8,153
edits
Changes
From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
no edit summary
The [http://www.zappos.com/hoka-clifton Clifton] is a remarkable achievement for [[Hoka Shoe Review| Hoka]], giving the soft cushioning of the [[Hoka Bondi]] at a much lighter weight. In fact, the Clifton and Bondi feel remarkably similar, and I've even run with one on each foot (not something I'd recommend you trying.) The difference in thickness of the 2 shoes is dramatically different, but beyond that the cushioning, overlaid, and overall feel were almost identical. Like all of the Hoka range, the Clifton has a horribly small toe box, but once its cut open the shoe works quite well. The Clifton will be available as a trail version, called the "Challenger ATR" in the summer of 2014. However, like many softly cushioned shoes it should work pretty well on most trails, though it lacks the lugs for slick, muddy tails.
=Characteristics=
* '''MidsoleCushioning'''. The Clifton has a high level of cushioning, with the soft ride that Hoka of famous for. It's not thick or soft as the [[Hoka Stinson]] or [[Hoka Mafate]], but it's on a par with the Bondi and Olympus. (The Clifton midsole is made of a lightweight EVA foam. There are a number of reports that the Clifton would use the much firmer RMAT foam used in the [[Hoka Conquest]] and Huaka, but this does not appear to be the case. There is no mention of RMAT on the Hoka website page, nor is the RMAT logo on the shoe.)** '''Cushioning'''. The Clifton has a high level of cushioning, with the soft ride that Hoka of famous for. It's not thick or soft as the [[Hoka Stinson]] or [[Hoka Mafate]], but it's on a par with the Bondi and Olympus.** '''Drop & Shape'''. Like other Hoka shoes, the Clifton is not a zero drop shoe, and the rear is about 6 mm thicker than the front. That's about half the drop of a traditional running shoe and I typically don't have any issues moving between the Hokas and a zero drop shoe like the Altra. The Clifton has a less abrupt taper at the very front of the shoe than the Bondi, but not as gentle as the Altra Olympus. While I prefer the Olympus taper, the Clifton is better than the Bondi. The very rear of the shoe is cut away slightly, creating a little bit of a rocker shape that's almost identical to the Bondi. The midsole wraps around the lower part of the foot to create additional stability. This helps overcome some of the problems you get with a thick sole creating a stilt like instability.** '''Structure'''. This shoe is made of a single type of foam, though it is colored to appear like there are two different foams in use.** '''Flexibility'''. The Clifton is reasonably flexible for shoe of this thickness, and is rather more flexible than the Bondi or Olympus.
* '''Outsole'''. The Clifton has some exposed midsole, with some durable rubber in high friction areas. The durable rubber is placed much better than it is in the Bondi, improving the life of the shoe. In fact, the midsole that is in contact with the ground seems to be remarkably durable, probably because it is in not in the high impact areas.
* '''Shape'''. The Clifton has the typical Hoka shape, which includes a horribly constricted toe box. I've noticed at Ultras the Hoka toe box causes a distinctive pattern of blisters, so it's critical to [[Shoe Dissection| cut open the toe box of any Hokas]].
The [[Altra Olympus]] is a competitor for the Clifton, and I believe it represents a better shoe. The Olympus has a 7-13mm thicker sole, a toe box shaped for the human foot, and zero drop. However the Olympus is not quite as softly cushioned as the Clifton and it's heavier.
=Compared with the Hoka Bondi=
[[File:CliftonBondiDissect.JPG|none|thumb|500px|Clifton and [[Hoka Bondi]]. ]]
The Clifton seems like it's an evolution of the Bondi. It feels remarkably similar, even when wearing one shoe on each foot. The Clifton is lighter, and has better wear characteristics, so it works out cheaper per mile. The Clifton shares the poor toe box design of all the Hokas. It's not clear why anyone would buy the Bondi now that the Clifton is available.
=Compared with the Hoka Conquest=
The Clifton looks virtually identical to the [[Hoka Conquest]] (see below for an image.) However, the shoes are radically different, as the Conquest is a surprisingly firm. The diagonal slices through the midsole are actually cutaways in the Conquest, but simple coloring on the Clifton.
=Compared with the Altra One2=
The Clifton is only an ounce heavier than the [[Altra One2| Altra One<sup>2</sup>]], but this is not reflected in the way the shoes feel. I found that the Clifton felt much closer in weight to the Bondi than the One<sup>2</sup> despite the much greater weight difference Is only an ounce the Clifton. The Clifton is much more cushioned than the Altra, which might be the reason behind the perceived weight dissimilarity.
=Gallery=
{| class="wikitable"
