Cielo X1 2

The ride is the headline here. The Cielo X1 2 feels tall, cushioned and propulsive, with the carbon plate giving you a smooth, rolling transition rather than an aggressive, pingy snap. Push the pace and it rewards you with a confident roll through to toe-off, but it never feels frantic or unstable the way thinner racers can. The trade-off is mass. At 228g you do feel the shoe on your foot, especially over the first few miles and on quicker, leg-speed efforts, so it shines more at sustained marathon and half marathon effort than in a short, sharp 5k. Settle into a rhythm and hold it, and the Cielo turns that early heft into late-race protection. It is a cruise-and-hold racer, not a sprinter.

Cushioning is where the Cielo X1 2 makes its case. The midsole is deep and soft, giving you a genuinely plush landing that takes the edge off the pounding over long distances. For a carbon racer it is unusually forgiving, which is exactly what you want when you are three hours into a marathon and your legs are screaming. There is still enough underfoot structure, thanks to the plate, to keep the ride from feeling mushy or dead, so you get protection without losing all of the rebound. Heavier runners and heel strikers in particular will appreciate how much the shoe soaks up. If your priority is staying fresh deep into a race rather than feeling fast early, this is one of the most cushioned options in the carbon class.

Stability is a real strength, and a slightly unusual one for a super shoe. Tall, plated racers can feel tippy, but the Cielo X1 2 is wide and planted underfoot, so it holds the ground better than most shoes with this much stack. It is still a neutral shoe, with no medial post or dedicated support features, so it will not correct genuine overpronation. What it offers is a stable, secure platform that inspires confidence at speed, particularly through corners and when fatigue starts to wobble your form late on. If you find most carbon racers too unsettled or nervous underfoot, the Cielo is one of the steadier picks in the category, even though it is not a stability shoe in the corrective sense.

The upper is built for racing, with a lightweight, breathable construction that wraps the foot closely and holds it in place at pace. Lockdown is secure through the midfoot, and there are no obvious hot spots or pressure points in normal use, so you can race in it without a long break-in. Breathability is good, which matters over a hot marathon. As with most race uppers it is thin and performance-focused rather than padded and plush, so it prioritises hold and low weight over cosseting comfort. For most runners it disappears on the foot in the way a good racing upper should, letting you forget about it and concentrate on the effort.