Jane Kibii runs through Wall Street in the HOKA ONE ONE Rincon | Hoka Clifton 10 Performance Review

The Clifton 9 was the best Clifton ever, but that didn’t stop Hoka from tweaking the formula significantly in 2025 with the Hoka Clifton 10.

What is the Hoka Clifton 10?

Hoka waxes nostalgic with its description: “A trusted trainer for daily maintenance miles, the Clifton has been the keystone of our cushioned styles for 10 years and counting. Ushering in a new era of plush performance, this next-generation update delivers a revitalized underfoot experience with an additional 3mm in heel-to-toe drop.”

Along with the update to an 8mm heel-to-toe drop, the total stack height increased A LOT. The men’s version has a 42mm heel and 34mm forefoot while the women’s version gets a 38mm heel and 30mm forefoot. When compared to the Clifton 9’s 32mm heel/27mm forefoot…that’s a big update. Let’s find out how the update performed.

Cushion

Drew: The Hoka Clifton 10’s midsole foam is the same CMEVA used in the Clifton 9, so it’s plush for easy or recovery days with a slight elasticity and bounce that makes it livelier than typical EVA midsoles.

But there’s also more foam underfoot, and that makes a difference. The Clifton 10 feels modernized to keep up with the high stacks of cushion that are rampant across running shoes these days.

With the increased midsole stack comes a new heel-to-toe drop as well. Hoka’s signature 5mm drop is dropped [Editor’s Note: facepalm] in favor of a more traditional 8mm drop. Hoka did this because all that soft foam in the heel tends to sink more rapidly than the forefoot, especially for heel strikers (the majority of runners). Today’s huge stacks of heel foam end up feeling like less drop than they are when measured.

To combat that, Hoka changed the drop. The claim is that in the end it will feel very similar to the standard 5mm drop. And while I didn’t think it felt exactly like the 5mm drop on the Clifton 9 and Bondi 9, it came close. I imagine racking up the miles in the Clifton 10 would get it even closer. So while it may feel slightly different underfoot compared to what Clifton fans are used to, I think changing the heel-to-toe drop alongside the extra foam was the right call.

But I’m a big guy that pushes around foam like a bully that needs lunch money. Annie, and her smaller frame, may have felt differently.

Annie: Even for my 5’0” self, the Clifton 10’s CMEVA foam feels softer and the whole midsole more pliable when compared to the supercritical EVA in the Hoka One One Scarpa da corsa 'KAWANA' bianco nero (a shoe that Drew loved and one that I enjoyed much more than anticipated). The Clifton’s lighter weight (by over an ounce) also gives it a marginally more versatile feel than the Bondi 9.

The midsole here somehow ended up feeling more interesting to me than it did in the Clifton 9, despite being comprised of the same foam. And that surprised me. As someone who tends to gravitate toward shoes with a low(er) drop, I was somewhat leery of the shift to 8mm and wasn’t initially crazy about how it felt on my first run. But it ended up working with the MetaRocker in such a way that I was able to tick over more easily than I could in the previous Clifton. I didn’t get “lost in the soft” here.

I enjoyed the Clifton 10 for easygoing daily runs as well as for mild progression runs in the 1.5 to 2-hour range. It definitely wouldn’t be my first choice for the majority of uptempo work, but it did okay on those long-ish, moderately-paced efforts. Its pace versatility ends up being its primary limiting factor, but there’s enough cushioning for plenty of longer miles.

Support

Drew: The support on the Hoka Clifton 10 is pretty standard fare for a neutral, cushioned daily running shoe. A big internal heel counter and sitting inside the midsole at the heel along with solid lockdown kept my foot where it needed to be. It’s nothing special, but it does the job.

Annie: I sometimes find even Hoka’s neutral models have more support built into their constructions than I personally prefer, particularly within the midsole. But the Clifton 10 didn’t feel overly structured underfoot. My feet were nicely nestled into the footbed without too much interference or interruption to their preferred movement pattern.

Where support initially faltered for me was in the upper. But a few break-in outings and a runner’s knot later, I was able to achieve a secure fit. The Clifton 10 ended up striking a nice balance between support and ease.

Traction

Drew: The Hoka Clifton 10’s Durabrasion outsole uses a good amount of rubber in a pattern that’s very, very close to what’s found on the Bondi 9. However, I found the Clifton 10 held up better against harsh pavement than the Bondi 9. It seems about average in terms of its durability. 

Annie: The amount of wear I’m seeing in the tread of the Durabrasion rubber portions of the outsole is on par with what I experienced in the Bondi 9 – which is to say nothing too far out of the ordinary.

But as someone who spends a lot of time on the midfoot of a shoe, I’ve made a significant dent into the exposed foam that covers more of that area of the Clifton 10’s outsole – beyond the usual (cosmetic) fraying. So, depending on where your high-wear areas are, I’d expect only average-to-below-average durability from the outsole on the whole.

As for grip, rougher wintry conditions left me moving tentatively; but dry surfaces and wet roads in non-freezing temps weren’t a problem.

Upper

Drew: The vegan jacquard knit upper on the Hoka Clifton 10 hardly feels any different from the one used for the Clifton 9 – which is fine because it’s solidly comfortable. However, the Clifton 9’s tongue was gusseted on one side while the Clifton 10’s tongue has no gussets. Luckily, I didn’t get any tongue movement on my runs.

It’s sort of a ho-hum upper that does its job comfortably and just kind of stays out of the way.

Annie: As Drew noted, the upper feels a tad generic with regard to materials and initial fit, but it does what it’s supposed to in the end.

Depending on how your feet line up with the last shape, you might find yourself needing to experiment with the lacing in order to get the upper to conform securely at first. That said, it’s not a major gripe because – as we talked about in the “Support” section – the fit did improve once the upper had more of a chance to mold to my foot.

Is the Hoka Clifton 10 wide foot friendly?

Drew: No. I think the Clifton 9 featured a wider toebox. The Clifton 10 fits fairly narrow through the forefoot and midfoot. Luckily, the Hoka Clifton 10 will be available in wide and extra wide versions so that wide-footers can also enjoy it.

Annie: The Clifton 10 does seem to have a different contour through the forefoot compared to its predecessor. Though, despite having a wider foot, the Clifton 10 actually fits me a bit better than the Clifton 9 did.

For reference, the spot I usually need a touch more room is through the ball of the foot on the lateral side. What seems to be making the (positive) difference here is that the Clifton 10’s upper has a little more height/volume in that exact spot (right where the two bottommost eyelets are). So I just feel less pinched there overall.

But while the Clifton 10 isn’t so constrictive as, say, the Hoka Arahi 7, wide-footers should still opt for wide sizing – especially if they want enough room to take advantage of the extra cushioning on longer runs. The Clifton 10 fits true-to-size in length.

Is the Hoka Clifton 10 worth $150?

Drew: Yes, the Hoka Clifton 10 is worth $150. The $5 increase from last year notwithstanding, the Clifton 10 stacks up nicely to its competition, most of which is priced at the $160 mark. The $150-$160 price band for daily trainers is chock full of competition, so the Clifton 10 does itself a service by appearing at the bottom of that price band.

Annie: Despite its kind of ho-hum upper and potentially middling durability, I think the Hoka Clifton 10’s new midsole stack could justify $150 in that its level of cushioning does now bring it into competition with shoes in the ~$160 range.

But one reason I’m a little less understanding of the increase is this: I believe Hoka has now increased the price for each of the last two Cliftons (from the 8 to the 9, and now the 9 to the 10). I get that Hoka added a significant amount of foam in this latest iteration. But I’d nevertheless have loved to have been able to tout the company’s goodwill had it kept the price stable this year for consumers’ sake.

And I further have to remind myself that the new stack height and new drop of 8mm also brings the Clifton 10 incredibly close to what the Asics Novablast 5’s specs look like on paper, and the latter is priced at $140 (and has an outsole that may promise more durability).

So, I’m torn here.

Ultimately, I’m going to hope the back-to-back increases mean that Hoka won’t be upping the Clifton’s price the next time around. If that’s the case, I’ll be appeased – because the Clifton 10 does indeed feel good underfoot.

How to use the Hoka Clifton 10

The Hoka Clifton 10 is best when used for everyday running, specifically easy and recovery runs. Some runners will be able to take it long as it’s got more than enough cushion for double-digit mileage runs. It does have some elasticity for pick-ups like found in progression runs, but it’s a bit bulkier and lacks the response of shoes built for uptempo sessions.

Jane Kibii runs through Wall Street in the HOKA ONE ONE Rincon | Hoka Clifton 10 Summary

Drew: The Hoka Clifton 10 is another successful Clifton. As long as you get the right width for your foot, you’ll get a daily running shoe with few downsides. There’s nothing inherently special about it, but the Clifton 10 does exactly what it says it will.

Annie: As Drew said, finding the right fit will be the key to success here, as will be determining whether you tend to beat up on your shoes faster than most. The Hoka Clifton 10 doesn’t break the mold in any significant way, but its generous amount of comfortable cushioning, midweight feel, and pleasant ride will keep you cruising steadily through your everyday miles.

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 43, 6’6″ 200lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Annie Keris (age 39, 5’0” 117lbs): Typically follows a “two days on, one day off” running routine. “On” days include daily miles, speed work, and long runs. An “off” day usually involves yoga and mobility/recovery work. Enjoys occasional racing but perhaps enjoys the training process even more. Gravitates most toward the half marathon distance, but ventures into the 10k and 5k as well. The marathon is thus far uncharted territory…

Disclosure

While Hoka did provide a pair of the Clifton 10 to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.