HOKA turned heads earlier this year with their new and improved Bondi 9, a pair boasting significant updates from the underwhelming 8th version. How do they follow up the overwhelmingly successful update to one of their flagship trainers? By doubling down and completely evolving their other flagship trainer, making it unrecognizable from previous versions. Find out if the big update translates to big gains on the roads, in this HOKA Clifton 10 review.
HOKA Clifton 10 Review
| STACK HEIGHT | WEIGHT | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| M: 42/34 mm W: 38/30 mm (8 mm drop) | M10: 9.8 oz/278g W9: 8.0 oz/227g | $150 |
Introduction
Since its debut in 2014, the HOKA Clifton has been a popular neutral daily trainer that works for a great variety of runners thanks to its stable ride, lighter weight, and reliable cushioning.
But now, more than a decade later, forget everything you thought you knew about the Clifton. Ok, now, forget everything you knew you knew about the Clifton. Because the Clifton 10 is a Clifton in name only. After not releasing an updated Clifton in 2024, HOKA came out of the gates strong in 2025 with a completely redesigned model that bears no resemblance to the Clifton 9. Or the 8. Or the 7…
Midsole
Nothing grinds my gears more than when a company adds a measly 2 millimeters to a shoe’s stack height. How much does the ride really change with a couple additional pennies underfoot? HOKA seems to agree with me.
They said, “Hold my beer, hold my wine, and hold my liquor,” and added a whopping 12 mm (12 mm!) to the heel and 7 mm (7 mm!) to the forefoot in the Clifton 10, resulting in a behemoth 42/34 mm stack height in the men’s version and 38/30 mm for women. (Sadly, I don’t think we’ll ever get shoe gender equality.) Now, this is a shoe update! The Clifton 9 had a “meager” 32/27 mm stack height. In comparison, HOKA’s Bondi 9 has a stack height of 43/38 mm (men) and 42/37 mm (women).
In the process, the Clifton’s standard 5 mm drop moves up to 8 mm. These updates firmly position the Clifton 10 in the max cushion category, which sounds like quite the risky move, especially to Clifton loyalists who have come to rely on the shoe’s moderate cushion and lower drop. But make no mistake: these midsole updates drastically improve the shoe.
The midsole uses compression molded EVA (CMEVA), which is lighter and more responsive than traditional EVA foam. It’s the same foam as the Clifton 9, although you wouldn’t know it by running in the shoe.
Ride
The Clifton becomes an even better daily trainer and a dependable long-run shoe than it already was. The shoe’s retooled geometry provides an effortless heel to toe transition and the immense level of cushioning and rear-foot active foot frame provide a soft bed of foam to land with both extreme comfort and support. The Clifton 9 felt firm and dull at times, but the 10 has a noticeably softer, livelier ride. And despite the gigantic gain in stack height, the shoe doesn’t sacrifice any stability.
If I could pick only one “shoe drop” to run in for the rest of my life, I’d choose 8 mm. (I’m not a nerd, you’re a nerd!) As predominantly a heel striker, 8 mm works very well for my foot strike and mechanics. And the Clifton 10 is no exception. The notable addition in cushioning coupled with the Metarocker and updated geometry make this shoe much easier to conquer miles in than the Clifton 9. This is one of the best rockers I’ve run in in recent memory. Dare I say, “Rock on!”
Although heavier, the Bondi 9 feels slightly more responsive than the Clifton 10 thanks to the Bondi Bounce™ but both shoes provide quite the enjoyable ride.
Upper
HOKA drastically improved the fit of the upper from the ninth iteration, moving from a knit mesh to a jacquard knit. The Clifton also adds a double-lace lock that makes a sufficient lockdown easier by keeping the non-gusseted tongue in place better. The significant heel counter offers additional support.
This is a much more comfortable upper than the constricting, narrow upper in the ankle and forefoot area in the Clifton 9 that left a lot to be desired.
Outsole
The Clifton 10 has a Durabrasion outsole, with decent rubber coverage, which is reminiscent of the Bondi 9 outsole. There’s no wear and tear through 60 miles, but that’s to be expected. Traction in wet conditions was not a problem—it never is in any running shoe I wear, which is odd because I’m quite the “slick” guy. Ba dum tss.
Weight
This is where the Clifton will get docked some imaginary points by the imaginary judges, AKA shoe reviewers. The 10 gained more than an ounce from the previous edition, 1.1 ounces to be exact. Ouch. I would have allowed one ounce, but that extra tenth of an ounce is really going to hurt the shoe’s imaginary score. In all fairness, the shoe did add a crap-ton of foam, remember? The significant weight gain is yet another indicator this is not the same old Clifton.
Aesthetics
Meh. If this was a beauty pageant, the Clifton 10 would not be anywhere near competitive. In fact, it shouldn’t even bother entering the pageant; it’ll only get embarrassed and outshined by other sexier shoes with better bodies. It’s a rather boring-looking pair that that doesn’t exactly scream “modern!” It screams “outdated!” And it’s certainly not a shoe I’d pick to go out on a date with—uh, not to wine and dine, to wear while I’m wining and dining a sexy female human being that definitely exists and definitely isn’t A.I.
Price
Wow! Despite a price increase of $5, this is one of the rare instances when a running shoe isn’t overpriced! $160 is the going rate set by greedy, corrupt shoe brands for max cushion trainers, so $150 for a pair with over 40 mm in the heel is, actually, something to write home about!
“Dear Home,
Oh, how I miss you dearly. It seems like I never get to write to you. It doesn’t help that there’s a phrase that specifically discourages me from writing to you. Alas, here I am, finally writing to you today, to inform you that the HOKA Clifton 10 is an excellent daily trainer with a stack height of 42/34 mm, yet is reasonably priced at $150. Isn’t that totally worth writing to you about?!
I hope to write to you again soon, Home.
I love you.
Sincerely,
The Size 15 Runner
Conclusion
HOKA took a big risk drastically modifying its most popular shoe, but it paid off, big-time. The result is one of this year’s best updates right alongside the Bondi 9. HOKA continues to improve their lineup of shoes, and their latest 2025 updates are a prime example.
If you thought the Clifton offered a rather pedestrian ride in the past, you’ll want to check out the tenth version. This ain’t the Clifton of old: it’s a completely different, much better shoe.
The Clifton 10 is available on HOKA.com or wherever you prefer to empty your wallet on running shoes.
HOKA graciously provided this shoe to me for wear testing. I was not compensated for this HOKA Clifton 10 review and HOKA did not get an opportunity to see this HOKA Clifton 10 review before I published.
