"The information provided in this review is my own opinion and experience.
When you buy through any of the links, I may earn a commission."
Basic Specifications
Category: Daily trainer
Stack height:
Heel: 32mm
Forefoot: 27mm
Drop: 5mm
Weight (size 46): 300 grams
True to size: Yes
Distance done at time of review: 250Km
Rating:
They have been tested in a wide range of paces and workouts, including:
- Easy runs
- Recovery runs
- Long runs
- Speed runs including all out runs
- And off course strides
In my opinion the shoe performs the best in the Easy run category, up until your longer runs.
They have also been tested on different types of terrains including:
- Normal and gravel Roads including single tracks in the fields
- Cobble stone and yes indeed I’ve also played around with them in the Mud, yeah baby!
Midsole / Outsole
The shoe has a nice little bounce into it and propels you forward.
The midsole foam is also very good for those longer runs, it’s not too firm so it will put less strain on your legs and feet.
At first I was a bit concerned about the exposed midsole foam, but looking at the state of this foam after running more than 200K, it still looks very good.
The outsole design is also really good, the pattern that Hoka created with the outsole and midsole really helps to avoid any possible stones to get stuck into it and It also gives you a very good grip since the shoe can dig a bit deeper when you are running on a bit more muddy terrain.
The shoe also has a bit of a wider base at the front, which will give you that extra bit of stability.
Upper
Hoka claims that the upper has been optimised to provide a better breathable shoe.
In the end I believe that there are still areas where you might develop hot spots, especially on those warmer days.
On days with a more normal temperature the upper performs really good.
The shoe has a very good lockdown, there is a good of padding around the heel and ankle area.
The heel tab is also really convenient to put on your shoes and it also will assist in protecting your achilles.
The tongue is very thick and comfortable but the breathability could be a lot better, this is something that I personally encountered.
At the sides towards the forefoot, the upper is a lot thinner, so there the breathability is a lot better, very good actually.
But due to the amount of padding at the back and in the tongue, you can still develop hot spots when running in a warmer climate.
A recommendation when running in a warmer climate is to try and run with some thinner socks.
The laces are of a very good quality, the length is definitely sufficient, even when you need to do the runners knob.
They got a little stretch in them, and they don’t come loose that quickly.
Durability
As already briefly touched upon, at first I was afraid of the exposed midsole foam underneath, but that still seems very good.
The amount of bounce, and responsiveness of the foam is also still perfect, hardly any noticable difference.
The outsole itself is also very durable, there is not a lof of wear and tear visible.
Same applies for the upper, also there nothing negative to mention there.
I give an estimation that this shoe can last for about 800 to 1000km.
Summary
The shoe is advertised as a daily neutral trainer that can also give you additional stability, including a very good lockdown.
I completely agree with that, the shoe performs really great during those easy runs up until the more longer runs.
You could use the Clifton for some light speed work, do keep in mind the possibility of having some hot spots.
A better option for your speed work could be the Hoka Rincon 3 for example.
The Clifton has a good bounce and will get you from point A to B, no question about it.
The shoe also looks to be very durable, as mentioned I see this reaching possibly up to 1000km, and that for a price of 150€
That’s not a bad deal if you ask me.
I also recommend in looking a bit around as you can probably already find this shoe at a bit of a lower price in some stores!
If you would like to check out the video of this review, then you can do this at the top of this page or by going to my YouTube channel!
https://www.youtube.com/@gofora_run/
If you have any questions or remarks, drop a comment down below or send me a DM on instagram!
