Upper
(Photo cred: Competitor Magazine)
I think that this is where Hoka really made a fantastic upper. It's lightweight, breathable, and stretchy. I can see how they took off around 3 ounces from all their previous shoes. But the upper is also where I found the most issues. It is a bit narrow. Not overly so, but enough to cause a tad bit of discomfort. But most Hoka's I have tried are bit to narrow. Why can't Hokas release wider shoes? Well I have one more dislike. The overlays started to come off the upper much to early. And I thought that it could be
a big discomfort or fit problem. But honestly when I was running it didn't affect anything.
Midsole
Fantastic. I am sorry there is nothing wrong with the midsole. It's light, fluffy, and surprisingly springy. I almost wish there was something wrong with it, for the sake of the review. When running uphill it launches you and when you run downhill you feel no impact. Bottom line flawless.
Outsole
Just a basic road outsole. Some rubber but mostly exposed midsole EVA. There are no lugs making it a road only shoe. But it works on wet, dry, and dirt roads perfectly. And after 300+ miles there is very little to no wear.
Conclusion/final thoughts
This is a road shoe. And the only problem with this is I am above all a trail runner. But luckily for me and many other Clifton loving trail runners Hokas is releasing the Hokas One One Challenger, a trail version of the Clifton. I got to check it out at REI today and I must say it was love at first sight. Alright this is the best road shoe I have worn flat out. And soon I will be releasing a review of the Hoka Huaka, another great lightweight shoe from Hoka.
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