Hoka has given its most popular running shoe a performance-focused sibling. The Clifton Pro, which reached retailers on 9 July, sits above the standard Clifton 11 in the range and is built around an all-new supercritical EVA midsole foam the brand calls ProGlide+. It is the most significant technical departure in the franchise's history, and a clear response to the energetic daily trainers — led by the Asics Novablast — that have eroded the Clifton's once-unassailable position in the moderate-cushion category.
Supercritical foaming, in which pressurised gas is injected into the midsole compound to create millions of microscopic bubbles, produces a lighter and markedly more resilient material than the compression-moulded EVA used in the regular Clifton. Early testing bears the theory out: reviewers have described the difference as trampoline against memory foam, with the Pro delivering noticeable bounce where the Clifton 10 and 11 felt cushioned but flat underfoot. A more aggressive MetaRocker geometry completes the reworking, tipping the shoe forward more assertively through the gait cycle.
At $165, the Pro commands only a modest premium over the standard Clifton, a deliberate piece of positioning that keeps it in daily-trainer territory rather than the $250-plus super-trainer bracket. That pricing looks shrewd. The moderate-price, high-energy segment has become the most fiercely contested in road running, and Hoka has effectively armed the Clifton name — still one of the biggest-selling franchises in the sport — with the midsole technology its rivals have used against it.
The launch is not without its sceptics. While competitors push into PEBA, TPEE and other exotic compounds that generally deliver a snappier return, Hoka has stayed with EVA as the base polymer for ProGlide+, and some early reviews have questioned whether the foam can match the liveliest shoes in the category. The counter-argument is durability and consistency: supercritical EVA typically retains its properties longer than the more fragile superfoams, a meaningful consideration in a shoe intended for daily mileage rather than race day.
The Clifton Pro arrives amid the busiest gear fortnight of the summer. The North Face launched its stripped-back Offtrail Ultra mountain shoe on 5 July, Altra has just rebuilt its flagship Torin with a Vibram outsole, and Asics unveiled its all-new Blazeblast trail franchise on 1 July. For runners, the competitive churn has an obvious upside: the technology that defined $250 racers two years ago is arriving, rapidly, at everyday prices.