially do is maybe Make this you know still a shoe that is Going to be a good shoe for longer runs And kind of Marathon distance and that's Really what it's about still But I think it will make it more kind of Acceptable to use it for kind of shorter Races as well which I think maybe that Wasn't quite where this yellow X1 was Best suited I think it's going to as I Said be veering into that kind of Rocket X2 territory the changes are going to Make it feel you know like it's going to Be more in keeping with something like The alpha fly which I haven't running I've run in older versions of the alpha
Fly but you know you know terms of those Changes is probably going to put it Closer to that shoe as well I still Think the meta speeds guys probably just There in terms of you know kind of Getting that kind of really light Aggressive um you know kind of marathon Shoe but I feel as I said the changes Here from someone that has really liked Spending time in this yellow X1 I think These are changes that are going to make It a better shoe and I think still be a Really Lively aggressive fast shoe to Run in so definitely a positive first Run than the hawell X1 2.0 obviously Plenty more testing to do in this shoe But I'm liking what I'm seeing so far Okay so they have it some early first Run thoughts on the hako cell X1 2.0 and Obviously plenty more testing to do and Other members of the team will be Getting this shoot in before we do our Full multi-tester review now in the Meantime while we are testing alongside A whole load of other carbon Racing Shoes do let us know if any questions You have about the C X1 2.0 other shoes You're desperate to know how it compares To as well let us know about those as Well as always like And subscribe hit That little bell to find out about Latest videos and yeah see for the next R test this video
