Hoka draws a clear fork with the two prongs that form its super shoe lineup for road running. On one side is the Rocket X 3, which is the safer and more stable bet for marathon runners looking for something more accessible. On the other hand, for those looking for a more lively experience, there is now the Cielo X1 3.0.
Unveiled Thursday, the newest Cielo X1 focuses on improving weight and control without sacrificing the progressive, bouncy sensation of the popular 2.0 edition. Alex Masai came in third at the Chicago Marathon in October while wearing a Cielo X1 3.0 prototype, marking the first time a Hoka athlete has secured a podium position at a World Major Marathon.
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“I definitely cried,” Rebekah Broe, Hoka senior director of product and performance footwear, told Footwear News. “It really got us really fired up for what the future holds for Hoka racing and got the team believing that we have a place at the table and can have an impact on road runners everywhere.”
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Rather than using two different densities of foam on either side of its carbon fiber plate, the Cielo X1 3.0 features two layers of the same softer formulation. It sounds like a counterintuitive choice for stability, but mechanical and perceptual testing yielded better results than the firmer foam used in the top layer of the 2.0’s midsole.
Some runners may have looked at the Cielo X1 2.0’s decoupled heel and had doubts about the small island it created on the medial side. A new shape on the 3.0’s sole unit makes it less visibly aggressive with a channel running uniformly through the center, a change that also helps ensure a smoother and more stable transition from heel to toe in the later stages of a race.
“For our elite athletes, adding that extra integrity in the heel gave them more confidence,” Broe said. “Even if they weren’t engaging with the heel super often, it just gave them a better transition through the midfoot to toe-off.”
Even though the new geometry inspires more confidence, the void it creates is actually larger. The changes also include some additional cutouts in the carbon fiber plate, as well as the removal of its wings, playing a role in making the Cielo X1 3.0 the lightest Hoka super shoe to date. A men’s size 10 comes in at 7.5 ounces, which is 0.6 ounces lighter than the Cielo X1 2.0 and 0.5 ounces lighter than the Rocket X 3.
Stack height for the 3.0 comes in 1mm higher than its predecessor at 38mm, with the same 7mm drop.
On the upper, jacquard mesh has been swapped out for an engineered leno weave that’s stronger, more breathable and has lower water retention. The U-Throat where the tongue meets the vamp has been extended, following the lead of some of Hoka’s trail shoes and leaving more room for foot swelling. Going up the tongue, symmetrical laces and a midfoot ghillie encourage additional forgiveness.
Subtle refinements then come to the collar, which features traditional construction to avoid any rub spots. Athlete feedback informs the use of thin padding and a lightweight heel counter beneath to balance comfort, capture and weight.
“We’re going to continue to have a two-shoe racing lineup with the Cielo X1 3.0 and Rocket X 3,” Broe said, “But we wanted to make sure that if we learned something on the Rocket we didn’t sacrifice it [on the Cielo].”
The Hoka Cielo X1 3.0 is out now through Hoka’s website and stores, as well as specialty run stores. Pricing is set at $275.
