Hoka One One Cielo X1 3.0 Schoen Groen Wit SS26 Unisex, Maat EU 45 1/3

I would have bought these but they were incredibly squeaky!!!

The HOKA Cielo X1 3.0 is a very competitive super shoe. There are several lighter options out there, but this shoe has more stack than most. This means it has more foam for more cushioning end energy return. And it’s not heavy. I found the sweet sport to be at half marathon and marathon paces. I would choose a different shoe for short races, but as a long-distance race shoe it shines. Its bouncy, just stable enough, and I was able to run faster at the same heart rate compared to training shoes. The fit and performance is dialed in.

The Cielo X1 3.0 is an excellent race day and speed day option for me. I am not the most efficient runner, but I like to push hard, like most runners do. Through threshold workouts, sprint intervals, and long intervals, this shoe has really shined. I love the feel of the foam--it’s soft and resilient, making fast paces feel effortless. I loved Cielo X1 v1 as a training shoe, but it wasn’t a great race day option. V2 I did not try because of the cutout which made it seem too unstable for my gait. V3 is what I think HOKA intended do since v1, coming out with a light, fast, and stable enough race day shoe for distances up to the marathon. I don’t have any complaints to be honest.

This might sound overly harsh, as it's a good racing option in a SEA of good racing options. But, it's another 7.0 oz shoe that does the job--not making the leap into the true upper echelon of the very few models that feel like true GAME CHANGERS. To be fair, it accomplishes its 7.0 oz weight despite measuring 48 mm in the heel (so you're getting more foam than other options at 39 or 40 mm). At the end of the day, the Cielo X1 3.0 performs nicely, but didn't come close to blowing my mind.

The HOKA Cielo X1 3.0 is a great option for marathon racing if you want a super shoe that prioritizes protection and a light, efficient feel. Its towering stack and extremely plush cushioning keep your legs fresher deep into long efforts, while the winged carbon plate and lively midsole still provide plenty of propulsion when you stay efficient and push the pace. That said, its platform feels noticeably less stable than some other race shoes, so it rewards runners with good mechanics but can feel punishing for runners unable to utilize the pronounced rocker to its full potential.