Hoka One One unveiled the latest iteration of what it calls the “ultimate runner’s running shoe.”
First introduced in 2014, the Clifton made its name as a daily mileage workhorse for beginners and serious runners alike, the Deckers brand said. The latest model in the franchise, the Clifton 8, maintains the cushioning and smooth support of those previous generations while also refining the fit, weight and ride.
The Clifton 8’s most significant update, Hoka One One said, is a new, ultra-light midsole foam designed to facilitate a soft, cushioned impact, while also “adding an energetic response with each step.” Launched on Saturday, the shoe also features an a new, lightweight, highly breathable mesh upper. An ultra-plush tongue and refined Achilles pull tab, meanwhile, provide added comfort.
“We knew that we had to proceed very carefully with this update, tweaking the areas of opportunity we identified without undercutting the features that have made the Clifton so popular,” Gretchen Weimer, vice president of product at Hoka One One, said in a statement. “Our team successfully walked that line with the Clifton 8 to produce a really incredible update that has really enhanced the ride experience.”
The Clifton 8 is slated to arrive June 1. It will be available on Hoka One One’s site and at Hoka dealers for $130.
The Clifton 8 will arrive five months after the debut of Hoka One One’s Carbon X 2. Like many brands’ most elite running shoes, the Carbon X 2 features a carbon fiber plate embedded in its midsole. The shoe, just 0.4 ounces lighter than the Clifton 8, also sports a lightweight upper and sole.
Unlike the Clifton 8, however, the Carbon X 2 was designed for race-day performance, specifically to break the 100K (62.2-mile) world record. In January, more than three dozen runners raced together in attempt to break the men’s and women’s six-hour-plus records. The racers came up short in both cases, including Jim Walmsley, who missed the men’s record by less than 15 seconds.