One of my favorite shoes last year received an update even without the improvements the Clifton was a solid shoe so I was eager to see how Hoka would improve on a nearly perfect shoe for me.
The original Clifton wasn't without some minor flaws or what like to call #IWishTheyWoulda's, I wish they woulda added an additional eyelet, I wish they would do something with the tounge and finally I wish they would do something with the insole so it would stay in place. I resolved the latter with a little dab of loctite and was tempted to add an additional eyelet by performing surgery with an exacto knife but, decided to chill.
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| 5.00mm Offset 24mm forefoot 29mm heel |
I'm two pairs deep on the original Clifton and pass the 50mile marker in my Clifton 2's. The majority of the changes were to the upper and my #IWishTheyWoulda's were addressed it was as if they read my mind-thank you from the bottom of my sole.
The changes weren't so drastic as to be unrecognizable don't worry you'll still have the same ride as with last years award winning shoe. Hoka added an additional eyelet and padded tounge to the Clifton 2 and really dialed in the fit on the upper.
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| Full Ground Contact Design |
They're a lot of Hoka Haters out there but, there's no hating on Hoka's ability to cram so much cush into such a light weight package. Gotta Luv the Cush!! The Clifton 2's are my go to kicks for recovery or long runs. The improvements to the upper made it appealing enough for me to rock around town.
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| Ultra-Lightweight No-Sew Speedframe |
I alternate between a max cushion of a Clifton for LSR to a 1400, Fastwitch 7, Hitogami 2 and most recently NB Vanzee Pace for speed work and tempo runs The change in kicks stimulates different muscles. I even noticed differenence in the laces with a bit of elastic in them and trimmed in red-nice detail.
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| Early-Stage Meta-Rocker Geometry |
I've used the Clifton's for tempo runs also with no issues, it's easy to see why this shoe was last years fav and this years best trail shoe of 2015 according to Competitor.
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| Strategic Rubber Placement for Lightweight Durability |
- Ultra-Lightweight No-Sew SpeedFrame Construction.
- Early-Stage Meta Rocker Geometry.
- Full Length Compression-molded EVA Midsole.
- Full Ground Contact Design.
- Strategic Rubber Placement for Lightweight Durability
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| Perfect Balance of weight & cushion |
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| 7.70oz based on US9
The Clifton 2 gained some weight since last year but, it's not noticeable on the ride weighing in at 8.3oz in a men's size 9 compared to 7.9 in the original-that's still lighter than a Ghost, Glycerin, Nimbus or Vomero.
RunR4Lyfe
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