This morning, I reached 150 miles on my Hoka Cliftons. The miles accumulated far more quickly than I expected, as these are the shoes I reach for whenever I want a fast run with quick leg turnover and without having to think about my feet.
Conversely, the Cliftons have not worked out quite so well as a shoe for long runs. At a slower pace, my heel sinks too deep into the cushion, and starting at around mile 10 I develop blisters at the front of my arch that I've never gotten with any other shoe. I've not been able to solve this problem with better lacing, and others have experienced the same problem: see here. Nevertheless, it's a fantastic shoe for the right purposes. (Here's Sage Canaday running 3 miles in 15:30 in his Cliftons).
When initially reviewing the Clifton, several reviewers, including myself, queried how durable they would be, given their insanely light weight. So, let's take a look:
Overall, the uppers have held up very well, although frame is starting to delaminate from the mesh in some places.
Turning the shoe over, the rubber overlays are holding up great. However, the exposed foam near the front of the shoe has worn down significantly, and is starting to wear down elsewhere as well.
My biggest concern, however, is with the midsole. On the medial (inner) side of the insole, the foam is showing numerous compression lines.
However, on the lateral side it looks as good as new.
As a result, the shoes are starting to lean inward, and I can feel it when I run. I worry that pretty soon, they'll be putting me at risk for injury.
But to be fair, the midsoles may last longer for lighter runners (I am 190 lbs), or those with different running form.
While I love the Cliftons, at $130 I'm not likely to pick up another pair for use as a frequent trainer. However, I can't wait for them to go on sale.
Conversely, the Cliftons have not worked out quite so well as a shoe for long runs. At a slower pace, my heel sinks too deep into the cushion, and starting at around mile 10 I develop blisters at the front of my arch that I've never gotten with any other shoe. I've not been able to solve this problem with better lacing, and others have experienced the same problem: see here. Nevertheless, it's a fantastic shoe for the right purposes. (Here's Sage Canaday running 3 miles in 15:30 in his Cliftons).
When initially reviewing the Clifton, several reviewers, including myself, queried how durable they would be, given their insanely light weight. So, let's take a look:
Overall, the uppers have held up very well, although frame is starting to delaminate from the mesh in some places.
Turning the shoe over, the rubber overlays are holding up great. However, the exposed foam near the front of the shoe has worn down significantly, and is starting to wear down elsewhere as well.
My biggest concern, however, is with the midsole. On the medial (inner) side of the insole, the foam is showing numerous compression lines.
However, on the lateral side it looks as good as new.
As a result, the shoes are starting to lean inward, and I can feel it when I run. I worry that pretty soon, they'll be putting me at risk for injury.
But to be fair, the midsoles may last longer for lighter runners (I am 190 lbs), or those with different running form.
While I love the Cliftons, at $130 I'm not likely to pick up another pair for use as a frequent trainer. However, I can't wait for them to go on sale.
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