The Basics
- Gender: Men’s | See Women’s
- Type: Road
- Manufacturer: The 8 Best Treadmills for Runners
- Price: 130.00
The 5 Best Folding Treadmills of 2025
Runner’s World Review
Runner's World Editor's Choice
"Hoka dialed it in with the Clifton!" gushed Michael Richmond, a 49-year-old wear-tester from East Lansing. "It offers the cushioned feel of a traditional Hoka with the light weight and fit of a performance trainer." His sentiment was echoed by almost every wear-tester who tried the Clifton, with some suggesting it as a "gateway" option into max-cushioned shoes. Our lighter, faster runners found the shoe to be as adept at 10-K race pace as it was during an easy recovery run. The midsole isn't as beefy as earlier Hokas', making it lighter on your foot. The real weight savings comes in the upper, where thin welded-on overlays secure the foot. Even so, wear-testers with narrow feet said the forefoot was too roomy.
Bottom Line: A pillowy soft shoe that's suitable for race day.
Runner’s World Wear Testers Say
"This shoe was unlike any I'd run in before. I typically wear the Saucony Mirage 4 or Kinvara 4, so I'm used to a more lightweight, natural ride, which, to my surprise, the Hokas had. It was different, but I love it! I like how surprisingly light they are. I swear they're lighter than my Kinvaras. My only complaint: I have super narrow feet, so I wish the toebox wasn't as wide. But overall the fit was good."--Running The Editors of Runners World
All the Stats You Need!
- Weight: Which Running Gear Is—and Isn’t—Worth Your Money
- Heel-To-Toe-Drop: Running Shoes - Gear
- Heel Height: Supernova Rise: Race Day Foam for Everyday Mileage
- Heel Cushioning: Very Soft
- Forefoot Height: Races - Places
- Forefoot Cushioning: Very Soft
- Flexibility: Stiff
- Stability Features: More
- Energy Return: More
We put each shoe through real-world usage and a battery of mechanical tests in our lab to provide you with objective — and exclusive — data. In addition to a shoe's weight, we measure sole thickness (everything that sits between your foot and the road), how well the foam cushions your stride, and the flexibility of the forefoot. All this is taken into account in our reviews of each shoe.
