HOKA Clifton 10 Introduction
HOKA’s Clifton is back for a tenth iteration. The fan favourite exemplifies the max cushion, comfort driven ethos of the HOKA brand. This time, the Clifton 10 brings a 42mm stack height with a surprising amount of stability thanks to some raised sidewalls. The CMEVA midsole brings an added liveliness to the ride while the drop increases by 3mm from the ninth version to make it HOKA’s first shoe with an 8mm drop.
This all sounds like it’ll add up to a fun package. How does it handle on the roads?
The HOKA Clifton 10 is a comfortable cruiser
Andy: At first glance, the upper of the Clifton 10 looks pretty plush. This is a fact that is proven when you slide it on foot. A thick but ungusseted tongue sits atop the foot and gives that comfortable cuddle when you step in. This plushness continues around the heel area of the shoe where we find thick padding and a very stout heel cup. All of this adds up to a very comfortable and easy to achieve lockdown.
As this is my first experience of a Clifton, I have no other to compare it against. However, I have been privileged enough to test a few other HOKA shoes. I found the Skyflow to be a little stiff and the Skyward X to force me into an unnatural foot strike. That said, both were comfortable shoes. The Clifton continues this run of easy to wear shoes. I have found that the shoe fits a little long in my usual size but I wouldn’t want to go down a half due to the width of the upper.
On the run, the Clifton’s upper is brilliant. No hotspots, rubbing or discomfort to be found. That said, I have been rather warm in it during my testing period so far and the temperatures haven’t hit much more than 5 degrees. I can imagine during the summer, my socks might get a little swampy. What I can attest to is the water retention ability of the upper. It has been a very sodden few weeks on these British Isles and the Clifton does take a good couple of days under the radiator to dry out fully. But, to be honest, that’s the only complaint I have about the upper overall.
Maisie: I was really excited to get my hands on my first pair of HOKA Cliftons. On first inspection everything seemed pretty bang on. When I first slipped my feet in I had really high hopes for this shoe. The upper mesh has a good balance between support and breathability and the shoe feels comfortably snug. The padded tongue and heel collar offer cushion yet not bulk. Andy’s description of a comfortable cuddle, is the perfect analogy.
Unfortunately for me, my glowing first impressions slowly faded. Due to my initial over excitement, I didn’t quite notice it at first, but the HOKA Clifton 10, for me at least, is an exceptionally narrow and slightly long shoe. It doesn’t seem to be an issue with the toe box, I had enough room around my toes. A bit too much at the end in fact. However, across the forefoot was extremely snug. My feet coped ok for shorter runs, but I took them out for a 15 mile run and boy did I regret it! After over 13 years of running this is the first time I have had to cut a run short due to the discomfort caused by a shoe. Yikes, the inside of my foot was burning and blistering.
I do have to acknowledge that I tested the HOKA Clifton 10 in the regular fit and these also come in wide and extra wide. However, I nod to this in my recent review of the HOKA Bondi 9 that I find it very surprising that as such a petite person I need to reach for a wider fit shoe. I honestly don’t know who these would comfortably fit. In recent months I have tested a few other HOKA shoes all in regular fit. With the Skyflow I had no width issues, the Bondi was too snug and caused some issues with my big toes, but the Clifton 10 is another level of ill fitting for me.
Unfortunately for me, these shoes will need to be shelved as the discomfort and blistering caused on the inside of my foot and big toe was pretty extreme! In line with my comments on the Bondi 9, it seems that the width and sizing issue is worse for women, and perhaps why Andy didn’t experience quite the same.
Discomfort and fit aside, the upper is designed well and is comfortable and breathable. So if you can get the fit and width right, I am sure you will have a much better experience than me!
The first HOKA shoe with an 8mm drop
Andy: In all my testing of HOKA shoes, I have yet to be blown away by a midsole. I have found them to be either stiff or dead. The suspension feel of the Skyward X was interesting but did not suit my gait cycle at all. As soon as I stepped into the Clifton 10, I began to grin like the Cheshire Cat. A super soft step in feel greets you and, for me, that is a great thing. The increase in stack height has also brought an increase in weight although that has had no impact on the enjoyment of the ride for me.
On the run, I was instantly smitten with the ride of the Clifton 10. Soft yet responsive and just a pleasure to run in. During my first 100km in the shoe, I have used it for a range of running. From easy 5km jogs around the block to a 25km long run with a variety of paces. For each of them it has been a dream. The rocker helps roll through each step and the distance vanishes underfoot. Not only did it jump to being my favourite HOKA shoe I’ve ever tried, it is genuinely one of my favourite daily trainers I own.
As a forefoot striker, it gives some lovely bounce but I can also see that it will suit those with a heel strike as it has a great depth of cushion there too. The rocker will ensure that midfoot strikers enjoy the shoe too.
I was surprised by the versatility. In my mind, this was a recovery shoe. One for those slow paced days. However, when I have had it on foot, it seems happy at whatever pace I have thrown at it. While my Styrd pods may not show it as the most efficient shoe in my collection, the foam does allow some sink although it pops back well. It’s just so much fun to run in that I don’t care about the data here. This is probably helped by HOKA’s move away from their traditional 5mm drop to 8mm in the Clifton 10. This combined with the foam makes for a great run.
That said, I won’t be pulling it off the shelf if I am going for a 5k pb attempt. On the other hand, if I was going away and could only take one pair of shoes, this would certainly be high up in the ranking list. This shoe has given me a problem in the best possible way. I just don’t want to run in anything else at the moment.
As a downside, I am starting to feel the midsole begin to flatten out a touch after about 100km. Whilst it hasn’t lost all of its magic, there has definitely been some compression of the super soft foam. It does make me wonder how many miles are actually in this midsole before I lose the love for it.
Maisie: Fit issues have slightly hampered my review of the midsole. Although I have banked some good miles in them during short runs. As soon as I hit the issues in my long run, I didn’t dare wear them for anything longer. Hence, my review and comments relate to short runs and slightly less mileage than I would usually cover for testing.
This aside, I do have to agree with Andy. The midsole of the HOKA Clifton 10 is really great. It is perfectly cushioned but super energetic. Having tested these simultaneously alongside the Bondi 9, I was expecting these to feel quite similar. This is completely not the case. The HOKA Clifton 10 is so much more energetic and versatile. It offers a responsive and comfortable ride and really holds its own when pushing into tempo paces.
I agree with Andy, it isn’t a top choice for your highest gears, but I was really impressed with the versatility of the HOKA Clifton 10. I didn’t get to bank enough miles in these to experience the flattening but this doesn’t surprise me given the softness of the foam.
The Clifton 10 has a soft, sticky outsole
Andy: The outsole is a rather pod based affair with islands of the rubber all over the base of the shoe. This has two benefits. Firstly, it adds to weight reduction (despite the increase in weight over the 9). Secondly, it adds some flexibility to the midsole. I have had the opportunity to run on a lot of very wet pavements so far. In all cases, the Clifton 10 has held me firm. On the dry floor, it has given me no issues either.
That said, a worrying nag of durability comes to mind when I look at the degradation in my high strike areas on the shoe. After only 100km so far, the there is a very noticeable amount of wear on the lateral forefoot side of each shoe.
Maisie: Again my comments on the outsole and durability fall within my lower mileage in the shoe. However, having tested them across varying terrains, including some mid level trails and gravel paths, I have observed no issues with traction.
I can’t fully comment on the durability. However, I am inclined to share Andy’s concerns. The Durabrasion rubber covers high wear areas. The issue here is that there are areas of completely exposed midsole. Over time, I expect this would lead to wear and durability issues, especially for midfoot strikers.
HOKA’s best daily shoe?
Andy: The Clifton 10 has been a breath of fresh air for me. The ease of running in the shoe has made it shine even when the weather hasn’t. From short efforts to two-plus hour long runs, it has been a pleasure to wear. The combination of drop, rocker and foam work very well together to hide the weight gain over the previous version. It is a very comfortable daily trainer which will work for a wide range of runners.
While it isn’t as lively as the Novablast 5, it offers a much greater stability. The comfort and fun side of the ride are both better than the Cumulus 27 from ASICS which I have also been wearing recently. My biggest worry is the durability of the mid and outsoles. I imagine this will be greatly impacted if you are a heavier runner too. That said, while it lasts, I don’t really want to lace up anything else for the 5:30 run.
Maisie: My experience of the Clifton 10 has honestly been a rollercoaster! The shoe matched the high expectations I had, initially. However, the fit issues were a real deal breaker for me. This aside, in terms of the ride itself, they are a comfortable and responsive shoe. When compared to the HOKA Bondi 9, they can do that bit more and are much more capable at uptempo paces. Hence much more versatile and you’ll be able to reach for them for more varied sessions.
The HOKA Clifton 10 could be a great choice for a dependable daily trainer. However, even if you don’t usually experience width issues, I strongly advise a fit check before you commit. Especially if you are a fellow female runner I would recommend trying them in store on a treadmill.
