HOKA Clifton 3

Name: HOKA Clifton 3
Brand: HOKA
Rating: 4.5 (37 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 9.1 oz · 5mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The HOKA Clifton 4 replaced it

How it ranks

The HOKA Clifton 3 is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Cushioning and comfort are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 37 runner reviews and 10 other rated shoes in the Clifton product line.

Very good

Overall

Very good 92

Cushioning

Exceptional 98

Comfort

Good 88

Durability

Good 86

Value

Good 81

Appearance

Bottom-tier 53

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

99 Very high

Very high 99

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

Product line track record
Our ratings
External ratings

What runners say

“The sole is extremely thick without feeling bulky or clunky”

4/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 16

“The first week in these things is dreadful on your feet”

4/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 16

“Surprisingly durable with at least 550 miles and still good for shorter runs”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon

“Don't let the marshmallow-like midsole scare you—one can and will run fast in this shoe”

5/5 Full review 78 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance 890 v5

“Durability could have been better—exposed EVA got shredded quickly, about 200 miles before they stopped feeling good”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the HOKA Challenger ATR 2

“A marvel—high levels of cushion in a package that is surprisingly fast”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Zealot ISO 2

“Can put 500+ miles on the shoe without it breaking down”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18

“At 80-110 mpw, over 1000 miles and still runs pretty comfortably”

5/5 Full review 90 mpw came from the Altra One 2.5

“At 9 oz, handles tempos, long runs, and recovery runs with no problem trying to run fast”

4/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Launch 5

“As light as racing flats yet provides just as much cushion as Adios boots minus the weight”

5/5 Full review 78 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance 890 v5

“Blown away with how comfortable it was—feet have never hurt after running in them”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the Salomon Sense Pro

“Held up incredibly well after a short break-in period—retired at 838 miles”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Triumph ISO 2

“Unless your foot is exceedingly narrow, you're going to have rubbing on the outside of your foot”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Zealot ISO 2

“At 5k pace and under, may feel a bit spongey compared to racing flats”

5/5 Full review 85 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“As someone with flat feet, I wish they had a little bit more structure underfoot”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GT-1000 6

“The rubber outsole wears out a little bit quick in some spots”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon

“The Clifton has gotten heavier with each iteration”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 2

“Only wish would be a wider toe box”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the HOKA Challenger ATR 3

“They are super ugly”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ravenna 8

“Toe box could be bigger”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 8

“Just a little unresponsive”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

Prefer this shoe over another

54% 34/63

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

Reviewers get cushioned long-run miles from a 9.6 oz build.
Many reviewers report 500 to 1000 miles before it breaks down.
Four reviewers coming back from injury describe comfortable, easy training in it.

Cons

Three reviewers want a wider toe box, though three others call it comfortable.
Two reviewers find it spongy and hard to turn over faster than 5K pace.
It lists at $130, and four reviewers call it expensive at full price.

Clifton 3 rates 92. This shoe has very high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the HOKA Clifton

Each dot is one version of the Clifton, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

96 2014 85 2015 92 2016 65 2017 80 2018 79 2019 81 2020 90 2021 98 2023 93 2025 89 2026

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Clifton 11

2026 · 4 reviews

89 Good

80 Confidence
Clifton 10

2025 · 11 reviews

93 Excellent

86 Confidence
Clifton 9

2023 · 130 reviews

98 Exceptional

100 Confidence
Clifton 8

2021 · 57 reviews

90 Very good

98 Confidence
Clifton 7

2020 · 8 reviews

81 Good

89 Confidence
Clifton 6

2019 · 68 reviews

79 Decent

99 Confidence
Clifton 5

2018 · 48 reviews

80 Good

99 Confidence
Clifton 4

2017 · 51 reviews

65 Below average

99 Confidence
Clifton 3 This shoe

2016 · 37 reviews

92 Very good

99 Confidence
Clifton 2

2015 · 5 reviews

85 Good

89 Confidence
Clifton 1

2014 · 16 reviews

96 Excellent

95 Confidence

Runner Ratings

37 ratings

5/5 19

4/5 17

3/5 1

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 9.1 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 9.6 oz · Women's 8.6 oz
Release: 2016 Q3
MSRP: $130
Drop: 5mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Sour, then Sweet.

4/5

Overall

After extensive hip training and strengthening, I had an unusual bio mechanical change. I shifted from an being an over-pronator to a neutral runner. I was excited to be a neutral runner, it opened the door to many new shoe possibilities, and my eyes were set on the Clifton 3s. Note that I train competitively, running upwards of 50-60 mile weeks. Lemme tell you, the first week in these things, is dreadful on your feet. I’ve run in memory foam shoes before (regretfully) and they burn your feet like crazy. I was unaware of the amount of cushion the Clifton 3 provided. The first week in these shoes by Hoka One One will burn your feet. I’ve already been through several pairs. HOWEVER, after the first week of torture, I can guarantee you will be in absolute bliss. Little aches and pains will be assuaged by the sheer level of cushioning the shoe provides. Your foot WANTS to run, as the shoe has a very forward rocking motion. Long runs are no longer dominated by foot cramping or any difficulties with comfort, you’ll settle in and can remain focused on the task at hand. Now do not be fooled with the amount of cushioning, these are FAST shoes. Once you step onto the track, they are extremely responsive and your feet don’t feel like your smashing them into the ground. Durability on these shoes is no question. The sole is extremely thick without feeling bulky or clunky. They last a lifetime. The snappiness of the shoe remains after intense months of training long distances. Even after 4 months, the toe is still quite difficult to bend towards the back of the shoe. In addition to its durability, the traction rides all the way through the shoe, so even after the sole has worn away by a lot, it still has great traction and almost zero foot sliding (with exception to some rocky trails). PROS: -Amazing cushioning, will leave feet feeling great. -Fast shoes, extremely responsive. -Durability is off the charts, will last a lifetime. (Means more time for running fast!) -Traction is amazing. -Does NOT feel clunky or bulky. -Great for neutral runners. -Looks AWESOME compared to other trainers. CONS: -Burns bottom of feet like crazy ONLY during the first week of breaking in. (Do not let this scare you) -Can be a little loose on the ankle on skinnier runners. Using the extra provided shoelace holes will fix this. -$130 price tag can be steep. -You will eat more because you want to run more often!

Anonymous runner · Feb 11, 2018

55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 16

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 3/5

a bit expensive

4/5

Overall

bu worth it, i think

winnr1 · Feb 8, 2018

40 mpw training for middle distance

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 3/5

Love my Hoka One One

4/5

Overall

These were the first maximalists shoes I've owned. I'm brand neutral and usually rotate through several brands of shoes during the week. I've done this for years with the idea that the variety was beneficial and prevented injuries. My Clifton's Brooke me off this habit because they just feel so good!

ChuckHappy · Feb 8, 2018

40 mpw training for a half marathon

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Best shoe I have ever ran in.

5/5

Overall

Highest marks where it matters. The shoe is comfortable, durable, and overall just great to run in. Obviously pretty high on the cushioning, but surprisingly light and responsive. I will say that the overall appearance does leave something to be desired, but the newer Hokas seem to be making good design improvements. On the expensive end new, but find a pair that's fresh out of the box but a model year behind, that's the deal of the century.

Anonymous runner · Feb 8, 2018

60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 18

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 5/5

OK little better than average!

4/5

Overall

These shoes fit good, width is good, a little more cushoning/bounce underneath might help to insure soft contact. But I guess that's part of keeping the shoes light which is a good thing. I stuck with them so I guess they are good over all! My injury (achilles) was primarily due to a small drop from front to back, hard running combined with my age. After my injury, I went back to the same shoe.

CanDoGuy · Feb 8, 2018

37 mpw came from the HOKA Conquest 2