(c) Runner’s Tribe, 2020

 Another year, another Hoka Clifton, perhaps Hoka’s most popular shoe. A highly cushioned, neutral high mileage trainer. A workhorse for endless miles.  Hoka call it their ‘Ultra comfortable go to daily runner’ – it’s hard to argue with that.

Not designed for speed, but for long distances or easy runs.

The Clifton 7 is very similar to the Clifton 6 – a nice, soft, lightweight, cushioned ride. The only significant changes are a new upper (mesh) and various minor changes to it’s last/upper/heel counter. The differences between the 6 and 7 are pretty much negligible, some minor tweaks, but hardly noticeable.

Runner’s Tribe took these shoes through 110km of mostly road and light trail running, and below is our analysis.

Specs

• Km’s run during testing process: 110
• Testers: Two road/track runners.
• Surface: Road or very light trails.
• Purpose:  Everyday high mileage trainer. Good for warm-ups and warm downs. Good for easy runs or long runs.  Not a super fast racing shoe.
• Pronation: Neutral.
• Stack Height: 29mm heel. 24mm forefoot. These stack heights were verified by Hoka Australia. See the table below for brand comparisons.
• Heel-to-toe-drop/pitch: 5mm
• Weight: Very light (see the below table for brand comparisons)
  • Men: 9 US:  258g (Nike Pegasus is 266 grams).
  • Women: 8 US: 224g.
  • Men: 11 US: 286 grams (Nike Vomero is 312 grams).

• Midsole: Soft lightweight EVA foam.
• Upper: A new upgraded 2-layered mesh. Numerous ventilation holes provide for good breathability.
• Outsole: Exposed EVA foam and strategic rubber under high impact areas. The exposed midsole foam as well as the outsole rubber are both soft to the touch, providing for a much softer landing than is found with traditional high mileage trainers such as the Nike Pegasus or Asics Kayano.
• Flexibility: Moderate. Quite easy to flex.

Toe Box:  Standard Hoka, a tightish fit, not a lot of room for those with peculiar feet idiosyncrasies.

Durability: Average to good. The outsole rubber and exposed outsole EVA are soft and therefore wear quick than shoes with hard outsoles. It’s all a compromise; Hoka’s soft ride is why people love their shoes, but the trade off is that the outsoles do show wear quicker than say an Adidas Ultraboost.

• Density of midsole: Soft to moderate.
• Heel cushioning: Soft.
• Forefoot cushioning: Soft.
• Heel counter: Hard/rigid, doesn’t collapse easily. The Clifton &’s heel counter is more flared than the 6. There is also no pull tab on the 7.

• Fits: Runs true to size.
• Marketing Hype: Low.
• Does it live up to the hype: Yes.
• Price: $239.95 AUD at Hoka Australia.
• Buy from
  • Hoka Australia
  • Running Warehouse Australia
  • Keep On Running

Against some rivals

What sets a Hoka Clifton apart from most of its rivals, is the extra forefoot cushioning. There is substantially more support under the forefoot than other shoes.

Cool things about this shoe

• Weight: The shoe is incredibly light, crazy light for a high mileage trainer. The midsole EVA that Hoka use is incredibly light foam, it’s how they get away with having so much of it.
• Soft midsole: If you enjoy a soft midsole then you will love this shoe. It’s maybe slightly firmer and more responsive than the Clifton 6, but that may just be in my head.
• High-end upper: The upper is soft, comfortable and breathable.
• Perfect for easy runs: The shoe isn’t fast, but it is a soft cruisy ride that is easy on your legs. For those casual warm-ups and warm-downs, or for easy runs or long runs, the shoes provide a soft ride that feels great.

Neutral ponderings

• Durability of outsole: As mentioned above, the outsole is soft and therefore wears down a lot faster than the rock hard full-length outsoles found in most Asics, Nike or Adidas high mileage trainers. The compromise; the Clifton’s ride is softer. It’s all a trade-off.

To buy or not to buy?

The Hoka Clifton 7  is an awesome shoe for long runs, easy runs, warm-ups and warm downs. It is suited for the road or for very safe and easy trails. It’s a soft, light ride; softer and lighter than nearly any other rides out there. For those who loved the 6, the 7 has remained true to the Clifton lineage, and won’t let you down.

Disclaimer:  Runner’s Tribe were given a pair of Clifton 7  for free.

Written and tested by Sam Burke for Runner’s Tribe.