HOKA Cielo X1 3.0 Reviews

Ran 17 km at about 5:30/mile; once their form slipped off the forefoot they felt like they slowed them down.

An absolute banger with just enough stability for a marathon.

A 1:29 half-marathoner finds it extremely bouncy, much more stable than the 2.0 and very fun at faster paces; one of the most fun carbon shoes since the original.

An 8.5-mile steady first run around 7:27 pace: a great replacement for the original Cielo X1 and likely their half-marathon-plus racer.

Score 7.4. Like its predecessor, a convincing super shoe with solid performance at all distances. Mainly for light, neutral runners who can hold at least sub-3-hour marathon pace.

B+. A super distance racer for 10K to marathon with an incredibly bouncy, fast-rolling, highly rockered ride and a secure fit. The narrow heel/midfoot base and soft dual PEBA make it wobbly, so it's best for runners with stable ankles. Tapered toe box.

A sneaky favorite fast-day shoe for one tester's long Boston workouts. This time the tweaks paid off: a legitimate race-day weapon that no longer lives in the Rocket X's shadow.