Hoka Cielo X1 2.0

The Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 is a marathon racing shoe, marking a substantial departure from its previous model. The original Cielo X1 was stable, heavy, and wildly bouncy, putting it in contention for the best hobby jogger race shoe of 2024. With the 2.0, Hoka aimed to create a product that is less of a “cruiser” and more of a “bruiser” in the race shoe category, competing with the likes of the Nike Alphafly 3 and ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris. It seems like Hoka landed somewhere in the middle of these two poles with the 2.0—they managed to shave down the weight by around 20%, improve the upper and laces, and streamline the ride, while still retaining the tall 40+ mm stack height, thanks to some trickeration in the heel. One complaint about the 2.0 is that Hoka moved the medial cut-out in the midsole to the lateral side, which may pose an issue for runners with overpronation. Additionally, the crazy bounce from the OG seems to have been dampened, and the ride is still not as aggressive as other shoes in the race day segment. Priced at $275, the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 is a comfortable, lightweight, Goldilocks-zone option for long runs and marathon racing.