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40Race Shoe FinderThe independent race lab

HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 v. HOKA Rocket X 3

HOKA against HOKA: the enormous 46mm shoe its marketing leads with against the 39mm one you can legally race in.

The short answer

The HOKA Rocket X 3 is 30g lighter (200g against 230g), the HOKA Rocket X 3 is £30 cheaper at RRP (£220 against £250), and the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 stays fast for roughly 70km longer (~350km against ~280km). Only the HOKA Rocket X 3 is road legal — the Cielo X1 2.0 stands 46mm, over the 40mm limit.

Weight · men's US 9

Cielo X1 2.0230g
Rocket X 3200g

Price · UK RRP

Cielo X1 2.0£250
Rocket X 3£220

Competitive life · km before the foam fades

Cielo X1 2.0350km
Rocket X 3280km

■ marks the better figure, where better is not a matter of taste

010203040504639

Cielo X1 2.0■ 46mm — over limit

010203040503934

Rocket X 339mm — road legal

Midsoles to the same scale · mm · red dashes mark the 40mm road limit

The tape

SpecificationCielo X1 2.0Rocket X 3
RRP£250£220 (advantage)
Weight230g200g (advantage)
Stack46 / 39mm39 / 34mm
Drop7mm5mm
Road legalno — 46mmyes (advantage)
Platecarbon fibrecarbon fibre
FoamPEBAPEBA
Competitive life~350km (advantage)~280km
Price per km of life£0.71 (advantage)£0.79
Fitstandardstandard
Underfootstablebalanced
Built forMarathon · Ultra10K · Half · Marathon
Economy gain2.8–4%2.9–4%

Reading — both shoes, your race

= 5:20/km

Cielo X1 2.0

Projected
3:41:21– 3:42:42
Saving
−2:18 … −3:39
Per second ■
£0.25
Per race
£45
Races in the foam
~5.5

Rocket X 3

Projected
3:41:21– 3:42:35
Saving ■
−2:25 … −3:39
Per second
£0.27
Per race
£50
Races in the foam
~4.4

Modelled economy gain adjusted for pace and your current shoes; ranges reflect the spread published between individual runners. Full method.

Which we would choose

RaceFor the timeFor the money
10Kat a reference 45:00Only the Rocket X 3 is built for this distance.
Half marathonat a reference 1:45:00Only the Rocket X 3 is built for this distance.
Marathonat a reference 3:45:00Rocket X 3−2m 25s to −3m 39sCielo X1 2.0cheaper per second saved
Ultra / 50K+at a reference 5:30:00Only the Cielo X1 2.0 is built for this distance.

Reference times, trainer baseline, whole-life economics. Your own time changes the answer — use the reading above.

The case for each

HOKA Cielo X1 2.0

Enormous, cushioned and surprisingly stable. For heavier runners and slower marathoners it may genuinely be the most comfortable way to cover 42km fast.

■ Caution At 46mm it is 6mm over the road limit and not legal for Applicable Competitions. It is also heavy at 230g.

HOKA ↗SportsShoes ↗
Full sheet

HOKA Rocket X 3

HOKA’s legal racer, and much the better shoe for anyone who actually needs to comply with the rules. Balanced and predictable.

■ Caution Overshadowed by the Cielo in HOKA’s own marketing despite being the more sensible race-day choice.

HOKA ↗
Full sheet

Straight answers

Which is lighter, the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 or the HOKA Rocket X 3?
The HOKA Rocket X 3, at 200g against 230g — a difference of 30g per shoe (men's US 9).
Which is cheaper, the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 or the HOKA Rocket X 3?
The HOKA Rocket X 3, at £220 UK RRP against £250 — £30 less. Street prices move, so check the retailer for the live figure.
Which lasts longer, the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 or the HOKA Rocket X 3?
The HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 — we estimate roughly 350km of competitive life against roughly 280km. That is the point at which the foam stops returning what you paid for, not the point at which the shoe falls apart.
Are the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 and HOKA Rocket X 3 legal for road racing?
Only the HOKA Rocket X 3 (39mm). The Cielo X1 2.0 measures 46mm, over the 40mm limit, so it is not legal for World Athletics Applicable Competitions.

Manufacturer-stated specs unless marked estimated on the shoe sheet · last reviewed 2026-08-13 · prices are UK RRP.