HOKA Clifton 8

Name: HOKA Clifton 8
Brand: HOKA
Rating: 4.5 (30 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 8.3 oz · Men's 29/24mm · women's 26/21mm stack · 5mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The HOKA Clifton 9 replaced it

How it ranks

The HOKA Clifton 8 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 57 runner reviews and 10 other rated shoes in the Clifton product line.

Very good

Overall

Very good 90

Cushioning

Exceptional 97

Comfort

Excellent 94

Value

Good 84

Durability

Decent 78

Appearance

Decent 77

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

98 Very high

Very high 98

External retailer ratings

We break apart ratings from mass-market retailers and specialty running shops since they serve different audiences.

The middle of the bar marks the typical shoe at each type of retailer. The dot shows where this shoe ranks in comparison.

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.

Our ratings
Product line track record
External ratings

What runners say

“After about 100km, what was once plush began to feel like running on gummy bears—squishy and sluggish.”

3/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Odyssey React 2

“All-around trainer that lets you do everything from tempos to 15+ mile long runs without beating up knees, back, or legs.”

4/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a marathon

“After I lace them up and hit the road, I forget they're even on my feet.”

5/5 Full review 5 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Clifton 5

“Worn for 4 years and really have held up nicely.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for 5K and 10K

“Feels so much springier and responsive without being a super shoe.”

5/5 Full review 100 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 25

“No drastic drop off when they hit high miles.”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Brooks Ghost 12

“I was able to run without knee pain.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for 5K and 10K

“300 miles in with no real tread wear or deterioration to note.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon

“The extra cushioning allowed me to get back into running.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Clifton 7

“Not easy to find in extra-wide width (EEEE to EEEEEE).”

4/5 Full review 28 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 25

“Soft but not too soft, so able to pick up the pace pretty easily.”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39

“Lightweight, cushioned, snappy, and durable.”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Clifton 7

“The energy return died.”

3/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Odyssey React 2

“Ran out of mileage a bit early.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Triumph 20

“Good enough as daily trainers for up to a year.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Mach 4

“The durability of the outsoles is not as good as higher-end Asics shoes.”

4/5 Full review 28 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 25

“Don't feel very quick when picking up the pace.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Triumph 20

“First few runs I got some major blisters in my inside arch.”

4/5 Full review 22 mpw training for 5K and 10K

“Bottoms wear out a little quicker than some other shoes.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for 5K and 10K

“Usually get around 400 miles in them.”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39

“Hoka made the forefoot a bit narrower.”

4/5 Full review came from the HOKA Clifton 7

“Nothing special about the foam, the ride, or the upper.”

3/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Rincon 2

Prefer this shoe over another

42% 20/48

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

Reviewers praise the soft cushioning for easy days and long runs.
It weighs 8.9 oz on a 37mm heel stack, light for a maximalist trainer.
Reviewers use it for everything from easy miles to tempos.

Cons

Reviewers rate durability 4.1 out of 5, its lowest dimension, and three say the outsole wears faster than other trainers.
Two reviewers find it hard to pick up the pace, one saying the cushioning goes flat after about 100km.
Two reviewers call the forefoot narrow, and one cannot find it in extra-wide.

Clifton 8 rates 90. 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 This shoe

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

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

57 ratings

5/5 32

4/5 22

3/5 3

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 8.3 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 8.9 oz · Women's 7.6 oz
Release: 2021 Q2
MSRP: $140
Stack: Men's 29/24mm · women's 26/21mm
Drop: 5mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

not exactly fashionable, but they feel like clouds!

4/5

Overall

after my first pair of cliftons in 2018, i have run almost exclusively in Hokas. They are extremely light and cusioned. if you need an all-around trainer that will let you do everything from tempos to 15+ mile long runs without beating up your knees, back or legs, then this is the shoe for you.

Ryan · Jun 30, 2023

65 mpw training for a marathon

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

4/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Jun 13, 2023

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

After my first pair, I never went back.

5/5

Overall

I started wearing the Clifton 8's in 2021. Since then I've never bought a different running shoe. They have brand new durability through the first few months and they're good enough as daily trainers for up to a year. The cushioning feels great and they land well. Can be used for long runs and even track repeats if you don't have anything else. Color selection is nice, especially the orange and white marble colors.

Jonathan Commentor · Jun 9, 2023

60 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Mach 4

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

Great shoe, trust it

5/5

Overall

Great shoe. Well deserving of its reputation. I use it for steady longer runs. Switching from the Nimbus on easy days, it feels so much springier and responsive without being a super shoe.

Anonymous runner · Jun 9, 2023

100 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 25

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 2/5
Value: 5/5

The Clifton has come back!

4/5

Overall

After the inaugural Clifton one, runners have been yearning for a Clifton that has felt the same. After many poorly received releases of this shoe (versions 2-5) the Clifton made major improvements through models 6 and 7. This is the new Clifton 1 we have been waiting for. A light, soft, and durable daily trainer.

Olin Kasperowicz · Jun 8, 2023

50 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Clifton 7