Hoka Clifton 11 Review

Our Verdict

Our Analysis and Test Results

Comfort sells. That's part of why the Hoka Clifton has been such a popular shoe across its iterations. When you first slip it on and walk a few steps around a shoe store, it feels delightfully plush. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer much more beyond a good first impression.

Comfort

This is the reason to purchase a pair of Hoka Clifton 11 shoes for walking, if you're interested. The incredibly tall 42 mm heel stack height is loaded with soft EVA foam that'll have you feeling like you're standing on Cloud 9.

The midsole isn't saggy plush, either. It has a nice bit of bounce to it. Though it molds well to your feet, it provides enough energy return that'll keep you wanting to move forward. The high 11 mm heel drop we measured also encourages you to keep your forward march going. In our experience, we found the foam to be nice for standing still or walking for long stretches.

The fit, while unique for each person, felt appropriately snug all around the foot for us. The uppers wrap around the foot nicely without any areas that felt too tight or like they would pinch in our regular-width tester pair. But what's nice is that Hoka offers wide and extra-wide versions of the Clifton 11 as well.

Putting the shoe on and taking it off is fairly straightforward. The pronounced heel tab is a good grab point for helping slide your heel in. The tongue does droop into the empty shoe, though, so you'll have to lift it when you slide the shoe on.

And with this latest version, Hoka further improved the comfort of the Clifton 11 over its predecessors by adding more padding to the collar and adjusting its shape to have more of an outward-curving flare to it. This makes the on/off process just a little bit easier and improves heel comfort, especially for when you wear this shoe all day long.

Support

This is where the Hoka Clifton 11 falls flat, or more appropriately — falls over. It's a neutral, high-stack shoe that straight up feels wobbly when conditions aren't perfect.

That's not to say there is zero support in this shoe. The Clifton 11 does utilize a rearfoot-focused Active Foot Frame that does decently well at locking your heel into place and making heel strike feel stable and secure on impact.

But once the ground becomes uneven, or you make a sudden stop or sharp turn, that's when the instability is immediately felt. The high stack height of the Clifton 11 paired with its soft midsole foam and lack of structural midfoot or forefoot support, can easily lead to rolled ankles and unstable footing.

The Hoka Clifton 11 does have a fairly wide base that measures nearly 5 inches across at its widest point. That does help keep you grounded. But it's like a drag racer with wide tires — great on flat surfaces in a straight line, just don't expect it to make tight turns very well.

Durability

After our testing period was said and done, we found some minor wear present on the outsole portions of foam that are not protected by rubber. The damage wasn't anything substantial, though.

The upper engineered mesh is moderately abrasion-resistant, but only small slivers of it (like the Hoka logo) are adorned with tougher materials. Likewise, the upper lacing eyelets are more thoroughly reinforced than the lower eyelets.

Traction

The Hoka Clifton 11 has all-around ok traction. There are no glaring weaknesses or strengths, though we do have some concerns regarding the tread over the long term.

Rubber is used strategically across the forefoot and heel at high-impact areas of the sole. Between the gaps, the soft midsole foam is exposed. That midsole foam is soft and can easily be damaged, but if you stick to smooth, flat surfaces, like office tile, then you won't have to worry about it.

The rubber tread pattern doesn't have much depth to it. And overall, the rubber layer is fairly thin. With extended use, we expect the rubber to smooth out and become bald fairly quickly at the heel, ball of the foot, and/or the toes — wherever you tend to make the most contact with the ground. That means over time, the traction will slowly become less grippy and more slippy.

Weight

Weighing just under 10 ounces per shoe, the Hoka Clifton 11 isn't light enough to appreciate or heavy enough to really be concerned about. The huge amount of midsole cushion is where a lot of the weight is coming from, so it's a sacrifice of a couple of ounces in the name of comfort.

It's certainly a bottom-heavy shoe. The single-layered uppers are fairly light, and there isn't a lot of stiff structure adding to the scale. The weight's really just not all that noticeable, in a good or bad way.

Should You Buy the Hoka Clifton 11?

If you're a Hoka fan and squishy underfoot comfort is what you're after, this shoe might just be your cup of tea. It can be good for casual walks in flat, urban environments. That said, anyone in need of stability assistance should seek out a shoe that offers more structural support.

What Other Men's Walking Shoes Should You Consider?

Comfort seekers should give the Altra Experience Flow 3 some serious consideration. It also has a comfortable midsole, but offers more energy return and a wider toebox that makes it an even more comfortable shoe for all-day wear. If you're a Hoka fan who's on your feet all day at work, the Hoka Bondi SR offers parallel comfort, but with much more grip and stability.