The Hoka Clifton is one of the most popular running shoes in the world, which is obviously great news for Hoka, but does come with one notable disadvantage — how do you update a shoe that people already love without risking disappointment?
One answer is to barely update it at all. For me, the Hoka Clifton 11 is very similar to the Hoka Clifton 10, bar some changes to the upper and a slightly softer sock liner.
Hoka clearly did have some big updates to the Clifton in mind this year, but instead of putting them into the Clifton 11, they went into the Hoka Clifton Pro, which launched at the same time.
The Clifton Pro has a new midsole foam that creates a more energetic and fun ride, and for me it’s one of the best running shoes launched so far this year, and the Clifton to go for over the 11, even if you pay slightly more.
For its part, the Clifton 11 remains a comfortable daily trainer for rolling through easy miles, and it’s also great for those who spend all day on their feet for work, but rivals like the Puma Deviate Pure Nitro and Asics Novablast 6 are more enjoyable options, along with the Clifton Pro.
Hoka Clifton 11 review: price and availability
The Hoka Clifton 11 went on sale in July 2026 and costs $155 in the U.S. and £140 in the U.K., making it $10/£10 cheaper than the Hoka Clifton Pro, which launched at the same time.
Some of its key rivals do come in slightly cheaper, notably the equally-popular Nike Pegasus 42 and Brooks Ghost 18, along with the Puma Deviate Pure Nitro.
Hoka Clifton 11 review: design and fit
The Clifton 11 is currently available in 15 colors for the women’s shoe and 13 colors for the men’s shoe. It comes in wide and standard fits — I found the standard shoe fit me well in my normal running shoe size, but Hoka shoes can run narrow so the wide option is welcome.
It’s listed as being slightly lighter than both the Clifton 10 and Clifton Pro at just under 10oz in a men’s size 10. My men’s size 9.5 actually came in at 10.1oz on my scales, but minor variances like this are normal in running shoes.
The Clifton 11 has a drop of 8mm and a stack height of 42mm at the heel and 34mm in the forefoot, which is the same as the Clifton 10 and Clifton Pro.
Upper
The Clifton 11 has a mesh upper that has some minor changes from the Clifton 10, designed to improve the fit and breathability.
I found the fit and feel of the upper very similar to that of the Clifton 10, which is no bad thing. It’s a comfortable upper that’s breathable enough for me in hot conditions, with some padding around the collar that helps to hold the heel securely.
Midsole
The midsole on the Clifton 11 uses a compression-molded EVA foam, as opposed to the more energetic and impressive supercritical EVA foam on the Clifton Pro. It’s the same midsole foam as on the Clifton 10, but the sock liner has been changed to a softer material.
Overall, the setup feels similar to the Clifton 10, and I think Hoka could have introduced the ProGlide+ foam from the Clifton Pro into the Clifton 11 and made that a bigger update rather than introducing a second Clifton into the line-up.
Outsole
The Clifton 11 uses Hoka’s Durabrasion rubber to cover the forefoot and heel on the bottom of the shoe. It has gripped well for me throughout testing and there are no signs of wear and tear yet, despite me using the shoe on dirt trails for most of my runs.
Hoka Clifton 11 review: running performance
I used the Clifton 11 for a mix of daily training runs at easy and steady paces, with my longest run in the shoe being just over 10 miles.
Throughout testing it felt very familiar to me, as someone who has ran extensively with the last few models of the Clifton. It has a soft, mellow ride feel that’s great at easy paces, with the mild rocker profile of the shoe helping to ease you from heel to toe smoothly.
At faster paces, the limitations of the midsole foam are more apparent, in that it doesn’t give a lot of energy back when you’re trying to push. This is the main difference from the Clifton Pro for me, which does offer more energy return, while also being comfortable and smooth.
During testing, I did a short run wearing the Clifton 11 on one foot and the Clifton Pro on the other, and extra resiliency and bounciness of the Pro was noticeable. The Clifton 11 is softer at the heel, but lacks the spring off the forefoot you do get from the Pro.
I did enjoy my easy runs in the Clifton 11 and it gets the job done as a daily trainer for racking up miles, but there are certainly rivals that do the same job more enjoyably thanks to livelier midsole foams, while also being more versatile with regards to their performance at faster speeds, with the Novablast 6 and Puma Deviate Pure standing out on this front.
The Clifton has long been a popular pick for people who are on their feet all day at work and I still think the Clifton 11 will do this job very well. It’s great for walking too, just like past models of the shoe.
Should you buy the Hoka Clifton 11?
The Hoka Clifton 11 does all the things I expect a Hoka Clifton to do, being a comfortable option for easy runs that will suit a wide variety of runners, as well as walkers.
However, it doesn’t feel as up-to-date as the best shoes in its area, which are using livelier midsole foams that are bouncier and more fun, and the killer rival might well be the Clifton Pro, which I think is worth the $10 upgrade.
The Asics Novablast 6 is lighter and performs better at faster paces for me, while still being just as cushioned as the Clifton 11. The Puma Deviate Pure has a lower stack, but it’s still comfortable and much lighter and faster than the Clifton 11.
Compared to other very popular options, I do favor the Clifton 11 over the Nike Pegasus 42 and Brooks Ghost 18, both of which are firmer, heavier, and less cushioned and smooth. The Novablast 6 or Clifton Pro would get my vote over the entire trio, however.
