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If I had to choose one road shoe to run in for my lifetime, I’d choose the Clifton. It’s reliable, versatile, comfortable, and durable. I personally enjoy running in shoes that aren’t meant to be speedy; it helps me slow down and really just enjoy the ride. The Clifton is by no means a fast shoe, so if you’re in the market for a sexy shoe with a ton of pop, keep on shopping. If you’re on the trial of miles train and ready to put in those long, slow distances, this shoe won’t do you dirty.
The Hoka Clifton is my go-to road shoe for base road mileage (usually 50-80 miles per week), and has been my favorite everyday trainer since I got my hands on my first pair back in 2020.While there are several updates to the Clifton 9, the typical 5mm drop of the Clifton remains the same, as does the shoe’s intended purpose.
The 7 introduced me to the Clifton line, and ultimately kept me coming back to buy the newer models. There’s a reason I have them nicknamed “Workhorse” in my list of highly personified Strava gear. I found the Clifton 7 incredibly comfortable, particularly in the upper. The 7 had absolutely zero constriction of my foot, and the foam absorbs a lot of impact on the road–almost too much so if I attempted any miles faster than 7:xx pace. There was absolutely no energy return on the forefoot of the Clifton 7.
Over time, the foam of the 7 has compressed drastically and has lost its already diminished bounce and feeble energy return. I often joke about this shoe being a bit of a handicap now with its “negative drop.” My Achilles tendons both seem intact/healthy so I’ll continue to put miles in these shoes until they have irreparable damage to the outsole. The upper shows wear on the ankle collar, but no blow outs in the toe box. The outsole showed wear quickly on the outer edges, but the rubber did not peel or show signs of wear until hundreds of miles later.
The 8 had a tighter, more padded upper that felt secure and comfortable at first, but I noticed that if I lace them too tightly, my feet, even though they are narrow, begin to go numb an hour into a run. I’m still learning what determines “too tight” after putting over 250 miles on them. With all of the miles I’ve put in, the Clifton 8 has shown hardly any wear. Hoka has continuously improved the durability of the outsole. The Clifton 8 has slightly more energy return than the 7, likely due to the EVA foam midsole that was updated since the beloved Clifton 7 dropped. After running in the 7s for so long, the Clifton 8s felt like supershoes. I knew I’d be able to lay down some faster miles without feeling like I was running through a sandbox.
Men
Women
While I’ve only put 70 miles into the Clifton 9 so far and I’m pleasantly surprised by the changes Hoka made to the 9 that were lacking in the 8.
Stack Height: As soon as I pulled these shoes out of the box, I immediately noticed the larger stack height–so much higher than the 7 and 8! I usually run in lower stack shoes, so I wasn’t sure how I’d like the additional 2 mm (there’s 3mm more on the men’s) especially because I run on mixed surfaces daily. I was worried about the stability of the shoe when running on uneven terrain in wet, spring conditions, but it seems like the updated tread pattern and increased tread area on the outsole is keeping the shoe stable and grippy. On the downside, the higher stack does take away from the ground feel that the previous Clifton models had despite their maximalist cushioning.
Energy Return: For the size of the shoe, it feels light and responsive on pavement, but definitely still a maximalist ride. The updated compression molded EVA foam of the midsole feels much stiffer than any of Hoka’s prior Clifton models, so it has taken some getting used to, as I’ve noticed that my feet are a bit tender after running for longer than 2 hours, or if I’m running tempos on concrete. This probably sounds silly given Hoka’s notoriously maximalist cushioning, but since I’ve been running in the slightly softer foam of the Clifton 8 for so long, it’s a drastic change, and one worth noting. While the meta-rocker was present in the Clifton 8 too, I’ve subjectively noticed that it feels more pronounced in the 9. Perhaps this is a function of the shoe having better energy return as a whole, and more structured foam in the midsole? Either way, the smooth rocker facilitating foot turnover is a welcome sensation to have. I’ll take it!
Widened Heel Base: As a forefoot striker with some supination on the road, I’m not sure that the widened heel base in the Clifton 9 is beneficial for my gait, but I do imagine it would be a welcome addition to any heel striker’s shoe repertoire. If I could recreate the next Hoka Clifton model, I’d keep the 8’s slightly more narrow heel base, but it’s a minor, subjective flaw given all of the new improvements of the Clifton 9.
Toe Box: The toe box of the Clifton 9 is noticeably roomier than the previous models, but it hasn’t changed the lockdown for me on flat terrain despite my narrow feet– a problem I’ve had with shoe brands boasting large toe boxes. However, once I’m running downhill at a grade steeper than 2%, I notice my toes hitting the front of the toe box repeatedly. I’m not willing to make the tradeoff between the cranking laces down securely and having midfoot comfort, so the minor discomfort on downhills is a feature I’m willing to live with for now rather than a bug I need to fix. Who needs toenails anyway?
Upper: The constrictive properties of the Clifton 8 upper seem to be resolved in the 9–possibly due to the updated tongue construction in the 9. The Clifton 8 has a tongue that is stitched/attached on both sides of the shoe whereas the 9 has only one side attached. I can feel my feet again!
Price Point: Now let’s talk about price. The Clifton 9 retails for $145–a pricey workhorse indeed. However, I believe they are worth the money especially if the outsole durability comes close to the 8. I’m still running in my 7s from 3 years ago, so if I get three years out of this shoe, I’m more than willing to pay $50 to run in them each year. The increase in price may be reflective of the Clifton’s increased popularity, the greater cost of materials, or a multitude of factors, but ultimately the redeeming qualities of this shoe seem to outweigh the cost.
Runners going the distanceI’ve always viewed the Clifton as a neutral training shoe anyone can wear. In the age of carbon-plated super shoes, I personally think that having a pair of maximalist trainers like the Clifton is one way to injury-proof yourself and offset the potential downsides of using racing shoes for hard workouts. The Clifton is an essential easy run shoe that won’t let you down, and also won’t let you go too hard.
Ease into the lower drop, folks
The 5mm drop can be a huge shift for folks who’ve been running in shoes with higher drops like the Brooks Ghost 15 (12mm) or the Asics Superblast (8mm). As Hoka shoes age and the foam compresses, I’d suggest folks with Achilles/calf issues be wary of putting too many miles on worn Cliftons. And if you’re new to a lower drop shoe in general, ease into wearing the Hoka Clifton a few miles at a time.
Foot shape
If you have a narrow foot like myself, you’ll find yourself at home in this shoe as long as you are willing to lace them tightly (and maybe even trim your lace ends). If you have a wide foot and struggle with small toe boxes, the Hoka 8 is probably not for you, but the 9 might be just right. You’ll never know if you don’t try on that glass slipper, right?
WeeViews purchased the shoe in exchange for a full review.
Mike Murphy Great review. I recently tried a pair of the Clifton 9s at a demo run and really liked the wider toe box. I prefer a little more drop, but overall these were nice!
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