The Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 is the carbon racer follow-up to the Cielo X1 and Hoka is making big changes to make the new Cielo a better fit for faster runs.
It’s shaved off some considerable weight, redesigned the midsole and updated the upper to give it more racing appeal.
Testers Gill, Nick and Mike have logged plenty of miles in the Cielo X1 2.0 to tell you if you should be splashing a hefty £250/$275 to get them on your feet.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Intro
00:27 – Price and what’s new from Cielo X1
01:41 – How do they fit?
04:52 – The Run Test
17:15 – Verdict
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Hey this is M run testers this is the Brand new Haw cell X1 2.0 Hawker latest Super Shoe racer now myself Nick and Jill have all been putting the testing Time in with the new C and before we get Into some rning thoughts we'll let you Know what's new from the cell X1 get Into our experiences and then let you Know whether the Haw cell X1 2.0 is one Of the best super shoe Racers to buy This Year so here's the key details you need To know about the Haw cello X1 2.0 the Price Remains the Same as the cell X1 so That's £250 in the UK $275 in the US Putting it just below shoes like the Alphafly 3 and saky endorphin Elite 2 The drop is a 7 mm one where stack Heights when scale down to a UK size Eight make it a legal racer and approved For competition the weight of the shoe Has dropped quite significantly with Al Men's UK 8 weighing at 196 G compared to 242 G in the same size C X1 the upper is Now made from an engineered jackard mesh With Hawker adding new laces tongue and Redesign the heel collar and level of Padding you'll find at the back of the Shoe there's a new sock liner to add Bounce to the ride and once again uses a Dual density peber midsole with cutouts Now more at the medial area of the shoe The wind C plate in between that peber Has been updated that along with
Hawker's aggressive met Rocka aim to Deliver a more propulsive ride to keep Things controlled Hwy uses a 4ft focus Active foot frame frame to better secure And stabilize your feet at the front of The shoe down below is a sticky rubber Out soole to provide your grip with a Little more exposed foam compared to the Clo X1 so it comes to the fit of C X1 2.0 It's been fine for me in my normal Running shoe size the same size I had With the c X1 and hooker's other shoes General hoker can be a bit more narrow Than other brands but as some of the Narrow foot I tend to appreciate that I've had a really secure lock down fit With the c X12 .0 little changes to the First shoe a little bit more padding Around the back there and a little bit More structure there which has been fine For me I didn't really have a problem With that on the first shoe but I think It is a slightly better heel design on The new one laces have definitely been Improved I think hope actually improved The laces on later models of the C X1 And now this H X1 2.0 you're not going To have that problem where those kind of Ribbon style laces would sometimes Come Undone laces are a bit long but other Than that I have no real concerns about Them so all around happy with the fit Obviously lx1 2.0 in my normal running
Shoe size first thing to not is that I Got sent actually a size half size too Small um when I sent the shoe so it Should be a seven and I got sent a six And a half so I've kept all my testing To under 10 miles just because I didn't Want to um be stupid I'm in the middle Of marathon training I didn't want to um Get any kind of toe issues or anything Like that that said actually over that Kind of distance I've not had any issues At all and I know that um some people Quite like a tighter fit on a ra shoe or Certainly slightly more snug so I think Probably actually you've got about half A size to play with if I was going for a Full Marathon um I think I'd want to go Back up to the size sevens because of Kind of foot expansion over the distance When you kind of get a bit swelling or It's a bit hot but actually I think the 6 and a half would be fine for a shorter Distance and I might be tempted to go With that just because they're a really Nice comfortable snug fit at six and a Half so yeah I think you've got a bit of Room to play with there they're probably True to size but um you wouldn't have a Problem if you needed to drop down half A size for a snugger fit if that's kind Of what you like same SI of fit has been All good for for me in the C X1 2.0 I've Got mine in UK size 8 that's the same Size I have the cell X1 and that's my
Usual running shoe size now this is a Bit more typically Hawker in terms of Fit compared to the X1 as you can see It's definitely more narrow here you can See it see from the back of the shoe all The way to the midfit does open up in The toe and the toe box which does make It still very well suited for longer Distances but my skinny feet absolutely Fine but I think compared to cx1 which Is definitely a more accommodating shoe That is something to be mindful of in The X1 2.0 I think some other things to Mention here the laces the laces are Much better than this yellow X1 I Definitely had problems I wasn't the Only one so these are more traditional Laces just work a lot better and kind of You know offer a better kind of lock Down kind of fit over this tongue I Think other thing as well here if you Didn't like the kind of lack of kind of Padding more traditional padding in the Hill kind of air and Hill collor then You're getting more here on the cell X1 2.0 and again you know quite Narrows There a little bit but it's been fine For me no irritation whatsoever and kind Of locks things in very nicely in play So yeah the main thing for me would be That it is has fit true size for me on My skinny feet it is has narrowed Compared to the cell X1 and that's Something to be mindful of but I think G
True size for me has worked and should Work for most people I Think so I was a really big fan of the Hocus yell X1 I've used it for over 350k Of running more I've running any other Shoe since it was released but as fair To say I wasn't really using it for its Intended purpose I didn't view it as one Of the best racing shoes cuz it was just A bit too heavy I think for a racing Shoe although I did racing it a couple Of times I've mostly used it as a fast Training shoe especially during marathon Training as just the perfect long run Fast long run long session shoe because It is comfortable fun bouncy you know Really fun shoe to run in Fairly stable For a carbon shoe and just worked really Well for that purpose but I did want to See some changes to the second version Of the shoe that made it more of a Racing shoe starting with that weight And hu I think has made some really good Changes to make this one of the best Racing shoes on the market now couple of The smaller changes that I think are Good one is the laces I talked about in The fit section not being ones that come Undone and the outsole I think has been Improved I think you got better grip With the new shoe but really the big Change is the drop in weight it's a huge Drop in weight the X1 2.0 weighs 214 G Or 72 o in my UK size 9 which is down
From 253 G or 8.9 o for the original Shoe and that's a lot of weight to Shar So basically the question was what has Hoker taken away from the shoe to make It that much lighter I was worried that With a much lighter shoe you might lose Some of that really big springy fun ride That you get with the c X1 but that's Not the case you still retain that with The 2.0 it's a really fun bouncy shoe Really propulsive one of those one of The really big bouncy carbon shoes on The market I think it compares to stuff Maybe like the Muno wave Rebellion Pro Line things like that but in a slightly Tamer more normal design than the Muno Really fun ride I even did a short run Wearing both shoes at the same time the X1 and the 2.0 to see if it still had That level of Bounce and it certainly Does and it's now just faster and more Aggressive so the change in weight helps With that but the way the Mido cut outs Are set up as well I think also makes The rocker a bit more aggressive you Really get pushed onto your toes and you Get a really direct fast ride from this Shoe now so I've done Several Hard runs In it in you know the last couple of Weeks of my marathon training for Seville including a long progression run I did on the track I've done an Alternating 16k on the road as well and Then I've done a steady 10 m in the shoe
And it just really impressed me every Time like it's just a really fun shoe to Run in still like the original but now a Faster shoe and one that you really feel You can push to those fast Paces without Worrying that you'll win a slightly big Or bulky shoe or anything like that so The cost of reducing the weight compared To the cell X1 is not the fact that this Is now a less fun shooter running but Instead that it's much less stable one Like the cell X1 was pretty stable for Such a high stack shoe such a bouncy Shoe the C X1 2.0 is not a stable shoe I Think it's really flipped to the other End of the spectrum here now it feels Quite natural to walk around in it's not A shoe that feels great at slower Paces Whereas this yellow X1 like I said I was Using it as a fast trainer basically Doing lots of varied runs in it and it Was always really good to run in this Now feels much more in line with other Top carbon shoes as a shoe that you Reserve for your fastest sessions and Race day itself because that's when it Really shines and if you're running it At your easy Paces or just trying to Walk around in it even it feels a bit Unnatural part of that is the way the Cutouts have changed a big medial side Cutout now is noticeable On The Run it's Also just a narrower shoe in general Compared to the C X1 so you have lost
Out on a bit of stability here but That's not a big cost to me that's what I am prepared to lose in a racing shoe I I just want a shoe that's can be really Fast and deliver on race day and in Really fast sessions I don't necessarily Want a shoot that's going to deliver Like the cx1 did like that was an Amazing shooter run in lot I obviously Have run in it a lot but you can get That kind of feeling from much cheaper Super trainers that's probably what You'd use for those kind of runs more Than a 250 shoe that's a shoe that you Really want to Excel on race day if you Are someone who loved the C X1 it might Be worth looking for some deals on that Shoe because you're not getting quite The safe feeling from the C X1 2.0 but I Do think you are getting a more Effective racing shoe now the only cost I can force potentially with this change In design the L aable design is towards The end of races like I do think as I Said earlier it's a bit like the Muno Wave Rebellion Pro Line which are Outland issues they're more outlandish Than the Hoka they're a bit more Exaggerated but you have got a slightly Similar feeling here with that really Aggressive rocker that big propulsive Bouncy mid foot point on the shoe that Then rolls into a rocker and start to Worry as your form breaks down a little
Bit and maybe a race like the marathon How the shoe will respond to that now It's not as much of a worry for me as With the Muno I wouldn't really look at The Muno as a marathon racer for myself Because I'm not sure how I'd feel about It later in those long races cellow X1 2.0 I really do want to go and race a Marathon and look forward to trying to Do that at some point but yeah it will Be interesting to see how it feels Towards the end of that compared to you Know some shoes that have maybe a bit More of a natural feeding like the Brooks Hyperion Elite PB even some like The pummer DV8 Nitro Elite uh 3 not so Worried about your form breaking down in Those even the ax meta speed Sky Paris With the cell X1 2.0 yeah you might have A bit more fear about how you feel how You respond in the final few K when You're starting to fall apart because it Is such an aggressive design now with That midfoot rocker on the run test then My first impression when stepping into The shoe was that I was a little bit Worried that it was going to break me um But also very very excited it feels Incredibly unstable when you put it on As mentioned before I've not tried the Previous version um but they've moved The really aggressive cutout which again So the Muno wave reion Pro is the the One that comes closest to it for the
Kind of level of cutout they've moved it To the medial side of the shoe same as The Rebellion Pro which is the inner Side so if you pronate naturally or have Weak ankles then it really feels like You're falling inwards a lot when you Put them on when you're Stood Still or When you're going Slower um looking at some pictures of The updates that they've done to the Winged plate since um the version 1.0 of The X1 um I'd say they seem to have got Rid of some of the width off the side of That plate and so therefore some Stability will have been lost by Reducing that as well although obviously You'll reduce a little bit of weight too So it is it does feel very unstable when You first put it on on the positive side It's a while since I put on a race shoe And it's really had that fairy dust feel To it these you put them on you're like Heck there something mad but exciting About these shoes so with so many carbon Plate shoes around at the moment there Are many that just feel like they just Feel really comfortable which is great But they don't put them on and go I've Got a race I've got a race right now This shoe I put them on and I thought When's my next race um the Dual density P Midol with combined with that plate Makes them feel so bouncy and like it Just feels like you got Springs on your
Feet and add to that this really Aggressive meta rocker I mean if you if You kind of ping them on the floor you Can see them Rock backwards and forwards It makes you want to get up on your toes And really roll into some fast running Straight away so my first run I'd had a Really stodgy patch not had any great Runs in a long time been ill very stuff Just really study and my first one I got Them and it was just a progression run So I shouldn't have really been wearing Them but it was exactly the right run to Try them out on because it turns out the Faster you running them the more fun They are and they really come into their Own as you really start rolling through And switching up through the gears as I Said because of the size issue I've not Gone super long in these but over the Training that I've done in them some Intervals some um progression runs and Some easy running which is not what They're designed for at all um I've not Noticed any kind of extra weird muscle Strains or muscle fatigue coming from Running in them which I was a bit Concerned about because of that kind of Tipping in that I felt like I was going To have to control that but actually I Think as soon as you start moving faster That becomes less of an issue um and to Be honest I'd be interested to try it Over the longer distance I think I'd
Still be a bit nervous but I think They're funny enough that I really want To because I think they'll make me Really fast um I wonder if the larger Size might make a slight difference to How aggressive The Rocker feels because Obviously where your foot is in the shoe Really affects the placement of that Rocker so maybe it would be slightly Less aggressive in the right size if you See what I mean but it'd be interesting To try it if I managed to get hold of a Larger size um I've not had any issues With the high up at the back at the heel I did feel like the sides the ankles Might come up a bit under my ankle bone Initially but that's come to nothing so I think that just must have been an Oddity on the first day but I'll let you Know if that reappears um and then of Course there's a nice sticky rubber out Soo which does actually work really well And actually ironically comes further Back on the heel than a lot of other Shoes which are designed more for heel Strikers than this this is not a heel Striker shoe but that does actually come You know pretty give pretty cover good Coverage and I've not had much wear There at all um I would just say I've Not tried a track session in these I am Not braving enough to try cornering at High speed in them or high speed for me Um I will leave that to braver run
Testers than me for right now um but I Guess it would be a lot of fun right um So yeah these are really Shun in the Testing over the longer distances I Think when you're doing intervals you Feel great as soon as you accelerate it Feels a bit odd when you're doing your Easy recoveries but these really come Into their own when you're rolling Forward and they make you want to have a Good day I really enjoyed running with Them okay into that run test and I've Done well over 50k in the shoe I have Roasted in the shoe 10K distance you'll Probably see in the channel already I Have kind of done track sessions with This I've done intervals I've done kind Of rep sessions I've done longer runs in This and what I would say overall is I've had a good time running in the cell X1 2.0 I really liked the X1 I really Liked it particularly for longer Distances you know maintaining like a Half marathon marathon pace at those Longer distances it felt really really At home there I raced shorter distan With that shoe as well I think it Probably lacked a little bit probably Was a little bit too heavy and you know Not as aggressive as some other carbon Gra and shoes which I think have that Versatility at shorter distances I think That has changed with the c X1 2.0 Mainly because it's got lighter mainly
Because the the way the design has Changed and the cutouts just make it a Little bit more aggressive a little bit More rocked I think even just walking Around it you can just see that that it Just kind of tips you a little a bit More on your toes and when you're ready To run hard in this shoe it really does Reward you with a nice feeling you get All those qualities that good dual Density peber that we got on this yell X1 now it's just kind of been tuned in a Lighter shoe to just feel more lively And you know still give That Bouncy feel But still give you just a touch more Aggression I think and you know that Metara works really well like it does on The C X1 but it just feels like it's Been more emphasized in this design of This version of the shoe I think it is Less stable and that was a big concern For me for longer runs because I think That was the real kind of enjoyment I Got from the cell X1 you know it was Very stable control bouncy Lively but I Did feel like you know when my leg Started to Tire I didn't feel like it Was a shoe working against me or it was An awkward shoe to run in now I feel Like that's been introduced slightly That kind of you know feeling but I Don't think it's been too bad for me I Do feel I've been able to still Cruise In this shoe at half marathon Marathon
Paces and you know those longer runs I Haven't felt like it's been an awkward Shoe to running I think from a Durability point of view the outsole I Think you know it isn't the best outsole You're going to get on a racing shoe There's not a huge amount of rubber it's Just really focusing or giving you Enough those key areas to try and keep The weight down but give you enough grip You know I think I'm not seeing any Terrible signs of where yet I would Expect to see it around here around the Hills you I'm a hill Striker so that's Kind of where expect to see see there Kind exposed areas I'm not seeing too Much of it I mean it's quite muddy my Shoe so it's quite hard to see but I can See quite clearly that isn't any signs Well I still would be using it just for My racing maybe for my training kind of Runs at race Pace but I don't think it's Going to give the best outo durability Or durability in general of all the Carbon kind of racing shoes I think it's Going to be there thereabouts with most Of the other shoes overall like the Yellow X1 2.0 I do think it is a Livelier shoe than the clo X1 I think it Keeps the good qualities of clo X1 and Really just kind of kind of accentuates Those qualities by the change in the Design and the Chang in the weight and I Think makes it a better racer for me
Over shorter distances but still Maintains that good feeling over longer Runs as Well my verdict on the C X1 2.0 it's a Big update and it's a great update it's The update I wanted to see from the shoe Line as a big fan of the first shoe I Wanted to see a racier version of it and That's what you've got here with this Yellow X1 2.0 I think it's hooker's best Racing shoe it's actually lighter than The rocket X2 or having a more Aggressive rocker and feeling underfoot Than the rocket X2 for me and I say it's A very different shoe to the C X1 almost To the point where you could have both Of them in an incredibly expensive Rotation where the cx1 picks up your Fast training and then the C X1 2.0 as Your racing shoe I wouldn't recommend That I'd get something like you know the Mac X2 if you're looking at hookah shoes For your super trainer and this is now a Bonafide race day thorough bread so I do Have it right up there with my favorite Racing shoes on the market and there Certainly one that I want to give a go In a Flatout Marathon at some point Point if I can but my next marathon I'm Going be racing in my favorite racing Shoe at the moment which is the aex meta Speed Sky Paris which I still would Advise picking up ahead of the Hocus Yellow X1 2.0 if you have no real idea
What you're looking for in a racing shoe The metas speed Sky Paris is my favorite Racing shoe it's a bit cheaper than this Shoe it's still a bit lighter it's got a Really fast Dynamic turnover it's not as Bouncy and Rocket as the hoker but you Really do get a really responsive ride Off that four foot and I do think it's Still the standout shoe on the market For me but a lot of what we're getting To now with carbon shoes at the sharp End of things is personal taste and you Might prefer this more rocket bouncy Propulsive design that you get with the Hoker and they happy to pay a bit more For it I think in terms of performance It's going to be very similar other Really good shoes you can look at it's a Nike alphafly 3 which is almost in Between I think the aex and the hoker It's got a bouncier ride than the aex But it's got still got more of a natural Transition onto the four foot it's not Quite as sharply rocked as the hoker and As springy around the midfoot it's even More expensive than the hoker actually But that's another top tier racing shoot Obviously that you could look at as Another option and actually maybe I Think the clo X1 2 know it feels a bit More in line with something like the Alphafly 1 it's a bit more rocket I Think than that shoe but if you're still Chasing the feeling of that shoe and
Haven't found that modern Racers have Lived up to it for you in your mind and The 2.0 could be one to check out Another really good option that comes in A fair bit cheaper is the Puma dev8 Nital Elite 3 that's just a really Fantastic shoe very high level of Performance outstanding grip quite a Natural ride but certainly very fast and Responsive one it's a bit more like the Ax than the hoker it's not as bouncy and Rocker and propulsive as this shoe but It's lighter it's a lot cheaper and that Could be another really fantastic race Option to look look at so there are Loads of great car shoes to pick from Right now personally I have the hoker as Probably my favorite really bouncy style Of shoe so the med speed Sky Paris is Probably the one i' look for as a racer Overall partly because of my running Style they have a high turnover High Cadence I find that those lightweight Shoes with a Snappy transition just work Really well for me whereas sometimes the Big bouncy ones might not work as well Because I'm not such a loping runner but I want to put that to the test with the Cell X1 2.0 in a race have enjoyed and Done well in marathons in the past with Those bouncier style of shoes so yeah Right up there really good up really Good shoe you will lose out a little bit Of stability of this yellow X1 if you
Love that shoe try and find it in a sale Maybe cuz I think the new version is a Fair bit different but for me the Changes for the better in terms of Making it a more effective racing shoe Overall then Um I think when you look at these and The insane cutout section next to the Muno wave Rebellion Pro and the crazy Rocker they seem like quite a similar Offering that's kind of the closest Thing or maybe um possibly the so Endorphin Elite just because they're Kind of aggressive equally this shoe Makes a vaporfly or an endorphin Pro or The metas speed Sky Paris seem kind of Pedestrian when you put them on not that They are when you get running with them They're great shoes particularly Obviously metas speed Sky Paris huge Like so light and very fast but this Just has that kind of like little sort Of well literally got a sparkle to it There is a sparkle on the shoes but it's Got something interesting to it 250 quid It's a lot of money I mean you can get a vapor fly for under 200 now um you can get the um DV8 Nitro Elites for under 200 a 250 quid is is Very expensive and I think if I just put Them on in a shop I would be too nervous About how odd they feel and whether they Were going to injure Me Maybe Just with The Rollin feel um I think I might be
Too scared to Shell out that kind of Cash but if I'd had a run in them like Now that know what they're like I think I'd be very tempted um in fact if I Don't get the right size I think I might Be saving up to get go and get the right Size um because they make me want to Race fast and they can clearly perform Um and I'm really interested to see what They'll be like on the long run um so Yeah I think they're a very strong Contender but they're also very Expensive so am I taking the hello X12 Is that this is a fine Punchy racer of a Shoe if you're looking for something That is Lively bouncy and aggressive Absolutely that's what this shoe is Going to give you and I think crucially Now that it's lighter and still retains A lot of those good qualities from the Cell X1 it now feels better suited to Racing at shorter distances as well now As a upgrade to the yellow X1 I think it Is in a few ways that droing weight I Think definitely kind of emphasize that More aggressive feel from a similar kind Of mid Soul makeup the design however Does make it less stable than the cell X1 I think the cell X1 you know you're Getting a as I said more stable shoe I Think you're getting a more Accommodating shoe for more runers and I Think particularly over longer distances I think a lot more people are going to
Find it more comfortable to get that Still bouncy Lively feel but just in a More controlled feeling Sho I think That's something to keep in mind here I Think compared to something on the Rocket X2 that's still a fantastic shoe I think particularly a short up to kind Of half Mountain distance I would Probably pick this over that shoe now Just cuz I think the qualities of it as A racer shoe just you know can work at The same distances as a rocket X2 and That's shoe I'd probably pick now think Kind of Hawkers range you look outside Of its range you've got you know Obviously it's pretty expensive it's not Quite alphafly 3 and dorin Elite 2 price But it's not far off you've got things Below it like the S6 M Speed Sky Paris Which is lighter it has all similar Qualities and is probably ugly the best Racing SHO you can get you got things Like the pummer DV8 Nitro Elite 3 again Much cheaper again think I it gives you That kind of kind of very good Aggressive ride in it maybe not super Aggressive or as unstable as the cell X1 2.0 but definitely gives you a good Experience for less money so there's Definitely cheaper options I think in The mold of the cell X1 2.0 the type of Racer it is but if you like the cell X1 Like the idea of that shoe being a more Aggressive you know kind of um bouncy
Lively shoe and lighter shoe then I Think you're going to like the cellow X1 2.0 if you're looking for the best value Option this is probably not necessarily It but in terms of being a pure racing Shoe across distances C X1 2.0 is Absolutely worth looking at okay so There you have it that is our multitest To take on the Hawker C X1 2.0 and don't You worry we have got comparison videos On the way with shoes that have launched This year and last year as well in the Meantime if you got any questions do let Us know as always like And subscribe hit That little bell to find out about our Latest videos and yeah we'll see you the Next round test this video [Music]
