Hoka Clifton 9 Review: Updated Workhorse
By Senior Contributor David Salas
The Hoka Clifton series has always been the neutral workhorse for the brand. One of the best-selling shoes in the marketplace, it's become a legacy series not only for runners, but also everyday people who are on their feet for much of the day due to its consistent comfort. The shoe itself is iconic for helping usher in the maximalist movement that's reshaped running as we know it. The new Clifton 9 continues its lineage with a few updates, including a change to the midsole foam, 2mm of stack height, and a new upper that is more accommodating. The shoe continues to be the lightweight, rockered daily trainer that people have come to love and expect when putting on a Clifton.
Hoka Clifton 9Price: $144.95 at Running Warehouse
Shop Men | Shop WomenWeight: 8.7 oz, 248 g (men's size 9), 7.3 oz, 205 g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: Not Provided (though 2mm more stack)
Drop: 5mm
Classification: Neutral Daily Trainer
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The
Hoka Clifton is a neutral daily training shoe with a rockered ride. The
shoe still provides the max cushion and lightweight feel of its
predecessors with some positive updates. The upper is more accommodating
and less narrow through the midfoot and the midsole is updated to give
it some more resilience. The overall feel is similar to the previous
Cliftons, but with a skosh more responsiveness and comfort with instep.
SIMILAR SHOES: Saucony Ride 15, Asics Nimbus 24
PAST MODEL: Hoka Clifton 8
FIT
The
Hoka Clifton 9 fits true to size in my Men's 9.5. One thing I noticed
right off of the bat is that the upper is not as snug through the
midfoot as previous Hoka Clifton's I have worn. The midfoot was more
forgiving and I felt the upper wrapped my foot better. The mesh material
itself also feels a little more resilient and does not have quite as
much stretch as previous models. I felt foot security was better
throughout. Width in the heel, midfoot, and forefoot I would classify as
normal throughout. There is a relatively stiff heel counter present,
though it is padded and provided no irritation for me. The tongue is
padded well and had no slippage. This is the best fitting Clifton I have
had so far. The only thing I really noticed was that the heel counter
extended further laterally and got pulled a little bit when lacing the
shoe down tight. This created a little bit of pressure on my lateral
midfoot, though I did not develop any irritation because of it. Just
something to note on lessening.
PERFORMANCE
The
Hoka Clifton 9 still feels like a Clifton, though it does have some
noticeable updates. The shoe does have 2 more millimeters of foam
underfoot with an updated midsole. The foam is still EVA-based but has
been dialed in for a little more resilience. I will say that though it is slight, there a noticeable change in feeling. The shoe does seem to have a little more
bounce than previous Clifton's I have tried. The shoe still uses a
balanced rocker profile throughout. The shoe uses sidewalls throughout
most of the length of the shoe and I feel it does a pretty good job of
making you feel centered. The outsole seems to be a touch thicker than I
remember on the Clifton 8. This seems to firm up the ride a tad and make the
cushioning feel nearly identical with the 8. That's not a bad thing
though since you get a tad more bounce. The traction underfoot is decent
and I can take this in runnable trail and grass as well. The shoe feels
like a well-cushioned neutral shoe without any major bells or whistles.
Those that like a neutral shoe with decent cushioning and a rocker
profile will find this fits the bill.
STABILITY
The
overall stability of the Clifton 9 is done pretty well. The shoe gives
you a sense of being centered throughout the full gait cycle. The heel
has the classic bucket feel you get from HOKA's and the sidewalls extend
through most of the midfoot both medially and laterally. The shoe does
have a crash pad in the heel that extends to the beginning of the
midfoot. The outsole feels a little firmer and grips pretty well on most
surfaces, and there is a decent amount of width throughout. The upper security is good and I felt good when turning.
Stability is pretty good for a neutral shoe, and one I'd put in the stable neutral category.
Thoughts as a DPT: Updates without an Overhaul
By David Salas, PT, DPT, CSCS
The Hoka Clifton 9 looks a lot like the Clifton 8 from the outside though there are some noticeable changes. One thing that sticks out is the slight increase in bounce you get underfoot. They updated the midsole (though still EVA based) to increase its resiliency. The foam was a little bit lighter and so they were able to add 2 more millimeters of foam underfoot as well. The upper was also changed to be more accommodating for different foot types. The rubber seems to be thicker as well and provide good traction with less wear. Everything about the Clifton 9 has been made for durability of the shoe without sacrificing what makes it a Clifton.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The
Clifton 9 is the best Clifton so far for me. The only thing I would
really look into refining is the fit through the heel and midfoot. The
midfoot is much more accommodating than previous Cliftons, but I did
notice that the heel gets a little more pressure when the shoe is laced
down. It feels like the heel counter portion that extends through that
region gets pulled slightly with lacing the shoe down, providing some
pressure to the lateral midfoot. Other than that this is a solid shoe to
log daily miles in.
WHO THIS SHOE IS FOR
The
Hoka Clifton 9 is a neutral daily training shoe for the runner that wants
a rockered shoe with a moderately cushioned feel. There is plenty of
foam underfoot to give consideration for maximum cushioning, though the
outsole seems to firm the feel up a tad. The shoe is not crazy
responsive and so this shoe leans itself towards that daily workhorse.
This is a training shoe for forgetting pace and rolling with the miles.
GRADING
David
Fit: A- (Best
fitting Clifton so far. Midfoot much more accommodating, though some
pressure to the lateral heel and midfoot with lockdown)
Performance: A- (Great
for logging daily mileage, a little more bounce noted, though still not
quite enough to reach for if there is any speed requirements)
Stability: A (Stable throughout for a neutral shoe. Wide platform, good traction, reliable upper, good sidewalls)
DPT/Footwear Science: B (They made some nice updates, but nothing revolutionary here. Balanced rocker with some good sidewalls.)
Personal: A- (Boring in a good way. Nice balanced transitions that you can just focus on getting your miles in.)
Overall: A- (A good move forward for the Clifton while maintaining the Clifton DNA)
SHOP | SUPPORT DOR
Price: $144.95 at Running Warehouse
Shop Men | Shop Women
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Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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