HOKA Clifton
The line that made tall, soft midsoles mainstream, while staying lighter than its bulk suggests.
max cushion
This suits you if
- You want noticeably more cushioning underfoot than a standard trainer
- Your joints prefer a softer landing, particularly on concrete
- You are running longer distances and want protection late in a run
About the versions
Iterated annually, and the changes here have been less conservative than in some lines — foam compounds and stack heights have moved meaningfully between versions, and reviews of one generation have repeatedly failed to describe the next.
Maximum cushioning divides people more than any other category. Some runners find the softness protective over long distances; others find a tall stack vague and unstable, particularly on uneven ground or when cornering.
There is no way to resolve that except by running in a pair. If you have never tried this style, treat it as genuinely different rather than as “the same shoe with more foam”.
Nothing here can tell you whether a shoe fits your foot. Try it on, ideally run in it, and buy the pair that feels right rather than the one that reads well.