Hoka Clifton 9 Archives - An Insight into my Hindside

Recently, my trusty Hoka Clifton 9 running shoes crossed 600kms & I replaced them with a Saucony Triumph 22.

The various Hokas performed quite well over the years and I had no intention to go with another brand. However, the below factors compelled me to

There were no Clifton 10s, still
The existing Clifton 9 (more than a year old model) was still full price
The available Clifton 9 liveries were very drab and dull

I was keen on trying more responsive shoes, so I went with the Saucony Triumph 22, which were on sale. I ordered them from Rev Runner and they arrived within 2 days.

First Impressions

My first impressions, after using them for 10 days, are below, but first, some before-after comparison by numbers.

Last 4.8k with Hoka Clifton 9 Statistics — Hoka last run vs Saucony first run stats

First 4.8k with Triumph 22 Statistics — Hoka last run vs Saucony first run stats

Last 4.8k with Hoka Clifton 9 Splits — Hoka last run vs Saucony first splits

First 4.8k with Triumph 22 Splits — Hoka last run vs Saucony first splits

As you can see, apart from my pace being slightly slower with the Saucony, there’s not much difference between the 2 runs.

For the first few days, the Saucony did feel softer, but as they got broken-in, they firmed up and became more responsive. I also noticed a bit more supination for the first few runs, but it resolved itself once I got used to them.

Hoka Clifton 9 (inside) with Saucony Triumph 22 (outside)

Overall, I think both shoes are quite similar in terms of weight, comfort, responsiveness.

I have been running regularly for almost 2 years now. Below is my experience running with different Hoka shoes.

Hoka Arahi 6

These were my first “proper” running shoes, recommended by Ashish. Before this, I was running with very cheap shoes and suffering from constant ankle pain. Running with Hoka Arahi 6 completely solved the ankle pain problem.

However, I forgot to replace them in time, ran almost 800 km in them and the ankle pain came back. So I decided to replace them with another Hoka.

Hoka Bondi X

My first choice was to buy the same shoe yet again, but then I saw a huge discount on Hoka carbon plated shoes and decided to “upgrade” my shoes.

The first impression of carbon plated shoes is that they are completely stiff and it is impossible to bend them with your hands.

Running with the Hoka Bondi X is an experience in contradiction. Running in carbon plated shoes feels like running downhill; the boost provided by the carbon plate is noticeable instantly.

6K Run Hoka Arahi 6 — Hoka Arahi 6 vs Bondi X 6 km stats

6K Run Hoka Bondi X — Hoka Arahi 6 vs Bondi X 6 km stats

Splits with Hoka Arahi 6 — Hoka Arahi 6 vs Bondi X 6 km splits

Splits with Hoka Bondi X — Hoka Arahi 6 vs Bondi X 6 km splits

As you can see, the Bondi X shaved off full 2 minutes from my 6K run, which is nothing to sneeze at.

The other side of the contradiction is that the Bondi X are so soft, it feels like running through molasses. Even 1km into my run, my calves and thighs felt like they were on fire.

Surely, when I do a heart rate comparison between my last Arahi 6 6K run and my first Bondi X 6K run, I see that I spent significantly more time in the upper zones.

Heart Rate 6K Hoka Arahi 6 — Hoka Arahi 6 vs Bondi X 6 km heart rate

Heart Rate 6K Hoka Bondi X — Hoka Arahi 6 vs Bondi X 6 km heart rate

After a few runs, the shoes became noticeably less soft, but they still remained difficult to run in. Soon, I also started getting soreness in my knees, so just after 100km, I decided to replace them again.

Hoka Clifton 9

These were my third Hokas. Unlike the Bondi, these immediately felt more responsive while running, but not as much as the Arahi. I did miss the boost provided by the carbon plate, but the burning in my calves caused by the Bondi was gone. And the good part is, they have been holding up and not degrading over the past few months.

It couldn’t match the lap times of the Bondi-X but at least I didn’t feel like I should stop running, anymore.

Earth bound misfit, I