HOKA - Cielo X1 (1147910)

Can confirm this. I tried these Cielos on and couldn’t believe how much I pronated in them. Would cook my ankles during a race

As a note, the Cielo x1 2.0 has a massive cutout on the medial side of the mid/outsole. It’s a great shoe with an aggressive rocker, but it’s likely going to be more squirrelly than the EVO SL and Neo Vista. If you want something more firm/stable and in line with the SB2, the Cielo x1 2.0 is not that at all. If you can find v1, it’s closer. And v3 might be an option, but I wouldn’t choose v2 for your use case. If you want to try Hoka, rocket x2 or 3 would be closer (3 has a more aggressive rocker). If you’re looking for something on sale, endorphin pro 4 is on markdown and it’s fairly stable (and not particularly soft). Megablast may also work - although it’s not “poppy” and it’s not cheap.

As a note, the Cielo x1 2.0 has a massive cutout on the medial side of the mid/outsole. It’s a great shoe with an aggressive rocker, but it’s likely going to be more squirrelly than the EVO SL and Neo Vista. If you want something more firm/stable and in line with the SB2, the Cielo x1 2.0 is not that at all. If you can find v1, it’s closer. And v3 might be an option, but I wouldn’t choose v2 for your use case. If you want to try Hoka, rocket x2 or 3 would be closer (3 has a more aggressive rocker). If you’re looking for something on sale, endorphin pro 4 is on markdown and it’s fairly stable (and not particularly soft). Megablast may also work - although it’s not “poppy” and it’s not cheap.

I’d say adidas and asics. - Novablast & Supernova Prima (don’t care for the rise as much) - Magic Speed & Boston - Evo SL - Superblast - Metaspeed Sky/edge Paris & Adios Pro 4 I think Evo SL and Superblast is what really sets these apart. HOKA has a really strong lineup. Mach 6, Mach X4 and Cielo X1 2.0 make a solid rotation. I think New Balance, Puma, Saucony and Brooks all have very good shoes to choose from.

Cielo x1 og helped me for my first marathon at sub 3.45.

I am much slower with a 20.50 5km timing but I ran my debut marathon in 3.36 in hoka cielo x1. Thought u may like it since u seems to be using Hoka. I choose them not because they are the fastest but rather I find them protective of my legs without killing my calf etc.

The Pro EVO 1/2 is a $500 shoe. Almost nobody needs that, but it’s the best race shoe money can buy. The Adios Pro 4 is the counterpart to the Alphafly. As to preference, that’s what it is. Tons of people love the Alphafly, but they gave me arch blisters, so I sold them and I race in the Adios Pro 3/4. You could also get the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris, the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0, the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3, or the New Balance SC Elite v4/5.

Original Hoka Cielo X1 So much bounce Really comfortable Great rocker Protective over long runs Ridiculously versatile (great for easy through race paces)

So, I think I am uniquely qualified to speak on this since I actually have the exact same time, goal, am only sligtly heavier, and I have raced in both the Superblast 2 and Hoka Cielo X1 2.0: -Superblast 2 will not hold you back, it’s a solid shoe to race in that will give you honest return depending on what you put into your training. Plus if you get tired or cramp up it’s probably the best shoe to walk in. -Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 gives you a crazy assist— like :30-:45 seconds faster per mile then you think you’re going, so you need to be mindful about that, or you’ll blow out both legs. Amazing rocker and good bounce. You can get away with heel striking with them when you get tired (ask me how I know). Stability is not *as bad* as people say, though I did find myself pronating on mile 24-26 as someone who does not usually pronate. Overall I’d actually argue they’re not that forgiving, they just have good cushion. If it’s up to me, I’d lean towards the Cielos, but honestly, I think there are better shoes out there. New Balance SC Elite v5 was pretty widely acclaimed across all the running blogs. If I can get a chance to try them on, these are the ones I’m thinking for my next racing shoe. I also would consider the Alphafly 3s or the Adios Pro 4s which are both more stable than the Cielos.  Alternatively, depending on when your marathon is, it might be worth it to wait for the 2026 drops. Alphafly 4 and Adios Pro 5 are both scheduled for early this year. I believe the same with the Cielo X1 3.0 which appears to have added stability according to the leaked pictures

I use Adios Pro 3, Hoka Cielo X1 and Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3. NB SC Elite 5 should be good too.

I gotta say having loved v1 I really don't find it much more stable than v2. On paper it really should be.

No, I do not have one pair of shoes. I swap shoes to avoid getting blisters. My current rotation during this training block: * 361 Flame 4 * Adidas EVO SL (I have two pairs that I'm cycling through; one is black with white stripes and another that is jade mint colorway) * Adidas Adios Pro 4 (2025 Race Shoe) * Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 (2025 Race Shoe) * On Cloudmonster Hyper (I phased this out of my rotation during this training block) * Puma MagMax Nitro (I phased this out of my rotation during this training block) * New Balance FuelCell Rebel V4 (will probably be retired soon; has a lot of mileage and the foam isn't responding how I think it should) * Brooks Glycerin Max Right now, I'm trying to figure out if I am going to run my upcoming race with the 361 Flame 4 or the Adidas Adios Pro 4. Or sleeper choice that I'm still waiting to arrive from China which is the Li-Ning Feidian 6 ELITE. EDIT: I forgot to add that the On Cloudboom Max which I used for a 2025 5K but did not like as a race shoe got turned into a recovery shoe.