my C4 weigh 11.20 oz right shoe, 10.45 oz left shoe. Size 9.5. Infuckingsane. Its not what the C1 was. And I don't blame Hoka for making a solid training shoe...it is to me, the most comfortable feeling Clifton, buts a loooong way from that spongy pillow light-weight racer it once was.

That's why I have 2 pairs of C2 BNIB waiting for their turn. The local store had a blowout sale and I picked up what I could find in my size.
This said, have you looked into Claytons? Hella light, and is a pretty promising racer shoe.

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Next races on the schedule: none at the moment

Funny you should mention the Claytons. It's the one Hoka shoes that I have not liked. Yes, crazy light but it did not have the nice soft feel of the Clifton.

Also, I hoarded some C2's as well but am now down to my last pair that I've been nursing along for awhile now.

It's not just the weight. I really liked my 1s & 2s, but the 3 was just not the same shoe. They went overboard on the cushioning and it went from a nice light and well-cushioned shoe to a sort of light shoe that feels like running on sand. It's definitely slower than the old shoe. Seems they turned it into the Bondi... and the latest Bondis I have are just heavy and slow tanks. The old Bondis were super cushioned but didn't feel as slow. I recently went to a running store to look for something other than the Clifton to race on and the sales lady confirmed my impressions. She kept her voice down as I'm sure she's not supposed to badmouth the shoes but said she disliked the lastest Bondi, she usually uses the Clayton and says her pace is consistently faster on that shoe than the Clifton. She said the Clifton has become their bread and butter shoe so they've made it softer. Of course the Bondi used to fill that role... I mean, why mess up a good thing?

I was looking for a faster shoe and tried out the Clayton, she also brought out a pair of Kinvaras and I left with those. First shoe I've bought in 3 years that isn't a Hoka.

Count me as a disgruntled former Hoka fan.

Yup, I've hoarded 2 pair of the 1's for a couple years now. Hated the 2, and I like the 3 but don't love it. Wish they'd just do another run of the originals so I could stock up.

If they ever did rerelease the originals I would do the same and stock up. As it stands I'm thinking about doing that with the 3's, since the pair of 4's I got I'm not impressed with.

Here is how i use my running shoes:

• Adidas Ultra Boost - Race shoes and all around best shoe I have ever run in. (I have completed three marathons in them)
• Hoka One One Clifton 3 - Long slow runs. (Only for training)
• Nike FS Lite Run 4 Premium - Speed work and mile eaters. (I wanted a beater shoe as the other two pair are expensive.)

Edit: Yes it is a heavy shoe...but on a long easy run this Sunday I was able to rip off 6.5 miles at a pace only 25 seconds behind my PR.

x 1
i share your frustration, every revision is getting heavier, hotter and tighter. not what i loved about the original clifton. it feels as if they are starting to compromize on the sidewall wrapping, the wide base and the rocker. are they now where slowman was worried they would get?
what are the alternatives, kinvahara or the new nike zoom fly which all seem to have "learned" from hoka?

There are a great number of things that go into this. Most of depends on what the brief said going into the shoe. Go back 18 months and look at what people were saying about the Clifton 2 and you'll get a sense of what the Clifton 4 is. No, they probably weren't talking about it being too light. There was probably something about the upper falling apart and the spongy feel going away too fast. The C4 clearly has more integrity built into the upper and to get that more responsive feel there is more rubber blown into the foam. Those two things add weight into the shoe. If the brief did not say keep the weight at 8.3 oz then the development team wasn't checking. I would also go as far to say the C2 was the least liked Clifton and because of that the C4 is a "big" change.

As far as weight differences between right and left shoes that's probably true with every running shoe on the market. There are tolerances not exact measurements and although shoes are going to less manufacturing hands touching them this Clifton is still being built on a line with at least 22 sets of hands touching each pair. Big weight differences should not be expected but some weight difference between each should be expected.

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Dave Jewell
Free Run Speed

Hope some who have already tried the Clifton 4's will post reviews / feedback.

The few early reviews I've seen made me think changes were significant enough, so I hoarded 4 pairs of Clifton 3s at discount. RRS online was already sold out of my size in all but 1 color so maybe others doing the same. I'm one of the lucky ones who had success with C1, 2, and 3 but 4 "seems" like it could be different in sizing and feel.

I'd add to Dave's post that more people should focus less on the weight of a shoe and more how it feels when you run in it.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

Female, size 8 here

I have 2 pairs of the Clifton 2's. One pair is coral colored while the other is closer to navy blue. The coral weighs 7.77 ounces; the blue 8.08 ounces.

I did something stupid 3 days before IMTX (and I'm not a noobie). I bought new pair of Clifton 3's and raced in them. Yeah, um, DUH. The balls of my feet cramped up so badly the entire run to the point I stopped many many times. I thought that it just might be an Ironman race day thing, so I ran in them for a few runs over 4 miles during the month after and had the same problem, Jumped back into a pair of Clifton 2's and no more problems.

I recently bought a pair of Bondis 4s (which weigh in at 9.56 ounces) I find them really hot and heavy. I live in coastal SoCal--it's hot, but not that hot. I'm nursing a little tendonitis so I though best to use a more supportive shoe. The Bondi 2s I ran and raced in three years ago weighed an over ounce less-8.4 ounces.

I'm not totally hung up on weight of shoe as I'm sure that proper body comp and consistent mobility work come more into play for running faster than shoe weight, but just curious Desert Dude and SDJ as to your complete thoughts. I

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leslie myers
http://www.foodsensenow.com

This is spot on. I liked the Bondi a long time ago. Then wasted $ on the last couple of iterations, as I just couldn't find any joy in them (too clunky, rigid, slow). In contrast, I tried the original Clifton and didn't like it nearly as much as the Bondi, as it bottomed out too quickly. Fast forward: I picked up the Clifton 4 a couple of weeks ago and really like it. You're right - Clifton is the new Bondi. I don't mind - or notice - the weight of the Clifton 4. It's a nice rolling shoe.

I hate that it has gained weight or gotten fat! I stopped wearing it for that reason.

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2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz

Have you tried the Hoka Tracers? I found them to be similar to the Kinvarra, but with extra cushion, but not as much as the Clifton. With a stable of shoes to choose from, I find myself always grabbing the Tracers for a run.

About sizing...I am a 9.5 in pretty much every shoe I bought, and the 9.5 Tracers are a little snug in the toe box. Not bad though, I still did a HIM with them, but I got a second pair, size 10, to use for my longer runs now.

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TEAM F3 Undurance