I have not! I had no idea Hoka made shoes that light..

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Too old to go pro but doing it anyway
http://instagram.com/tgarvey4

The Clifton has changed my run in every way.

I am able to train faster and keep mileage the same (or higher) as before but quicker and also feeling less worn down.

More quality work has made me faster (lots of prs) in the months since becoming my go to train/race shoe.

The ONLY downside of the Clifton is that I need to replace them more often. That's a price I'm willing to pay for getting faster.

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New Training/Racing Log - http://www.earthdaykid.com/blog --- Old Training/Racing Log - http://colinlaughery.blogspot.com

Of all the costs I pay... I think I'd consider this the cheapest! I may be making a run to my local show shop today.

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Too old to go pro but doing it anyway
http://instagram.com/tgarvey4

I've had a similar experience with the Ultra Boost shoes. They are great to train in, but for tempo runs and whatnot.. It's not that I feel weighed down, but I definitely don't feel light on my feet. I'm beginning to believe that this all hasn't been in my head.

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Too old to go pro but doing it anyway
http://instagram.com/tgarvey4

If you're coming from Kinvaras then that's not at all surprising. I suspect you would perceive any shoe that's more than about an ounce heavier than your 'race' shoes as feeling clunky, once you try to get up to tempo pace and beyond.

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Less is more.

Just wish someone would come out with a 4E with a wide toe box.

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Official Polar Ambassador
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IMO go with the Kinvaras. They have plenty of cushioning for a marathon (it's not like they are a true racing flat), and the lighter weight will make a difference.
I train in boosts and love the springiness, but no the midsole energy return won't make you faster. I like them for LC tris since I seem to transition better in them, and the boost midsole doesn't waterlog. Too heavy for shorter races and running events though.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

I've gone through a similar debate leading up to Boston. I put some good miles in the Hoka Clifton, but on long runs the toe box just seemed too tight and I just couldn't see running 26.2 in them. So I tried a pair of Altra Torin 1.5s....awesome fit with a wide comfy toe box, but too firm for my liking on long runs. Then went to the Skechers Go Ride Run 4....great fit for me and what I'm planning to run Boston in. They are as light as the Cliftons with a very similar cushioning feel, run extremely well at pace, and have a wider toe box which my feet really like.

Someone mentioned the NB FF Zante earlier. I just received a pair, but they seem very narrow so I'll be sending them back. Another shoe to consider is the Hoka Bondi 4. I know it weighs a bit more than the Clifton, but they feel light underfoot and they are very comfortable. That said, the Skechers GRR4 are far lighter and just run so well I can't imagine running in anything else I've tried.

And I'm also trying to go sub-3 at Boston. Good luck!

Unless you've been running tons of downhill running in training, I'd be careful about the lighter shoes. Coming off the last set of hills for the final 4 miles, heavier shoes are worth their weight in gold in my opinion.

albert

I have the big klunky stiff hokas and got the cliftons just to race. I saw a pt a while back and he said that since my foot was all screwed up, running in the stiff shoe with an orthodic insert was just making matters worse for my gait cycle, so I switched to my "racey" shoes for day to day running. So far they have worked out great, I may try to phased out the orthodics over time. I also have some of the Altras I'm trying to like because they are wide and the cliftons are not, but the zero drop really makes me sore.

+ 1 on clifton! Never would have believed such a cushioned shoe could weight so little.

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

Energy Return - it can be measured in a lab but we don't run in a lab.
Does the cushioning protect you enough - you are the only one at this point to determine. Feeling great about your preparation go Kinvara. Fearing the early mile pounding go Ultra Boost.
Color - absolutely plays a roll. If you look down and say "these things are ugly" or if you look down and say "darn these are sweet" which one of those will you feel faster in?

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Dave Jewell
Free Run Speed

Good luck to you too!

And this may not matter, but I'm just trying to make a "confident" decision at this point. I ran a tune up race on Sat (a hilly 5 miler) and I wore an old pair of Kinvaras and really focused on my feet. Well I felt light an fast and came through with my first sub-30 5 miler (29:40), which I'm taking as a good sign for Patriot's Day since last year I ran the same race in 30:17 while tuning up for an eventual 3:01:30 spring marathon in the Pocono Mountains. Also, I ran another 21 the next day in them on "Hill Road," a road that deserves it's name, and I felt good throughout at a more-than-easy pace.

So in the end, I love the Ultra Boosts for training, and probably for Ironman Maryland, but for a day when I need the foot speed I think I'm going to fall in line with the lighter is better crowd. That said, I wouldn't play that out to the extreme and bring my track flats to the starting line. The question really boiled down to: How little cushioning do I think my legs would be comfortable with over 26.2 miles? And I think my answer is the Kinvaras.

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Too old to go pro but doing it anyway
http://instagram.com/tgarvey4

Apologies for replying to myself, but I'm a big fat phoney liar.

I went to the local run shop to grab new Kinvaras and of course they JUST got the Hoka Cliftons in... So I tried them out on the treadmill and was hooked immediately.

I went out for a 10 mile tempo run this morning on pretty tired legs from the Sat race and the Sun long run and ended up floating through it at 6:48 pace- which is right around my marathon goal- and it didn't feel overly taxing. I know my sample size is small, but I'm now on board with a few of the posters in this thread, they seem to have everything I was looking for. Kinvara light, Ultra Boost support, and the tight heel-toe drop fits my mid-foot strike perfectly. The next big test will be how they do on the hills of Central Park this weekend, but I am expecting good things. I sound like a shill, but I am really glad I found these shoes.

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Too old to go pro but doing it anyway
http://instagram.com/tgarvey4