The New Balance SC Elite v4 and the Hoka Cielo X1 are two new standout carbon races shoes that definitely come with a marathon racing edge.
Testers Nick and Mike have been putting two of the most exciting super shoe launches of 2024 to the marathon training test to see which one impresses and help you pick between the two great shoes.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Intro
00:14 – Price and key differences
01:42 – How do they fit?
04:36 – The Run Test
12:32 – Initial verdict
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Hey this is M the Run testers and in This video we're going to be giving you Our multitester comparison video of how The new SC Elite V4 compares to the Hawker cello X1 so here's a nitty-gritty details of What you need to know about these two New Super Shoes let's start with price And the SC Elite V4 cost £260 in the UK And $250 in the US while the cell X1 is 250 in the UK and $270 in the US in Terms of drops the cellow X1 has a 7 mm Drop and a stack height of 39 mm at the Heel and 32 mm at the 4T the seite has a 4 mm drop and is 40 Mm at the heel and 36 mm at the 4ot Weight Wise a men's UK size 8 in the Elite V4 dropped in at 225 g on the Scale compared to 242 G on the C X1 so The Hawker is the heavier of the two Shoes in terms of uppers it's a mesh one For the New Balance shoe and a knitted One for the C X1 into those midsoles and It's a peber based one for Hawker with a Dual layer system that offers a softer Top layer and a firmer layer below a Winged carbon plate yes Elite V4 goes Full peber and that fuel cell foam is Joined by a lighter version of new Balancers energy art carbon plate that's Now curvier than the one used in Previous shoes both offer rocker Profiles to help you get quickly through Those transitions from Hill to toe so
Hawker opts for Less rubber coverage Compared to the new balanced one to help Keep weight down and focus that rubber In places that set to take the most Regular pounding during racing and Training so I found the fit of both These shoes was good for me on length They are both uk9s and US 99.5's which Is the normal size I wear for both of These Brands and sometimes it can up a Little bit snug especially with New Balance but both of these shoes had a Good amount of room in the toe box I Think I don't think they're too narrow Or anything like that as well I think I Think my foot was held really well in Place by both shoes one little concern On the balance is the heel it's such an Open design very big at the back there It can be a bit loose I was a bit Worried about heel R I could feel a Little bit of it going on in my first Run so I heel locked it and it's been Completely fine since then so I think That some people are going to have real Trouble with this shoe around the heels Like I know Kieran had his heel ripped To shreds by it but with heel locking it Might help or something like that but That's something to look out for with New Balance H I had no such concerns Really good heel design issue the laces Are terrible it's such a weird material It doesn't make any sense to me that you
Can put all this research and design Into such a great shoe all around and Then whack these laces on but haven't Actually been a problem once I've got Them done up they' have stayed they have Stayed tied throughout runs of up to two And a half hours but I'd probably swap These laces out it is a bit weird that They've got such bad laces for such a Good shoe so in terms of f I've had both Of these shoes in a UK size eight that Is my typical running shoe size that's Generally the shoe size that works for Me in both of these brands shoes in General maybe there's been the odd Occasion where maybe one's go half size Up in the New Balance but generally Going a has been fine now in terms the Fit of these shoes I would say I've had A better experience with the clo X1 uh Compared to the SC Elite V4 but I think They both had their good and kind of bad Kind of elements or not so good elements With the c X1 it is a more racing kind Of narrow kind of fitting shoe it's got A more a rigid upper in general and it Takes a bit of time to get into but Ultim when you're in you're locked in That's kind of what I want in a racing Style shoe the space up front of the Toes has been absolutely fine for me I've done longer marathon training runs In this I've done shorter distances in This as well too and the space and the
Toebox been absolutely fine for me I Like the fact you've got some internal Heel padding here as well so you're Getting some control there at the back But also you're getting something that's Going to offer a little bit level of Comfort there and kind of lock down as Well too the new B SC Elite V4 it's a Bit more of a traditional conventional Kind of racing style shoe I'd say the Lock down or getting that lock down the Tongue of the lace is a little bit more Successful easy to do than it is on the C X1 you I mean the space up front of The toe has been absolutely fine I know Some some people have found it a little Bit snug but for me the space has been Frying on my longer runs now there isn't Any kind of internal heel padding or any Kind of heel padding whatsoever we have Talked about the lockdown the kind of Heel rub and things like that definitely Some issues I had in my earlier runs I Wouldn't say it's entirely gone away Even though I've kind of adjusted the Kind of lacing system but it's been fine I just wish maybe there was some kind of Internal heel padding in here just to Improve that kind of fit and kind of That lockdown in general so for me I Would say the cx1 has fit a little bit Better but I think going true to size in Both of these shoes a UK size8 has been Absolutely
Fine oh these are two big launches for 2024 from hoker and New Balance both of Them are carbon shoes that I think are Geared towards the marathon they're both A little bit heavier than lots of other Shoes on the market they've got big Stacks of foam they're got a lot of Comfort and a lot of Bounce I think They're both big bouncy carbon shoes as Opposed to some of the more aggressive Tippy forward ones but I think they do Feel fairly different on the run and Overall in my testing I would say that Preferred the way the Hawker cell has Felt I've really enjoyed using it of Late had the New Balance in first I did Do a good long run in this shoe and a Really hard track workout actually where I was doing mile reps around kind of Threshold pace around 530 a mile and Then just doing a 400 float recovery so Not really slowing down too much and They felt really good actually I have to Say that whole session overall I Averaged around my marathon pace for About 12K and it felt very comfortable Very cruisy in this shoe like didn't Love how they felt when I tried to push To faster Paces at other times but terms Of a cruiser that can hold fast paces Really well the uh the SE Elite does That really well it doesn't really feel Very fast or aggressive or anything like That it's got such a big wedge of foam
Under Foot and it's fairly soft but does Transition you feel your foot start Pretty well get a good amount of Bounce It is a really effective carbon shoe That's for sure like I'm going to have To pick between these and we always talk About different carbon shoes being Better than the other and there are it's Always very marginal I say that like the Site before is it is an effective carbon Shoe that does the job of making you More efficient and very fast while Protecting the legs well but I just Didn't love the way it felt on the foot It didn't feel that aggressive to me it Felt a little bit bigger than so the Other shoes and actually that includes This yellow even though this is the Heavier shoe now it's quite an Off-putting weight that's for sure when You look at the hookus yellow specs it's It's a pretty weighty shoe in my size It's over 250 gram and you know that Immediately puts you on the edge you Know I'm going to be going racing in This shoe I can find shoes that wear a Bit less but when I ran in this shoe I've done a really hard track workout And a 24 Mile at the weekend in the shoe And they've both been spectacular I Really have loved the way it feels it's Unbelievably bouncy that's certainly the First thing you notice about it is just How springy the foam is on this shoe it
Really feels like you're getting a lot From that big wedge of foam Under Foot In a really propulsive bouncy manner but Actually it's not just a big bouncy Shoot got a really aggressive rocker and You do feel that on the run you are Moving through your foot strike quite Lightly and effectively and actually it Feels almost Nimble as a result despite The fact it is such a big shoe and so so Hefty so the first run I did was on the Track where I did 151k reps the first Set was at I did in three sets of five The first set was at 330k then 320k and Then 310k and Cruis through the first Set that's what I'd expect from it That's my marathon pace felt really good For that you know just 1K reps felt very Easy 320 felt good but actually it was The 310s where I think I did them all on Pace except the last one where I was Just flailing around and ran like a 314 But um for a big shoe it really moves Fast and actually it didn't feel like it Was holding me back in any way I was Still turning my feet over at my usual Very high Cadence I very high Cadence Quite Shuffle Runner and maybe the shoe Was built more for more bounding Runners Will get more bounce from it but it Still felt really good to me on that run And then on the 24 Mile I did at the Weekend second half of that was uh I was Doing I think 34 doing 350 a and then
340 a for the final 12 miles and Actually sped up towards 330 okay at the End protects the legs so well this is a Really issue that's going to be great For those marathons and those Long Training runs loads of protection and Load the speed there if you do want to Tap into it so I think they are both Similar shoes in terms of the way they Are set up to be big bouncy protective Comfortable shoes more for longer races With loads of foam underf foot but I Think you get more bounce I think you Get a better rocker and I do think it Almost feels nimbler and more aggressive The hoker than the New Balance even Though the new balance is the largest Shoe of the two so into that run test Now post out indiv ID reviews I've spent A fair amount in both of these shoes and That's really because it's marathon Training time it's long marathon Training time so these have been the Ideal shoes to kind of have at my Disposal to kind of run in now while These are definitely shoes that you can Run and race in shorter distances I did In the Hawker CL X1 I haven't in the Elite V4 I do think they are built to Give you that speed over longer Distances so that's really why I've been Mainly putting them to test I have still Been doing track sessions to them and Shorter sharper stuff but really tried
To fit in more longer runs kind of 15 Miles plus at my kind of near or close To my marathon pace now in terms of the Experiences there are some similarities Now obviously they are both kind of Peber based um kind of midsoles and That's I think a really important I Think a good thing on both of these Shoes there's some bounce here and you Know when you want that bounce and You've got a good rocket in both of These shoes that's what you want to kind Of carry you through in know over those Longer distances and make sure you can Still kind of maintain that kind of Smoother faster f feeling in these two Shoes what I would say is that bounce on The new bats SC Elite V4 because I think The difference in the stat kits do I Think make a difference for me just Feels a little bit lower for me you know It's still it still works it's still There an aggressive element to it but It's nowhere near as bouncy and as Aggressive as the Haw C X1 feels to kind Of run in you know when you get going in This shoe it really is kind of getting You propelling you to go forward and get You quickly through those transitions I Think the New Balance SC Elite V4 does The same thing but NE it's nowhere I Don't think as pronounced as it is on The C X1 I've had good long runs in both Of these shoes what I was mainly
Concerned about was the more aggressive Nature of the C X1 would it be would it Come at a cost of how i' would feel After my run or the kind of the next day I did a kind of 20 mile in it I've done A longer run and already in this shoe it Felt good after that you know first long Run that 20 mile at around marathon pace Even even in places where I had to kind Of ease off where I thought it might Feel a little bit awkward to run in There was no issues there my legs felt Pretty good you know this is the Following day after that kind of run my Legs feel pretty good and I've been out Doing some kind of slower kind of easier Runs um today so from that point of view It's been absolutely fine so I think for Me there is a there's some similarities In terms of the the makeups of these Shoes but ultimately the bouncier feel On the C X1 is definitely more Noticeable I do think the Rock is more Aggressive than it is on the new BS SC Elite V4 these are both going to be Shoes that I feel can carry you over That Marathon distance and making sure You can maintain that I think maybe You're getting something that's going to Be very accommodating I didn't think They were overly erratic or unstable Which is something I thought I was going To find C X1 from that point of view I Think these both can have served me very
Well in the long runs that I've done so I think for me I think very you know two Very good kind of marathon shoes this is A much better Marathon shoe the SC Elite V4 than the SC Elite 3 in terms of H Handling that longer distance and Feeling comfortable and giving you that Kind of rocker and kind of bounce that You would want over that distance the Cell X1 is just does it in a more Aggressive nature does it with a more Pronounced bounce kind of higher you Know you know bounce it's probably a Little bit firmer because of that dual L Peber setup where it's a lot softer in The new B SC Elite V4 and I think I kind Of prefer that kind of that dual layer System here which I think gives you that Comfort but also gives you that more Responsive for that you want when you Are racing and again I do think that St Kind of makes a bit of a difference Durability wise as I said I've run a bit More in the C X1 but it has been across Two shoes I think you know you're Getting a bit more coverage on the um V4 But I think ultimately you know I'm not Seeing terrible signs of wear on the two Cell X1 shoes that I've used and I think You know it's going to be a shoe that it Can handle a good amount of running time Like can a longer running time as well As the SE Elite 4 maybe you're going to Get a little bit more the SC Elite for
Four it's going to give you that kind of Daily trainer feel out of it as well as Kind of being a racing shoot as well too So two very good shoots I've enjoyed Testing in over this period I think for Me there's a little bit more in the Hwy X1's Locker in terms of the the ride the Feeling that kind of liveliness that Kind of racing feel that immediately Comes from it as soon as you put it on Which I think with the new B SC Elite V4 You really need to kind of B into with It to get that kind of real kind of nice Racing F over that longer Distance both of these are good compat Shoes and shoes that I've enjoyed Testing this year they're both very fast Effective shoes for sure but when I Tested the New Balance I thought that's A good shoe I think it's the best shoe In New Balance is range but it's not a Shoe that sprung into consideration for Me ahead of the London Marathon this Year my main race the first half of the Year or other races I think you know It's a really cracking shoe but it's not One that I'd desperately want to go and Racing ahead of other options there are A few other shoes I put ahead of it that I would use for my aaces first and one Of those is the Haw yellow X1 that I Didn't really expect to come in and be As good as it is just because again I Was put off by that weight on paper but
On the foot it feels fantastic it's a Shoe I think that is right up there with The best Marathon Racing shoes in Particular really not sure if I'm going To use it myself or if I'm going to Stick to the AL 3 having loved using That as well but this yellow is an Amazing long distance shoe and actually Is a lot quicker than you expect for Shorter races as well the weight isn't Ideal like it' be brilliant if on paper Or on the scales it came in at 210 gram Instead of 250 but actually on the run It feels amazing when you combine the Rocker it has here with the Foams on the Foot the pl everything is set up to feel Really fast but also very protective and I do think you can log big runs in this Year like I did 24 miles in this on Saturday and Sunday my legs felt pretty Good and you know mostly that's just Under training that's one of the big Things you get with carbon shoes these Days they are so comfortable and still So quick and I think this yellow x one Really exemplifies that I really love it As a shoe and I would get it ahead of The New Balance certainly because I Think there two shoes that are built Along similar lines with those big Stacks of foam and more of a marathon Focus and I think the Hoka just does it A bit more effectively and feels a lot More fun on underf foot as well feels
More like that kind of bouncy aggressive Carbon racer you expect you balance Undeniably is a great shoe but I do Prefer the way the hoker feels the way It runs and I think it's got that little Bit more of a propulsive punch to it When it comes to those long events so my VCT on whether you should go for the Haw C X1 or the newb SC Elite V4 now from a UK perspective the C X1 is cheaper in The US it is more expensive than the SC Elite V4 now in terms of pure racing in Terms of how it feels over distances and The Hawker y X1 has been the most fun Shoe the most enjoyable shoe but just Feels like the fastest shoe ultimately There's definitely a little bit more Assistance it's a more aggressive ride a More propulsive feel in general and I Feel like people are going to enjoy Running in a Sho and if you can make the Fit work for you and you can deal with a Kind of not so great laces then I think You're going to get a really polished Racing shoe and running shoe over that Marathon distance now the new B seite Before is a very good racing shoe as Well to all I just don't think you get That same You know kind of unadulterated kind of Propulsive feel from it you're getting Some bounce there you're getting a nice Rocker in there as well too and I think You're getting a good solid outsole on
This shoe as well and if you can get That fit to work for you then absolutely There's a great shoe here to racing as Well too I think it's a no-brainer for Me let's go to the Hawker cell X1 over The newb SC Elite V4 if you are looking For a pure racing shoe over that Distance I feel like this is better Equipped and I feel like it just feels Like the more enjoyable shoe based on The testing that done so far I do think I would absolutely be able to run a Marathon in this shoe but I think Ultimately if I had one to pick right Now I think it's going to be the Haus Yellow X One it just feels like an Exciting shooter run in and there's so Much going for it and crucially it does All the other things you hope a kind of Marathon long distance shoe would do in Terms of that protection that comfort And making sure you can get to that Finish Line actually make sure your legs Feel good even when you're running your Hardest okay so there you have it that I'll take on how the new B's SC Elite V4 Compared to the Haw cell X1 now Hopefully we've shed a little bit more Light on how these Super Shoes compare And hopefully help you decide between The two shoes themselves now if you've Got any other comparison videos that You'd like to see do let us know in the Comments as always like And subscribe
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