Wore these for 2 days working. Walked about 12 miles between the 2 days and was thoroughly disappointed. Killed my feet and back, sounds like you are walking on suction cups due to the tread design. Initially felt comfortable, but 1 hour into wearing them the first day, I had wished I had another pair of shoes to change into. Felt like a soft cushiony no support experience while walking around. First day was walking between a grassy area and sidewalks. By the end of the night my feet and backed ached beyond belief. Gave them the benefit of the doubt the second day since they were new and not broken in and formed to my feet. What a mistake. 2nd day was all walking on a cement floor, and 2 hours into my shift I was so uncomfortable, it was beyond belief. I could not wait to get off work and get out of these shoes. The memory foam or whatever they use for a cushion inside the shoe has no support, just a squishy feel under your feet. I was o pumped for my first pair of Hoka shoes after reading reviews and recommendations for someone that is on their feet all day. Not sure where all the top reviews came from but this will not be one of them. If your purchase these be prepared for a very wide shoe base and platform. Kind of an odd, orthopedic look to the shoe that you do not observe from the pictures on display. Swapping out for the Bondi 8 and hoping for a better experience on my second try. Hopefully the exchange experience goes well with their advertised exchange policy and I do not get any hassles after wearing them for 2 days. I do not recommend these shoes for anyone standing or on their feet all day.

My first pair of Hoka’s were the Bondi 8 which I bought before the end of the outdoor running season for me in 2022. I put well over 600 miles on the Bondi 8’s with probably 400 from a treadmill. My feet and legs love the Bondi 8 for their plush cushioning and stable wide forefoot and heel.

I picked up the Clifton 9 to add to the rotation with a new pair of Bondi 8’s. I wear a 10.5 2E US and the Clifton 9 runs true to fit. A majority of my outdoor runs are on concrete sidewalks around my neighborhood which I know is harder on the outsole of any shoe. That said, I put the Clifton 9’s into the rotation on July 3rd and as of the end of November I had about 280 miles on them. I have nearly 100 miles more on my second pair of Bondi 8’s and they definitely don’t feel the wear the Clifton shows. Additionally, the cushioning in the Clifton 9 has seemed to be breaking down at a faster rate. I would go as far as to say that my first pair of Bondi 8’s feel like they still have more cushioning than the Clifton’s do. They are a good shoe but have some shortcoming's, primarily the durability as noted in the title.

I had not been tracking every mile on my first pair of Hoka’s but when I got my second pair of Bondi 8’s I started just to see what kind of mileage I was getting from my shoes given their cost. They are a decent shoe but have some shortcoming's, primarily the durability as noted in the title. You can see by the last photo what the Bondi 8 outsole wear is compared with the Clifton 9.

Greetings!
First and foremost, I was never a person who never really cared or put much effort into purchasing shoes. However, that all changed with my first pair of Hoka Cliftons, roughly 5 years ago. I was introduced to this company by a friend who recommended them for my foot problem known as plantar fasciitis, which I had lived with for over a year. This is a painful condition I developed in my feet from wearing shoes that were not supportive, nor did they have the proper amount of cushion. I resisted buying these shoes for over 6 months. and I finally came to the conclusion that I had to do something to make my feet feel better. I drove to Road Runner Sports, located in Centennial Colorado, where they took a complete analysis of my feet. Upon finishing, they recommended the Hola Clifton, which I quickly purchased on the spot! At this time, I was in the middle of painting my house, and I did not want to sacrifice a pair of Hokas to dirt, dust, debris, and paint over spray. However, I was done with my foot pain, and decided to give them a shot. To my disbelief, within a week my pain was almost gone, and within 2 weeks it had vanished. To be honest, I wish I would have known about these shoes earlier, but you don't know, what you don't know.... ya know!?
Fast forward to now, I currently own 51 pairs and counting! Not to mention the pairs I have already worn out and donated to the landfill! My background is in automotive painting, and part of my job was matching colors, which I still do today with my clothing, as well as the massive color pallet from Hoka! I match every part of my outfit from head to toe, including my sun glasses. What started out as a solution to my foot pain, has ended up a huge passion in creativity and fashion! Whether you want a shoe for comfort, walking, running, hiking, a day at the lake, etc. Hoka has you covered! Take it from a guy who fell in love with this brand, and grab a pair... or 2... or 3!

Thanks for reading!

Kevin

This is my second pair of Hoka running shoes. As I was with the first pair, I am impressed by the quality of construction and materials. This is an extremely well-made, high-quality shoe.

My first pair of Hokas was the Mach X, and those shoes are buttery soft for speed workouts. I had hoped that the Clifton 9s would be equally as soft, if not as responsive. To my surprise, the Cliftons are not nearly as soft. This isn't a bad thing, it just wasn't my expectation. The forward roll is perhaps a bit too aggressive for my taste, so although the shoe itself is great, this was the wrong model choice for me. Not for nothing, Hoka's shoe finder *did not* recommend these to me. Perhaps I should have listened to the shoe finder.

At any rate, these shoes are not a dud. I like them. I got them to replace Nike Pegasus shoes, and I think they are better than those. The feel is actually similar, just a bit more cushioning in the Cliftons. They feel better for long runs and easy runs. For fast workouts, I'm already hooked on the Mach X. If you want a basic, neutral, well-built running shoe for everyday runs, Clifton 9 is a good choice.