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I resisted Hoka for two years.
Looked too chunky. Too maximalist. Too much like I was making a statement I wasn't ready to make.
I kept buying what I'd always bought and kept quietly accepting that my feet felt it by the end of the day.
Then I tried a pair. One wear.
That was about two years ago - I've put countless miles on that pair and I'm looking forward to my next.
The shoe is the Hoka Clifton - now in its eleventh version.
It started as a running shoe. That's not how I think about it anymore.
The Clifton is the shoe I reach for every morning regardless of what the day holds.
Walking, Running. A full day on my feet. Errands, travel, wherever the day goes. Thick stack, surprisingly light, a ride that absorbs what the ground throws at you from the first step to the last.
That's a harder thing to find than it sounds.
What makes it work beyond the run.
The cushioning platform is doing quiet work all day - not just during a run. A full day on your feet in the Clifton feels meaningfully different from the same day in almost anything else. That's the detail most shoe reviews miss entirely.
The colorways have improved as well - the all black and clean neutrals don't announce themselves as athletic shoes in the wrong context. They just look like a man who made a considered choice about his footwear.
Fits true to size. No break in period. Immediate comfort from the first wear.
The Clifton 11
Hoka just released the Clifton 11 - updated cushioning platform, refined fit, same DNA that made my 9. If you're coming into this fresh, start with the 11. If you're already a Clifton person you already know.
$155. Worth every dollar.
Clifton 10 - still available in limited quantities.
Also worth exploring - If the Clifton's stack height isn't your preference, I would recommend the following styles -
Hoka Transport GTX - weatherproof, versatile commuter shoe.
Hoka Mach Remastered - cushioned speed trainer.
👉 On Cloud 5 Waterproof is the other shoe in my regular rotation - check out my previous review (along with the updated Cloud 6 Waterproof)
