In production · road · Daily / Long run · $175
Peba-boosted Clifton: same easy-day brief, far livelier foam.
Built for daily, long run, at a target pace of 8:00–11:00 /mi on road.
The midsole is CMEVA, tuned soft (4/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. At 42 mm of heel stack this sits in max-cushion territory; legs stay fresher on long efforts, but the platform is tall. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A 8 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The rocker is aggressive: the sole is curved and stiff enough to tip you into the next stride on its own, which saves the calf on long runs but feels strange when you slow right down. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.44 per mile at $175.
For the foams and plates Hoka uses across its line, read the Hoka brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
275 g / 9.7 oz
Level with the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
42 mm
6 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
8 mm
2 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$175
15 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
4 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~400 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Hoka line it is lighter than the brand's median (275 g / 9.7 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (38 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Asics Gel Pulse 17
275 g / 9.7 oz · 42 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $110
Asics Gel Pulse 17: 39 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 275 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Asics Novablast 5(2025)
255 g / 9.0 oz · 42 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $145
Bouncy FF Blast Max makes it a trainer that still wants to pick up the pace.
Salomon Aero Glide 3(2025)
245 g / 8.6 oz · 40 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $160
Salomon's road max-cushion daily with a smooth energetic rocker.
Asics Gel-Cumulus 28(2026)
275 g / 9.7 oz · 38 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $145
Softer, bouncier Cumulus with FF Blast+ underfoot.