HOKA Clifton 9 running shoes in black and white

About this model

When HOKA's first Clifton came out in 2014, the brand says it broke the old trade-off between a light shoe and a well-cushioned one. The Clifton 9, launched on 15 February 2023, is the ninth version of what HOKA calls its daily trainer, aimed at beginners and seasoned runners alike.

Compared with the Clifton 8, HOKA added 3 mm of stack height and still took off 4 grams. The midsole is a new compression-molded EVA that HOKA calls light and responsive, shaped with an early-stage Meta-Rocker so the foot rolls smoothly from landing into the next stride. Rubber covers only the high-impact zones at the heel and forefoot, and the midfoot is left as exposed foam to save weight. Up top, HOKA dropped the overlays and hot-melt layers for recycled mesh, a gusseted tongue, a plusher heel and a reflective heel panel.

For a men's US 9, HOKA lists 8.7 ounces, about 247 grams, with a 32 mm heel, a 27 mm forefoot and a 5 mm drop. The women's model measures 29 and 24 mm. RunRepeat's lab read the foam at 40.5 on the Asker C scale, firmer than the average road shoe it has tested. Owners voting there say the Clifton 9 runs true to size, but the lab measured the toe box at just 68.9 mm, one of the few shoes it has recorded under 70 mm, and rated the heel counter among the stiffest it has seen.

Sources: HOKA press release · RunRepeat · HOKA press release, Clifton 8