Hoka Clifton 9 Review (2024)

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By Nathaniel Bailey ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ Oct 9, 2023

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• Cushioning and Landing Comfort - 25%8.5

• Responsiveness - 25%5.5

• Stability - 20%6.0

• Upper Comfort - 15%7.0

• Weight - 15%6.2

The Hoka Clifton 9 is a well-cushioned and stable neutral trainer perfect for racking up miles. We found the denser cushioning and gentle rocker to be very pleasant on longer runs and are happy with how well-cushioned the shoe is at a relatively light weight. This isn't a snappy shoe, but there is enough responsiveness to handle some pickups. We appreciate the rubber outsole that does well on most surfaces but have some durability concerns with the exposed foam. Overall, though, if you've been looking for thicker cushioning without adding grams to the scale, the Clifton is worth checking out. This shoe also functions as one of our favorite general shoes for walking, whether it's around the block with the dog or exploring a new city.

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The Clifton 9 combines a lot of cushioning with a lighter weight, making it a great choice for longer efforts. We enjoyed it on long runs and easy days but found the shoe to be a bit much for faster sessions. That said, there is more support than we typically expect in a neutral daily trainer, which is nice to have in a shoe designed as a workhorse.

Performance Comparison

Cushioning and Landing Comfort

The Clifton 9 has a high stack, which we measured at 38mm in the heel and 30mm in the forefoot during our lab testing. Unlike some other well-cushioned trainers in the test, this model doesn't make use of any supercritical, bouncy foams. That results in a smooth but slightly firmer ride that we found very comfortable.

This shoe has a deep footbed with gentle sidewalls that do a great job of keeping your foot feeling centered. Combined with a wider toe-box, we found the ride to be very comfortable. Initially, we had no issues with rock-strikes. After ~150 miles, that started to change, and we started to notice rock strikes with increasing frequency, as well as a noticeable decrease in perceived cushioning. That doesn't stop us from recommending this as a shoe for runners looking for a lot of cushioning in a lighter, reasonably stable package.

Responsiveness

A firmer foam and rocker are key ingredients in most responsive shoes. Unfortunately, we feel that the Clifton misses the mark in providing responsiveness at faster paces. We evaluate responsiveness at everything from easy paces all the way down to mile-paced strides. Somewhere around threshold pace, we felt the ample cushioning on the Clifton start to work against us. We prefer other shoes with a better balance of cushioning and responsiveness, but if you rarely exceed marathon pace in your daily trainers, this is a shoe that may work well for you.

Stability

While the Clifton is advertised as a neutral daily trainer, we feel that several features actually make it feel closer to a stable neutral trainer. First, the sidewalls and wider base keep your foot centered in the shoe. The rocker is gentle enough to be non-invasive but keeps the feet rolling forward well. The firmer foam does a good job of giving a secure and planted feeling on each stride.

This is a higher stack shoe, meaning it isn't the best on uneven terrain. But thanks to the wide base and firmer ride, it outperforms other similarly cushioned trainers in this area. We think runners who seek a bit of support and a planted ride in a cushioned package will like the Clifton 9.

Upper Comfort

The lightweight and breathable upper on this shoe is welcome. We found that our feet never got warm on hot summer runs and didn't experience any hotspots, thanks to the very comfortable and almost plush design. The upper is well padded around the heel and ankle, with a recessed heel cup that provides great retention. We didn't have any issues with lockdown and felt that the padded tongue did a good job of isolating any rub from the laces. There isn't anything that stands out about the upper, but it is comfortable and works very well.

Weight

This shoe isn't winning any minimalist contests, but for the amount of cushioning and comfort of the upper, we think it does well. Coming in at 9.9 ounces per shoe for a size 10.5, it is lighter than most similarly cushioned shoes in our lineup while also providing a more protected ride.

Should You Buy the Hoka Clifton 9?

We think the Clifton 9 is a solid daily trainer. While it isn't as snappy as other models at faster paces, that won't be an issue for many runners. If you're looking for a comfortable ride with a bit of support and ample cushioning for stacking high-mileage weeks, this is a great shoe to consider.

What Other Running Shoes Should You Consider?

The On Cloudsurfer provides more responsive cushioning in a lighter package but sacrifices much of the support we appreciate in the Clifton. We love the Saucony Triumph 21 for easy running, and while it's less stable than the Clifton, we think it outperforms it in every other category as a cushioned mileage monster.