Hoka One One Clifton 10 Introduction
Sometimes HOKA can surprise us with really exciting shoes like the wild-riding Cielo X1, or the explosive Mach X 2, which is one of the fastest, most energetic speed trainers on the market.
The Clifton is not one of those products. The Clifton is the equivalent of a peanut butter and jam sandwich for lunch- it will satisfy your hunger but it’s a boring meal that you’ve had hundreds of times before. And that’s completely fine. Hoka understands that it’s all about having a balanced product assortment.
In 2024, HOKA experienced remarkable financial growth, with its revenue surging by an impressive 28%. This substantial increase highlights HOKA’s continuance of strong performance in the running footwear market.
When compared to its main competitors, HOKA’s growth significantly outpaced the industry. Nike saw a modest revenue increase of only 1%. Adidas achieved a growth rate of 12%. Under Armour faced a downturn, with its revenue dropping by 3% during the same period.
These figures underscore HOKA’s exceptional growth trajectory and its increasing market share relative to its competitors. HOKA’s 2 main bestsellers are the Clifton and the Bondi.
Both of these trainers have new versions released every 2 years. In 2025, we get new versions of both the Clifton and the Bondi. When I reviewed the Clifton 9 in 2023, I felt that it was a good daily trainer but it was more suited to easy and recovery runs.
The big headline feature of the Clifton 10 is that it has an additional 3 mm more stack height in the heel. It’s also built on a wider last compared to previous Cliftons. The Clifton has always been a very narrow-fitting trainer. I recommended that runners get the wide version of the Clifton because the regular is only suitable for very narrow feet.
The Clifton 10 sees yet another price increase to $150. It has now increased by $20 over the last 2 versions. The Clifton 8’s price was $130. These days, the average price for a mid-range daily trainer is $140.
Hoka One One Clifton 10 First Impressions
The first time I put the Clifton 10 on, I was impressed with the new last. I ordered the regular version (not the wide) in my normal size, and the forefoot and toe box felt a lot more spacious than previous versions.
My first run was an easy one and I was surprised how firm the ride felt. The Clifton has never been a super soft ride but I was expecting the 10th version to be plusher since it has more stack height in the heel. It felt firmer than version 9 to me.
It felt similar to the Clifton 8, which was a firmer, more versatile iteration than the 9. The Clifton 10 felt like it could pick up the pace if you needed it to, like a text book daily trainer and not a max-cushioned trainer for only easy runs.
Hoka One One Clifton 10 Upper
This is the most comfortable Clifton upper to date because of its wider forefoot and toe box. You no longer need to buy the wide version or buy a half size up unless you have very wide feet.
The Clifton 10’s jacquard knit upper is a bit softer and a bit smoother than its predecessor but breathability is still not that great. It also has a generously padded tongue and collar so it’s more suited to cool climates than warm ones.
The tongue is not gusseted so there’s a little bit of downward tongue slide during runs, even though it has 2 lace loops on the tongue. The Clifton 9’s tongue, which was attached on one side was a much better design. Foot lockdown is good and there’s no heel slippage when using a runner’s knot.
Hoka One One Clifton 10 Sole Unit
I’ve been using the Clifton 10 every day for the past week, sometimes even twice a day for my doubles. What I’ve found is that the midsole is too firm for me. After some runs, I’ll notice that my feet hurt because of the firmness.
The Clifton 10 is now significantly firmer than other recent daily trainers like the ASICS Novablast 5, Nike Vomero 18, Saucony Ride 18 and New Balance 1080 v14. It’s also worth noting that the Bondi 9 is now softer than the Clifton 10. In previous years, the Clifton was the softer of the 2 maximalist HOKA trainers.
The Clifton 10 midsole is still made of CMEVA (compression-molded EVA), just like the 9 versions that came before it. It’s a very light, airy foam but it doesn’t offer much in terms of energy return or bounce. What the Clifton’s midsole does very well is that it provides a lot of support. It’s a very stable ride because the foam isn’t squishy.
Due to its firmer ride, the Clifton 10 now feels more like a daily trainer than a max-cushioned trainer like its predecessor. It’s easier to pick up the pace in the Clifton 10 so you can do steady runs and even short, fast bursts in it.
The MetaRocker midsole shape is still one of the Clifton’s signature features. It gently assists you through transitions so it feels more efficient and easier to run in the Clifton than in other trainers with flat midsoles.
The Clifton 10 has an extra 3 mm stack height in its heel and it’s now an 8 mm drop for the first time in the franchise history- it has always been 5 mm. HOKA said that they did this because over the life of the shoe, the heel compresses and this makes the drop even lower. With an 8 mm drop, the geometry holds up better over time.
Another new feature is the rearfoot active foot frame. This means that the sides of the midsole at the rearfoot are raised up (like barriers) to create guidance as your heels strike the ground.
Essentially, the Clifton 10 is a light stability trainer. I don’t enjoy this guidance feature because the raised midsole edges create a pressure point on the medial side of my rearfoot that overpronates. During runs longer than 10 kilometres, the inside of my rearfoot gets sore.
Outsole durability is not one of the Clifton 10’s strengths. The rubber (and exposed midsole foam) are very soft and they wear down faster than your average outsole. I’ve done over 110 km in my pair, and there’s significant wear on the outer lateral heel areas.
Hoka One One Clifton 10 Conclusions
The Clifton 10 is not my kind of daily trainer. It’s relatively lightweight (for its high stack height) but it’s not soft or plush like HOKA advertises. I prefer my daily trainers to be squishier and more energetic so it won’t be staying in my rotation.
Version 10 is a disappointing update for me and it’s a less fun version than 9. It has a firmer ride and it tries to guide your rearfoot during transitions which caused me some issues during longer runs.
The 10 will be better for you if you have wider feet or you need more stability but I prefer the plusher, more neutral Clifton 9. The Clifton 10 is however more versatile since its firmer ride makes it easier to pick up the pace.
At $150, the Clifton 10 is overpriced, especially considering it only has an EVA midsole that’s not even super critically foamed. Its competitors (Adidas Supernova Rise, ASICS Novablast, Saucony Ride, Brooks Ghost) are all cheaper and more comfortable than the Clifton. They also provide more energy return and have more engaging rides.
Most runners and walkers will prefer the HOKA Bondi 9 over the Clifton 10. The Bondi is $20 more but it has a super critically foamed EVA midsole which feels plusher and has a more lively ride. It also has more rockered transitions and an outsole with better durability.
