With a New Super Shoe, Hoka Looks Ready to Take on Nike and Adidas

Should Hoka break through in the marathon, a shoe like this will be the reason why.

Published January 15, 2025

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Hoka is no stranger to podiums. But for the most part, its highest accolades come by way of the trail.

Last year, one of its own employees, Vincent Bouillard, wore a variation of the Hoka Tecton X to win UTMB — commonly referred to as the world’s most prestigious trail race. The year prior, American ultrarunnuner Jim Walmsley did the very same.

Should Hoka eventually break through at a Major marathon, a stage overwhelmingly dominated by the likes of Nike and Adidas, it will likely happen because of shoes like Cielo X1 2.0 — the newly unveiled successor to last year’s promising Cielo X1.

Toe the line

Like the first generation, the Cielo X1 2.0 boasts a carbon-fiber plate, sandwiched by two layers of PEBA foam (the same stuff featured in most brands’ so-called super shoes).

It also carries over dynamic cutouts in the midsole, however, they move from the lateral to medial side of the shoe to improve transition, Hoka says.

Two other big changes separate the Cielo X1 2.0 from the original Cielo X1:

The first is a more aggressive rocker profile, which means that the forefoot curves up closer to the midfoot. Though this runs the risk of making the shoe less comfortable, it does suggest a faster overall profile; Adidas, for example, has taken a similar approach for the Adizero Adios Pro 4.

adidas running shoe — Rockers have been trending more aggressive, as seen on the Adidas Adios Pro 4 (pictured).

Finally, the shoe features a new transparent upper that not only improves breathability but helps to drop the weight by roughly than 13 percent — a US men’s size 10 weighs in at just over 8 ounces (right in line with the record-breaking Alphafly 3).

Pricing and availability

The good news is that pricing stays consistent from the previous generation. The bad news is that the Cielo X1 2.0 clocks in at a eye-watering $275, making it more expensive than both the Vaporfly 3 from Nike and aforementioned Adios Pro 4.

The shoe, now listed on Hoka’s website, should arrive in the coming weeks in a blue-and-white colorway.