The place the Hoka Clifton has began to fall somewhat flat in comparison with the upgrades different manufacturers are making to each day trainers, the Hoka Clifton Professional swoops in to say “maintain my foam”. Is that this the replace we’ve been ready for?
Just a few months in the past I obtained each the Clifton 11 and Clifton Professional to check on the similar time. My full evaluation of the Hoka Clifton 11 is out so that you can learn, however TDLR it’s advantageous. It’s a Clifton that feels largely unchanged with the underfoot really feel compared to what we’re testing from everybody else. In the event you appreciated the previous model, you’re golden.
It’s a firmer each day coach with a giant stack, that’s tremendous comfy for lengthy days in your toes.
The Clifton Professional is right here to provide you that up to date expertise. As they’ll say it’s not a substitute as a result of nobody is letting go of the behemoth that Clifton has grow to be within the informal world. However this feels just like the each day run shoe coach that we wish.
Our Verdict
The Hoka Clifton Professional continues to be a each day coach, but it surely’s the improve we’ve been anticipating Hoka to make for awhile. Now the Clifton 11 feels prefer it’s firmly within the informal realm, whereas the Professional is the up to date each day coach that feels in keeping with the remainder of the Hoka footwear we’ve been testing.
Who Is It Good For?
Who’s the Hoka Clifton Professional a great match for? Let’s break it down with some frequent classes:
- Broad Toes: First rate midfoot match to accommodate a wider foot, but additionally accessible in huge and further huge.
- Heavier Runners: Completely a terrific choice with loads of cushion that received’t overly sink in.
- Lengthy Runs: Designed for longer time on toes and can really feel good for full marathon mileage.
- Entrance of the Pack: Not designed for quicker runs.
Don’t let the title idiot you, this isn’t a race shoe, that is nonetheless a each day coach. The Clifton Professional is a nicely cushioned each day coach that may choose up the tempo somewhat bit from the unique and is extra pleasing for these wanting somewhat bounce and roll over lengthy miles.
Hoka Clifton Professional Overview
What’s the Hoka Clifton Professional?
It’s an improved cushioned to a beloved each day coach. The Supercritical EVA ProGlide+ foam has a way more premium really feel than the usual compressed EVA. It’s principally what most run shoe reviewers have been anticipating them to do within the Clifton for awhile.
The pattern for manufacturers in recent times is to create product silos. In different phrases, Nike knew runners liked the Pegasus and they also created the Pegasus, Pegasus Plus and Pegasus Premium. That are all solely totally different footwear, however a part of the identical quicker line up than say the tremendous cushioned Vomero line up.
Hoka made large modifications to the Clifton 10 dropping the heel to toe, going to a completely new shoe final and that’s now they customary going ahead for the shoe. However what they didn’t change was the froth, the general expertise and therefore we’ve the Clifton Professional.
We agree it’s each helpful and really complicated. They didn’t assist issues by releasing them in almost an identical colorways.
Now you’re taking a look at two footwear that appear very comparable and making an attempt to resolve which one is best for you. If I had been to provide somebody the elevator pitch I’d say the Clifton Professional is for runners, the Clifton is for runners who like a barely firmer journey and everybody who desires a shoe to face on their toes all day.
With that being stated, let’s get in to the specs and the way it truly feels to run in!
Hoka Clifton Professional Specs
- Model: Hoka
- Earlier Mannequin: Hoka Clifton 11 – type of
- Utilization: Every day Coach, Max Cushioned Shoe
- Weight: 10.4 oz males’s, 8.5 oz girls’s
- Stack Peak: 42mm
- Heel Drop: 8 mm
- Obtainable in 8 Colours
- Obtainable in huge (D width for girls, 2E for males)
- Obtainable on hoka.com for $165
Purchase Hoka Clifton Professional
Fast Take
Execs
- Sturdy over many miles
- Extra pleasing cushioned feeling
- Good for quite a lot of foot varieties
Cons
- A heavier each day coach
- Professional title might be deceptive
I type of want this was in some bolder brighter colours. That’s a uncommon factor for me to say, however I simply need this shoe to face out from the prevailing Clifton extra. However once more I feel that is possibly a naming difficulty…it’s not a quick race shoe.
It’s extra just like the Clifton+.
That’s correct. It’s not Professional.
Hoka Clifton Professional Match
The Clifton Professional match is similar because the Clifton. I’ve each footwear on proper now to try to discover a distinction; it’s clearly the identical shoe final (or foot mildew). The heel collar padding and tongue padding are the identical.
I used to be advantageous with the unique Clifton final as a extra slim footed particular person, however the brand new final applied within the 10 is means higher for runners with flat toes, wider toes or looking for extra room within the toebox. That being stated I’ve zero points with tightening it up and getting a terrific locked in really feel.
I put on my regular girls’s dimension 11 as I do in different Hoka fashions and types.
Haven’t had any points with the heel collar rubbing or going too far up the Achilles. The heel cup feels locked in and no excessive motion.
Laces are a wrestle to get to heel lock lacing. I’d most likely substitute them if I wanted to lock in to this shoe.
Hoka Clifton Professional Really feel
For awhile I used to be considering is that this their substitute of the Hoka Skyflow? I repeatedly talked about that I assumed it was a greater working shoe than the Clifton, which is solely because of the upgraded expertise.
In order any good tester does, I went for a run sporting the Skyflow on one foot, the Professional on the opposite after which I swapped to the Clifton 11 on one foot. Ultimately, the Skyflow is similar to the Clifton 11 and the Professional appears like extra shoe underfoot. 
It’s a max cushioned shoe by means of and thru.
It’s softer than the Clifton 11 with a bit extra rocker to it, permitting you to roll ahead extra. Nevertheless it’s not quicker, it’s somewhat heavier in truth. Perhaps as a consequence of having extra rubber protection on the outsole which ought to present actually nice sturdiness for the shoe.
I’m nonetheless struggling to seek out the suitable phrases to say the Professional is only a extra pleasing working expertise for longer miles than the 11, but it surely’s not a wildly totally different expertise. That is one other shoe that’s technically getting labeled as an excellent coach, however we disagree.
It’s a each day coach. Interval.
Loads like the brand new Saucony Paramount Max calling itself an excellent coach, but it surely’s only a massive max cushioned shoe. Sure, these really feel nice on the legs, however they don’t enable for selecting up the tempo they usually aren’t almost as versatile as one thing just like the Hoka Mach X3.
Ought to You Improve to the Hoka Clifton Professional?
Sure when you’re a runner. After all for all of the runners who’ve put in miles and miles on very pleased legs within the Clifton preserve going, however for anybody who has thought I like this however need just a bit extra, the Professional delivers at a terrific worth level.
No when you’re shopping for them as strolling footwear, lengthy days in your toes, informal footwear. I truly suppose the marginally firmer and fewer cumbersome really feel of the Clifton 11 is extra fascinating in these instances.
Related Footwear to the Hoka Clifton Professional
Searching for different choices which are the same each day coach with max cushion:
- Mizuno Wave Rider 30 – Related stack, comparable drop, comparable nicely cushioned each day coach really feel
- Asics Novablast 6 – 8mm drop, comparable stack however even lighter, it’s nicely cushioned and picks up the tempo much more
- Nike Vomero – Properly cushioned, can choose up the tempo a bit extra, 10mm drop
Hoka Working Shoe Line Up
Undecided the place all of the totally different fashions slot in to their line up, right here’s a fast breakdown.
- Hoka Clifton 11 – Base each day coach for impartial working
- Clifton Professional – Upgraded each day coach with softer, barely quicker really feel
- Hoka Mach 7 – Completely adore the Mach for being that decrease drop with cushion, very mild and quicker shoe.
- Hoka Mach X3 – Tremendous coach model that’s plated and somewhat quicker, nice for tempo
- Hoka Skyflow – That is going to be your tremendous cushioned long term coach that will get their tech updates (we’ve been instructed)
- Hoka Bondi – Plush restoration run shoe, lately we’ve most well-liked to Clifton. Splendid in your toes all day shoe
- Hoka Skyward X2 – That is their carbon plated shoe for the plenty and boy is it enjoyable!
All proper there you will have it, our tackle the Hoka Clifton Professional.
Have you ever tried it? Are you excited for this shoe?
What to learn subsequent?
- See all of our present each day coach opinions
- Finest Max Cushioned Working Footwear
- AmazFit Cheetah Professional 2 Assessment (1/2 the value of a Fenix all of the options)
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