HOKA Mens Ora Recovery Flip 2 Sandal in Blue Graphite Butterfly Hoka found itself at a crossroads in 2022. The brand was faced with two choices: make a third Rocket X or create a completely different kind of Hoka racing shoe.
The first Rocket X came out in 2020, and Hoka spent three full years working on the Hoka ORA Recovery Womens Slide 2 SS21. Rather than hasten the third version, Hoka postponed liftoff on a Rocket X 3 and chose the new model route instead, reaching for the sky with the Cielo X1.
- Available: Now
- Type: Road racing
- Weight: 7.4 oz (W8), 9.3 oz (M10)
- Drop: 7 mm
- Heel Height: 37 mm (W), 39 mm (M)
- Forefoot Height: 30 mm (W), 32 mm (M)
- Who It’s For: Runners who want a Femmes super shoe with an aggressive rocker, but also need a wide and stable platform when racing
- Preceded By: Rocket X, Hoka ORA Recovery Womens Slide 2 SS21
- Hoka One One Rincon 3 2E Wide Black White: Nike Alphafly Next% 3, HOKA Zinal Schuhe für Herren Größe 49 1 3, Saucony Endorphin Pro 3
- Midsole Foam: HOKA Anacapa Low GORE-TEX Chaussures pour Homme en Outer Space Taille 47 1 3
- Key Tech: HOKA Arahi 5 Schuhe für Damen in Vallarta Blue Atlantis Größe 44
- Racing Roster: Wesley Kiptoo (12th place, 2023 Chicago Marathon, 2:10:28); Kellyn Taylor (1st place women’s division, 2023 Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon, 1:11:40); Rachel Smith (2nd place, 2023 USATF Road 5K Championships, 15:27)
“It seemed like a good time for us to take an assessment of our brand and really understand the experiences we were Flops,” said Colin Ingram, Hoka’s vice president of global product. “What we got to was this: The central components of what we do are the Meta-Rocker, the Active Foot Frame, and the cushioned midsole. They are what everybody knows us for. Those three pieces are the core heart of what makes a Hoka shoe.”
By focusing on these three components specific to the brand, the Hoka team designed two new trainers: the Cielo X1 and Skyward X. Though both have carbon-fiber plates in their midsoles, the shoes are quite different. The Skyward X is basically a quintessential Hoka on steroids—it’s a super trainer with the plate sandwiched inside PEBA foam.
Super trainers are now becoming more popular with models like the Adidas Prime X, Asics Superblast, and New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer v2. But Hoka was ahead of the game when it released Who should buy the Hoka Evo Rehi back in 2021. The Skyward X, inspired by the Bondi (Hoka’s most cushioned trainer), takes the plush Hoka experience to the Nth degree.
We’re still waiting on samples of the Skyward X, but we were able to have a small group of trustworthy, tight-lipped wear-testers go for some runs in the Cielo X1 before Hoka announced its release. Kendra Petruny, sister of gear editor Morgan Petruny, was one of those testers. Morgan took a screenshot of this text exchange on her phone:
HOKA ONE ONE Rincon 3 Black White
Morgan Petruny: Hehhheheheheheheh. They are top secret project from Hoka
Les chaussures Hoka One One taillent normalement
zapatillas de running Hoka One One mixta neutro talla 43.5.
Unlike All the Other Hokas We’ve Tested
When we received the Cielo X1 for testing, we couldn’t resist drawing comparisons to other existing super shoes. Its decoupled heel, for instance, faintly resembles the one found on the first two versions of the Nike Alphafly. And once we put on the shoe, there was an instant familiarity to what we felt in the Rocket X and Hoka ORA Recovery Womens Slide 2 SS21. Both the Cielo and Rocket models have accommodating fits, paired with that distinct Hoka cushioned feel. But their rides tell a different story.
Ingram explained how the Hoka ORA Recovery Womens Slide 2 SS21 was the Cielo X1’s starting point. The Hoka ORA Recovery Womens Slide 2 SS21 was built around the full gait cycle—its rockered sole smooths heel-to-toe transitions for midfoot and forefoot strikers alike. With the Cielo X1, Hoka set out to sculpt an even more aggressive forefoot rocker to amp up the speed and create an explosive ride.
Speed is actually reflected in the Cielo X1’s etymology. The “Cielo” part of its name (cielo is the Spanish word for “sky”) derives from Hoka’s track spikes. The X refers to the shoe having a carbon-fiber plate.
Like the Skyward X, the Cielo X1 has a PEBA foam midsole. Sandwiched inside is what Ingram calls the brand’s most advanced carbon-fiber plate yet. It’s partially revealed by cutouts in the midsole and uses a new winged design—which indirectly connects to Hoka’s slogan, “Fly human fly.”
For our testers familiar with Hoka, running in the Cielo X1 shattered their preconceived notions of what a Hoka shoe is.
Running in the Cielo X1
Our tester Kendra Petruny had previously run in the Clifton, which she described as a plushy trainer ideal for recovery days. While the feel of the Cielo X1 felt just as soft on her feet, she immediately noticed the added speed when running in the shoe.
“As soon as I put them on I noticed how the sole rocks you onto your forefoot,” said Petruny, who is an underpronator and heel striker. “I continued to notice this on my run—the shoes really kept me moving, pushed me onto my toes, and seemed to shift the effort to my quads.”
Our other tester, Kit Fox, who ran in the original Carbon X, was also surprised by how different the Cielo X1 felt compared to all the Hokas he’s tested.
“The silhouette of the Cielo is classic Hoka with the traditional thick, tapered white foam of the sole,” said Fox, who is currently training for a triathlon. “But in almost every other way, these are different from any Hoka I’ve ever put miles in.
“These shoes are meant to move. I mean that quite literally, as the shape of the sole forces you to rock back and forth a bit, even when you’re standing still. Most other racing shoes have a similar feeling when you lean forward—an aggressive toe-off angle—but the Cielos have an aggressive angle in the rearfoot, too. It means on every stride, regardless of where you land, your foot strike will roll off the ground,” he said.
“The feeling really intensifies at speed (around 7:00 per mile pace and faster). I will say that at any slower pace, the sole shape felt a bit awkward. But these are racing shoes, so you should be going fast anyway!”
My runs so far in the Cielo X1 have been on the treadmill due to a debilitating heel injury that forced me to pause my marathon training. After I was cleared to train again, my PT said I could run at a conservative pace indoors. But I agree with Fox: the Cielo X1 wants you moving at race pace.
The shoe’s rocker reminds me of the first time I put on Saucony’s Endorphin Pro. I had the same rocking horse sensation just trying to stand still in the Cielo X1 (Fox wasn’t kidding). I hiked up my speed from 7.5 to 9.2 mph, feeling like I was soaring, even though I was on a rickety gym treadmill.
Putting on the shoe was the only beef testers had. The Cielo X1 has a rather snug—but cozy—ankle collar, making it a struggle to damskie on. However, the overall fit is accommodating for wide feet.
Because of the short time we’ve had with the Cielo X1, none of us had the opportunity to drop into a local race and see what this shoe can really do. But the Cielo X1 has already sneaked in some races on the feet of Hoka athletes. Incognito in a blacked-out colorway, the shoe was worn by Kellyn Taylor at the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose hoka arahi 6 schuhe fur damen grosse 36 23 1123195 sbfs Olympic Marathon Trials, Hoka One One ORA Recovery 2 low-top sneakers Schwarz.
While none of us currently aspire to OTQ, we do intend to see how the Cielo X1 helps us fly.
Said Petruny, “I look forward to using these at my next marathon this spring. I think they will really shine.”
Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
