HOKA Clifton Vs Bondi – Comparison of HOKA’s Popular Daily Trainers

What's New With Clifton 9?

For the Clifton 9, we see an additional 3mm of additional cushioning in the overall stack height throughout the length of the shoe. While you may expect this to add weight to the shoe it comes in around 10g less than the previous version.

The weight reduction may come from the new upper design as well as perhaps the midsole having a little more air injected into it and in turn making it feel a little softer.

The new upper is an engineered knit design and this gives an improved fit and feel around the foot, as does the flared heel collar.

What's New With Bondi 8?

The Bondi 8 sees a new midsole described by Hoka as ‘lightweight resilient foam padding’. There’s no technical or brand name given to the new midsole foam apart from CM-EVA.

What makes the Bondi 8 feel plush is the new billowed design of the midsole as well as its active foot frame. This provides a sensation of ‘soaking up the impact’ while at the same time keeping the foot central and stabilised with the shoe.

Both shoes see an increase in the amount of recycled content used in their manufacturing.

How’s the Fit?

The overall fit on the Hoka Clifton 9 is similar to most of the brand's shoes in terms of length and width.

The improved upper on this version hugs the foot a little closer and more securely thanks to the improved mesh design. The tongue is fitted with a single-sided gusset on the medial side of the foot.

The Clifton is available in regular and wide-fit versions. That said, I’d say the regular is a little slimmer fitting than other brands meaning many runners that would normally wear a standard width shoe from other brands chose to go for the wide option in the HOKA.

As with the Clifton, the Bondi 8 fits true to size when compared to other models from the brand in terms of length and width.

The Bondi is also available in regular and wide-fit options and again, I think the regular fit is just a little slimmer than many other brands, particularly in the midfoot/arch area.

For UK runners, when comparing the sizes of Hoka shoes in UK sizes, it’s worth bearing in mind that the brand uses a half-size difference from a US size. So, a US size 10 equates to a UK size of 9.5. Other brands such as Nike and Saucony use a full-size difference when converting from a US size, so for these brands, a US size 10 equals a UK size 9.5.

Cushioning, Stack and Ride

Upon launch, the Clifton was one of the first ‘maximal’ cushioned running shoes. Today, despite the addition of the extra 3mm of cushioning, the stack height of 32mm has become somewhat of a ‘standard’ for many manufacturers.

The trend in recent years has been for brands to increase the overall stack height of shoes, with a more is-better approach.

The Bondi is now Hoka’s highest stack shoe at 39mm in the heel and as such becomes a maximal, plush cushioned model with the Clifton being a regular, balanced cushioned neutral model.

While Hoka doesn’t give much away in terms of the technical details of the foams they use, it’s pretty safe to assume both shoes are using CM-EVA type foams, with varying degrees of air injected into them during the manufacturing process. More air creates more ‘air bubbles’ and space within the material in which for it to compress. Less air creates a denser material.

The midsole of the Clifton 9 feels softer than the previous generation and this is perhaps due to a slightly higher amount of foam in terms of stack and the extra air, resulting in a lighter weight and softer feel.

Even with the 5mm drop, the Clifton feels much lower when on the move. This again is perhaps due to the very soft nature of the foam on heel strike.

Some runners may find the midsole of the Clifton a little too soft and experience somewhat of a ‘bottoming-out’ sensation. This isn’t the case with the Bondi, where the stack is higher and a little firmer.

The Bondi has a higher stack at 39mm and a new foam compound. Again, there’s not too much in the way of technical details from Hoka with regard to the midsole foam other than it being a CM-EVA material.

I find the Bondi to be a much more stable and balanced ride, plush and more capable. Even with the added weight the Bondi for me feels a much nicer shoe. We’ll come on to the best-use scenario of both models shortly.

The Bondi has an ‘active foot frame’ to provide a more stable ride. This is best described as being the manner in which the top of the midsole gently wraps up around the edges of the foot. The foot then sits within the midsole cushioning, with this ‘buffer’ holding it gently in place.

The active foot frame adds stability to the Bondi as does the newly shaped ‘bellowed’ design to the midsole. This allows the lateral side of the shoe to gently absorb the impact of the heel strike, keeping it in a more neutral position for longer.

Both shoes feature a forefoot rocker which helps the thicker midsole stacks roll forward through the gait cycle.

Upper Design

I think the new design of the upper in the Clifton 9 is the best yet and in fact, the best fit of any of the brand's training shoes. The engineered knit has a premium feel to it and its soft and breathable around the whole of the foot.

The nothing particularly wrong with the upper of the Bondi, it’s just not as good as that of the Clifton for me. It would not surprise me at all if the engineered knit construction was used in more of the brand’s models next session.

Which Running Shoe for Me?

There’s actually no reason why a neutral runner may not have and run in both these shoes throughout a week of regular training.

The Clifton 9 offers a lighter and slightly softer ride and as such is a little easier to pick up the pace in. With that, it’s a more versatile model.

The Bondi 8 offers a plusher, more cushioned and stable ride that I find better for even-paced easy to steady-state running.

I think the main differentiating points of the shoes may come down to more personal factors such as running speed and possibly weight.

For a heavier runner, I’d go with Bondi 8 as I feel it’s more able to cope with higher impact thanks to the slightly firmer feel, higher stack and more stable construction.

For a lighter, more neutral runner, the Clifton 9 would be a good choice. It’s light, well cushioned and flexible making it good at a wider range of speeds.