HOKA’s Cielo X1 2.0: A Befuddling Carbon Racer

When the then-HOKA One One started gaining traction in the run shoe market in 2012 and 2013, it staked its reputation on a singular run experience across the entire product line: shockingly light for how much foam was underfoot, and a boatload of plush cushioning underfoot. Every single shoe was unified by that guiding principle as HOKA emerged from a fringe trail running shoe into the mainstream. By the mid-2010s, HOKA had become a fully fledged road running brand, offering all things to nearly all people.

HOKA now truly is that do-everything brand. There’s everything from track spikes to walking shoes to the core three run models that put HOKA on the map: the Mafate, the Stinson, and the Bondi. And, of course, there’s a suite of plated shoes on offer. HOKA has multiple shoes these days in this arena: the long-standing Rocket X2, the Mach X2, the illegal-for-IRONMAN Skyward X, and then this shoe: the updated Cielo X1 2.0 (not to be confused with the standard Cielo, which is basically a Rocket X2 minus the plate).

Confused yet? Me too.

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