HOKA Cielo X1 3.0 Review
Specifications & Fit
Shoe Specs
| Weight | Unisex: 7.0 oz (size 9) |
| Stack Height | 48 mm (Heel), 41 mm (Forefoot) | 7 mm Heel-Toe Offset |
| Terrain | Road |
| Stability | Neutral |
| Sizing | True To Size |
Our In-Depth Look
The HOKA Cielo X1 3.0 is for you if...
You like a dynamic, bouncy feel on race day
You are looking for one of the most cushioned-feeling race shoes on the market
You have a naturally efficient running form and don't need an emphasis on stability
What is the HOKA Cielo X1 3.0 made for?
The HOKA Cielo X1 lineup sits alongside HOKA's Rocket X as the brands' pair of elite, race day super shoes. With the Rocket positioned as the more conventional, classically sculpted and stable option of the two, the Cielo works with an apparent green light to try wild and unconventional approaches. Experimenting with midsole cutouts, excessive stack heights, dramatic heel bevels, and weight-saving measures, the Cielo has cemented itself as the more radical of HOKA's offerings, to mixed results.
Now, for some of us, the Cielo X1 3.0 feels like the big swing that has truly struck gold. With wondrously high stack heights that somehow stayed World Athletics legal, a refined midsole cutout, and performance that feels appropriately "elite," the right runner will find that the HOKA Cielo X1 3.0 has delivered something special.
Comfort
The upper fits well, and the materials are light, breathable, and secure on foot, as is essential for race day. We found the shape of the upper followed our foot well and then "got out of the way," so that we never thought about it on our runs--which, in a super shoe, is a great compliment.
Under foot, the HOKA Cielo X1 3.0 has a ton of cushioning, which helped us feel great during long runs. It's a compliant shoe that doesn't feel soft, and it's one of the most cushioned racing shoes out there for long, extended, endurance-based efforts.
Performance
While the HOKA Cielo X1 3.0 is not the lightest shoe on the market, it felt plenty light on foot. It feels like the "meat" of the shoe's foam lies directly under our midfoot, as the apex of a smooth-rolling arc. The energy return feels incredible, and we felt like we were bouncing along on our runs (in an efficient way). The shoe feels surprisingly good at slower paces, but was responsive when we pushed into our faster paces.
The biggest problems we experienced came through the midsole channel. Two spiky sweetgum balls and a large gravel stone chose to join our runs and emphasised to us how the effectiveness of these shoes can be undercut quickly by road hazards or obstructed tracks.
Fit
This was one of the best fitting racing shoes for us. The sizing feels spot on for both men and women. Despite this being a unisex sizing shoe, HOKA managed to avoid the sizing give-and-take that can sometimes plague that label.
The shoe's heel had just enough structure to hold our foot, while remaining minimal in design, and the heel collar is slightly padded, further enhancing heel fit and comfort. Coming down to the toe box, the taper proved to be just a little snugger than we'd prefer, but remained workable.
We experienced no pressure points, hot spots, blisters, or weird rubbing. For narrow and medium-width feet alike, the shoe provided a generous fit.
Individual Thoughts
The HOKA Cielo X1 3.0 is a very competitive super shoe. There are several lighter options out there, but this shoe has more stack than most. This means it has more foam for more cushioning end energy return. And it’s not heavy. I found the sweet sport to be at half marathon and marathon paces. I would choose a different shoe for short races, but as a long-distance race shoe it shines. Its bouncy, just stable enough, and I was able to run faster at the same heart rate compared to training shoes. The fit and performance is dialed in.
The Cielo X1 3.0 is an excellent race day and speed day option for me. I am not the most efficient runner, but I like to push hard, like most runners do. Through threshold workouts, sprint intervals, and long intervals, this shoe has really shined. I love the feel of the foam--it’s soft and resilient, making fast paces feel effortless. I loved Cielo X1 v1 as a training shoe, but it wasn’t a great race day option. V2 I did not try because of the cutout which made it seem too unstable for my gait. V3 is what I think HOKA intended do since v1, coming out with a light, fast, and stable enough race day shoe for distances up to the marathon. I don’t have any complaints to be honest.
This might sound overly harsh, as it's a good racing option in a SEA of good racing options. But, it's another 198 gram shoe that does the job--not making the leap into the true upper echelon of the very few models that feel like true GAME CHANGERS. To be fair, it accomplishes its 198 gram weight despite measuring 48 mm in the heel (so you're getting more foam than other options at 39 or 40 mm).
At the end of the day, the Cielo X1 3.0 performs nicely, but didn't come close to blowing my mind.
