HOKA Clifton 4

Name: HOKA Clifton 4
Brand: HOKA
Rating: 4.4 (51 reviews)

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

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The HOKA Clifton 5 replaced it

How it ranks

The HOKA Clifton 4 trails most 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 51 runner reviews and 10 other rated shoes in the Clifton product line.

Below average

Overall

Below average 65

Cushioning

Exceptional 98

Comfort

Good 89

Durability

Decent 75

Value

Below average 66

Appearance

Below average 61

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

“Every time I run for more than 1:20, I get a blister on top of second toe”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon

“Amazing feel, super light, nice roll off toe, plenty of cushioning”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Energy Boost 2

“After 6 weeks, plantar fasciitis almost gone, training mileage way up”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“The height of toe box was shallow, rubbed blister on top of two toes”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Launch 4

“Stretch the mileage out to 700–800 miles without feeling much besides quads a little more sore”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Bondi 5

“Sustained major upper calf injury after five runs”

3/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 10

“Extremely cushioned, stable, and quick to run in”

4/5 Full review 12 mpw came from the Under Armour Threadborne Shift

“Achilles pain went away within two weeks”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 8

“Added bulk and rocker design make stride feel awkward at pace”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Launch 4

“Cushioning helped prevent shin splints during long runs”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw came from the Brooks Glycerin 15

“Doesn't typically last beyond 250 miles”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon

“No longer experience foot pain (corrected from earlier model)”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw

“Needs shoe goo on outer heel every 50–100 miles”

5/5 Full review 28 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 3

“No achilles issues (previously perpetual problem)”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon

“Only shoe I can run in after plantar fasciitis”

5/5 Full review 75 mpw came from the adidas Ultra Boost 2018 - 4.0

“The side of previous pair ripped making it difficult to keep foot in place during runs”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Bondi 5

“Unique meta rocker function limits stress on big toe joint”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ravenna 9

“Plush feeling gone by mile 200”

4/5 Full review 80 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 3

“High arch and insole edge rubs blister one inch long in arch”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“Rips far faster than upper on previous models”

4/5 Full review 80 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 3

“Not good for intervals, feels like cloud”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v4

“Toebox narrower, midsole firmer”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 3

“Firm cushioning, heavier than previous Cliftons”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 8

“Just as much bulk as older Bondi”

4/5 Full review 85 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Bondi 4

“More narrow than Clifton 3”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 3

“The toe box is somewhat narrow”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon

Prefer this shoe over another

40% 29/73

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

Five reviewers call it light for the amount of cushioning it carries.
Four reviewers say their legs feel fresher after long runs.
Ten reviewers with foot, achilles or big-toe joint problems say it works for them.

Cons

Seven reviewers find the toe box narrow, and five get blisters on the toes or the arch.
Nine reviewers report the outsole or upper wearing out early, several of them by 200 to 300 miles.
Five reviewers find it awkward or flat at faster paces.

Clifton 4 rates 65. 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 This shoe

2017 · 51 reviews

65 Below average

99 Confidence
Clifton 3

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

51 ratings

5/5 23

4/5 27

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: 2017 Q3
MSRP: $130
Drop: 5mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Good, But Note Quite What I'm Looking For

4/5

Overall

Coming from the Bondi, I was looking for a shoe that offered a little less "bulk" to it, with a little more response. The Clifton seemed like clear choice. While I have been impressed with the durability and the cushion, I've found that the shoe is not as responsive as I would have preferred, and that it seems to have just as much bulk to it as the older Bondi I used to wear. I find myself looking at the Napali for my next shoe, as a more deconstructed version of the Clifton.

Anonymous runner · Feb 6, 2018

85 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Bondi 4

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

Your Go-To Training Shoe

5/5

Overall

Despite the looks of the Clifton 4, it's cushion and weight (or lack thereof) make it a shoe that holds up to daily mileage, but light enough to double as a tempo/marathon racing shoe. Each iteration from HOKA gets better and better, and the Clifton 4 feels more responsive/springier than previous models.

Anonymous runner · Feb 6, 2018

80 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 3

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

Hoka One One Clifton 4

5/5

Overall

This is the best Clifton yet. The midsole is a lot more firm than previous models, yet it still holds it's soft feeling. Because of the firmer midsole, I find that it holds its spring, and responsiveness for longer. With the Clifton 3's I sometimes felt the responsiveness wearing out towards the end of longer runs, but that is no longer a problem with the 4. Even though Hoka's still aren't super stylish, this is the best looking model so far. Been a big Hoka fan from the start, and the Clifton 4 has just overtaken the Tracer as my favorite Hoka shoe.

FreeBarabbas · Feb 1, 2018

60 mpw came from the HOKA Clifton 3

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

Hoka One One Clifton 4

4/5

Overall

I've put about 450 miles on this shoe. It still looks great and feels cushioned. It's my principal daily trainer. The toe box is somewhat narrow, but I knew that going in. Although I might prefer something a little wider, it hasn't really bothered me that I can tell. I have two principal complaints about this shoe: (i) every time I run in it for more than 1:20, I start to get a blister on the top of my second toe on the right foot. Nowhere else. But this happens to me every single time I run for that length of time, and makes the shoe unwearable for long runs or even races, unless you're able to take a lot of time off afterwards. My other complaint is price, which is a problem I have with almost all of Hoka's shoes. I never ran in any other Hokas before this one, so I can't compare to prior versions. I'd buy it again if I could find it cheaper.

curtbentley · Jan 29, 2018

50 mpw training for a marathon