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The Hoka Clifton 11 sticks with a pretty familiar Clifton formula – a big, rockered stack of compression moulded EVA and plush but not overbuilt premium uppers. It’s designed for comfort rather than speed with a mixing of protection, stability and consistency.
But with the new Hoka Clifton Pro now in the mix (packing a supercritical midsole) is that formula looking a bit tired? Where does it sit among the best running shoes we’ve tested? We’ve done the necessary miles to see if the Clifton 11 is still a winning comfort cruiser. Hit play for our Hoka Clifton 11 review.
Design & Key Stats
- Price: £140 / $155
- Weight: 9.8oz / 279g* (men’s UK 9 / US 10)
- Drop: 8mm
- Stack Height: W: 38mm/30mm / M: 42mm/34mm
- Upper: Engineered mesh
- Midsole: Compression-moulded EVA
- Outsole: Abrasion rubber
Hoka Clifton 11 review
How’s The Fit
On fit, the Hoka Clifton 11 worked well for Nick in his normal running shoe size, which was the same size he’s used for all past Clifton models. He found there was a little room around the toes, enough for longer easy runs, good hold around the heel and midfoot.
Kieran ran in a UK 9, US 9.5. That’s half a size up from what he’d normally lace up in Hoka shoes, and found that worked really nicely here. The half size up gives good room into the toe box with just enough flex, where regular size might be a little too cramped.
There’s a fair bit of padding to the heels but the Clifton 11 doesn’t feel overwhelmingly plush in that area compared to other shoes. We don’t have any problems with the width ourselves, but narrowness can be a criticism of Hoka generally and there’s a wide model there if you need it.
You get Nice medium-padded tongues, and the heel collars have a nice bit of plushness that holds really well. There’s a bit of kickback under the Achilles, but no rubbing, and the heel held pretty well for us.
So overall, fit was all good for Nick in normal size, Kieran’s wider feet benefitted from going half a size up.
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The Run Test: Likes
The Hoka Clifton 11 is smoother, lighter, more comfortable than past Cliftons and a genuine, if not groundbreaking, step up on the Clifton 10. It delivers good stability for a big-stack shoe, with a cushioned, protective but more immediate underfoot feel than some rivals. If you like your cushion super mallowy, this is not the one.
Kieran liked the fact, the ride has moved closer to the shoes he’d choose for low and easy volume building, the New Balance 1080v15, Nike Vomero 18, that kind of thing. The Clifton 11 now has a bit more about it, while sticking close to what made the Clifton a popular comfort miler. Highly protective, not too soft or sludgy, a little energy, a lot of good stability. Not particularly exciting, but consistent. Light for the size of the stack, and plenty of comfort to keep feet happy over the long haul and easy miles.
He also enjoyed the well-judged padding in the heel collars and tongues for good comfort without feeling overbuilt or overly plush. That helps the Clifton 11 stay relatively light for the size of the stack and suits long, easy, high-volume training.
Nick found the Clifton ok at its main job aka rolling through easy runs and had a good time running in it even if he felt it was a slightly uninspiring ride.
We’d say the Hoka Clifton 11 is well suited to beginners but the comfort could also make it a potential winner for long-hauling and road ultras. It’s also nicely versatile beyond running, good for walking and casual daily wear.
The Run Test: Dislikes
The Hoka Clifton 11 is a fairly incremental update over the Clifton 10. There’s nothing ground breaking here to propel this big-stack cushioned daily into the headlines.
And perhaps the biggest criticism – or at least the biggest challenge – for the Hoka Clifton 11 will come from within its own Hoka running shoe ranks, with the Hoka Clifton Pro offering a more lively ride and arguably a better pace range for only £10/$10 more.
Nick found the Clifton 11 pretty soft, cushy, comfortable. It rolls through smoothly thanks to Hoka’s rocker, but doesn’t give you a whole lot of energy back and offers noticeably less energy return at faster paces with the midsole not giving much back when pushed with the Clifton offering more. That’s where he felt the Hoka Clifton Pro offered more.
In our tests, the Clifton 11’s exposed midsole outsole was liable to scuffing in areas with no rubber coverage. That’s a durability watch-point.
Verdict And Alternatives
The Hoka Clifton 11 is a genuinely solid, comfortable, easy-mile daily trainer that’s improved over its predecessor and still delivers on the Clifton promise, staying true to that line’s DNA of offering reliable, cushioned comfort in a stable package that’s good for low, easy and even longer milage. It’s reliable but safe. Not particularly exciting or exhilarating.
But this is a solid but not standout shoe in a very crowded field, going up against the likes of the Asics Novablast 6, Nike Vomero Plus, Puma Deviate Nitro Pure and Dynafish Xiaonian which all offering more versatility or energy at a similar price.
It’s a hard shoe to recommend as a first choice unless you specifically want that classic, firmer, rocker-driven Clifton ride over a livelier, more modern one. Even if it’s the former, you could save yourself a few quid bagging much the same from the Hoka Clifton 10 in a sale.
Hoka Clifton Pro vs Hoka Clifton 11
The Hoka Clifton Pro is a new max-cushioned addition to Hoka’s line-up featuring a rockered supercritical Proglide+ midsole, engineered mesh uppers and some comfort cruising details. It carries the Clifton name but Hoka says it’s built as a performance trainer engineered for maximum control. But how does it compare to the Clifton 11? We’ve done the necessary test miles to find out. Hit play for our Hoka Clifton Pro vs Hoka Clifton 11 head-to-head review.