Hoka Clifton

It only took a few runs and one race to make me a true believer. Try these, your knees, ankles, and back will thank you.

I'm an old school runner with a love of new ideas! Back in the day when the Tiger Cortez was considered a state of the art training shoe, we runners oohed and ahhed over the half inch of cushioning in the mid-sole. I too progressed to the basic running shoe for many years and races. I saw the "sock shoe" craze for what it is, a fad and winced everytime I saw someone running with these on pavement.

But what to make of the Hoka One One company? Is it a fad? Will it help me prevent overuse injuries, the mind went over this debate for many months. Then I jumped off the cliff into the sacred waters of the new idea. And that idea is that a shoe can provide ample cushioning without sacrificing the nimbleness needed on the trails.

That said, I bought a pair of the Cliftons to use as a trainer and hopefully prevent getting an overuse injury. On pavement, these were a dream and I was able to run long and without pain. But then, came the test...

I had signed up for a race (Zoom-Salomon Half Marathon Trail race in San Francisco) with the idea of running it for training. I wore my Hokas instead of my usual light trail running shoe so that I wouldn't be tempted to race. So off I went with good intentions...all for naught! I felt so comfortable that I moved the pace up, passed a few people, pushed it hard on the stairs. The shoe gripped well, was light and nimble, a trail runners dream.

Finished 43rd overall (I'm 58) and 2nd in my age group. After one day of soreness, the legs felt fresh after only two days. It's the Hoka Cliftons. Don't be stupid, get a pair.