HOKA Clifton 10 vs Clifton 11: What Changed, and Which to Buy
HOKA lists the Clifton 10 and 11 with the same 42/34 mm stack and the same 8 mm drop. On the lab’s calipers the Clifton 11 came out 3 mm lower at the heel, 2.2 mm narrower at the big toe and softer.
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For a wide forefoot, a bunion or a neuroma, that makes the Clifton 10 the better shoe while you can still find it, or the Clifton 11 in a Wide. For everyone else the 11 is a slightly lower, softer, lighter Clifton.
This is a spec comparison. We have not measured, worn or scored either shoe. The brand figures below are HOKA’s own; the lab figures are RunRepeat’s, from one pair of each in men’s US 9. We keep the two apart because they are not the same tier of evidence.
What HOKA says changed
Very little. HOKA lists both shoes on a 42 mm heel and a 34 mm forefoot for men, an 8 mm drop, the same Regular, Wide and X-Wide fittings and the same $155 price. The Clifton 11 went on sale in July 2026, and its listed men’s weight is 5 g higher. Read on paper, it is a refresh.
| Specification | Clifton 10 | Clifton 11 |
|---|---|---|
| Heel-to-toe drop | 8 mm | 8 mm |
| Heel / forefoot stack, men’s | 42 / 34 mm | 42 / 34 mm |
| Weight, men’s | 9.8 oz / 278 g | 9.97 oz / 283 g (UK 9.5) |
| Weight, women’s | 8.8 oz / 249 g* | 8.34 oz / 236 g |
| Widths | Regular, Wide, X-Wide | Regular, Wide, X-Wide |
| List price | $155 (launched at $150) | $155 |
| Released | 2025 | 1 July 2026 |
| APMA Seal of Acceptance | Listed in APMA’s database | Not listed when we checked, September 2026 |
*HOKA’s own figures for the women’s Clifton 10 disagree: 8.8 oz on its US and Canadian product pages, 8.0 oz in its launch post. HOKA quotes the Clifton 11’s men’s weight at UK size 9.5. Our Clifton 11 review documents the seal claim and a women’s stack figure that contradicts HOKA’s stated drop.
What the lab measured
RunRepeat measured one pair of each, and here the two shoes stop looking like the same shoe. The Clifton 11 is lower at both ends, softer, a little lighter, and noticeably narrower across the forefoot.
| Measurement | Clifton 10 | Clifton 11 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heel stack | 44.4 mm | 41.4 mm | −3.0 mm |
| Forefoot stack | 32.0 mm | 29.7 mm | −2.3 mm |
| Measured drop | 12.4 mm | 11.7 mm | −0.7 mm |
| Weight | 275 g | 266 g | −9 g |
| Toe-box width at the big toe | 73.1 mm | 70.9 mm | −2.2 mm (lab average 73.2) |
| Width at the widest point | 97.2 mm | 94.7 mm | −2.5 mm |
| Toe-box height | 27.3 mm | 27.4 mm | None |
| Midsole hardness (Asker C, higher is firmer) | 34.2 AC | 31.1 AC | About 9% softer |
| Force to bend the forefoot | 14.7 N | 13.5 N | Slightly more flexible |
Source: RunRepeat lab, men’s US 9, one pair of each. Hardness is on the Asker C scale RunRepeat has used since February 2026. Lab averages across the shoes it has measured: toe box 73.2 mm, drop 8.5 mm, hardness about 35.5 AC. RunRepeat notes that HOKA measures drop nearer the midfoot than the standard points it uses, which is why every HOKA measures well above its stated drop.
What a foot and ankle surgeon takes from this
The forefoot got narrower, and that is the change that matters. The Clifton 10 measured 73.1 mm across the toe box at the big toe, almost exactly the lab’s average. The Clifton 11 measured 70.9 mm, and 2.5 mm less at the widest part of the forefoot. That is a more tapered shoe. For a bunion, a tailor’s bunion, a Morton’s neuroma, or a forefoot that is simply wide, two millimetres of squeeze across the metatarsal heads is the difference between a shoe you forget about and one you feel by mile three. If that is your foot, buy the Clifton 11 in Wide rather than your usual Regular, or buy the Clifton 10 while your size is still around.
It sits a little lower. Three millimetres off the heel and a little over two off the forefoot, on a shoe that is still over 40 mm tall. That is marginally more stable when you turn and stand, and it will not change the character of the shoe: this is still a tall, rockered HOKA, and it still measures nearly 12 mm of drop against HOKA’s stated 8.
It is softer. 31.1 against 34.2 on the Asker C scale is about 9% softer, which puts the Clifton 11 on the soft side of the lab’s average. Softer feels kinder on a sore heel, and a heavier runner can compress it further before it pushes back. If you liked the Clifton 10 because it felt protective under a bruised heel or plantar fasciitis, the 11 goes further in the same direction.
The weight numbers disagree. HOKA’s listed men’s weight went up by 5 g; the lab weighed the Clifton 11 9 g lighter. HOKA quotes its figure at a different size, so treat the two shoes as the same weight.
Which one should you buy?
Buy the Clifton 10 if…
- Your forefoot is wide, or you have a bunion or a neuroma, and you wear a Regular width.
- It already works for you. A shoe that has settled a problem is worth more than a new model year.
- The APMA listing matters to you: the Clifton 10 is in APMA’s database.
- You find your size on sale. Retailers are clearing it.
Buy the Clifton 11 if…
- Your forefoot is narrow or average, or you buy it in Wide or X-Wide.
- You want the softer, slightly lower ride.
- You need a size or colour the Clifton 10 clearance no longer has.
- You are buying your first Clifton. It is the one HOKA will keep in stock.
Orthotics and inserts
Both shoes take out their sockliner, and the lab measured the same toe-box height in each, 27.3 and 27.4 mm. Neither HOKA nor the lab publishes how much depth is left under the sockliner, which is the figure that decides whether a custom orthotic fits without lifting your heel out of the collar. A narrower forefoot also leaves less room for an orthotic that runs full length. Take the sockliner out in the store and check; our Orthotic Volume Rating explains the one-minute test.
Where to buy
Paid link. We earn a commission at no extra cost to you; commissions never influence a score, a ranking or the seal. Price and availability change, so check the listing.
HOKA Clifton 10
Men’s:
HOKA Clifton 11
Women’s:
Questions runners ask
Is the HOKA Clifton 11 better than the Clifton 10?
Not for every foot. On HOKA’s own spec sheet the two are the same shoe: 42/34 mm, 8 mm drop, the same three widths and the same $155 price. An independent lab measured the Clifton 11 about 3 mm lower at the heel, 9% softer and 2.2 mm narrower at the big toe. That suits a narrow or average forefoot and costs a wide one.
Is the Clifton 11 narrower than the Clifton 10?
On the pair the lab measured, yes: 70.9 mm across the toe box at the big toe against 73.1 mm, and 94.7 mm at the widest point against 97.2 mm. The Clifton 10 sat right on the lab’s average; the 11 is narrower than average. If you have bunions, a neuroma or a wide forefoot, buy the Clifton 11 in Wide or X-Wide, or buy the Clifton 10 while you can.
Did HOKA change the stack height on the Clifton 11?
HOKA says no: it lists both at 42 mm heel and 34 mm forefoot for men. RunRepeat’s lab measured 44.4/32.0 mm on the Clifton 10 and 41.4/29.7 mm on the Clifton 11, one pair each at men’s US 9. Both measured drops, 12.4 and 11.7 mm, are well above HOKA’s 8 mm, because HOKA measures drop at different points on the sole.
Does the Clifton 11 have the APMA seal?
HOKA’s Clifton 11 pages say it does, but when we checked APMA’s database in September 2026 it listed the Clifton 9 and the Clifton 10 and not the Clifton 11. If the seal matters to you, check the database before you buy.
When did the HOKA Clifton 11 come out?
HOKA scheduled the Clifton 11 for 1 July 2026. The Clifton 10 is still on sale, often discounted, while the stock lasts.
Read the full analysis of each
For the change before this one, see Clifton 9 vs Clifton 10: a lab measured the 10 almost 12 mm taller at the heel than the 9, with twice the drop.
- HOKA, Clifton 10 product pages (US and Canada) and its Clifton 10 comparison page: stack, drop, weights, widths, price; read September 2026.
- HOKA, Clifton 11 product pages (US and UK) and its Clifton 11 comparison guide: stack, drop, weights, widths, price, release date; read September 2026.
- HOKA Australia, Clifton 10 launch post: the conflicting women’s weight.
- RunRepeat, lab reviews of the Clifton 10 and the Clifton 11, and its testing methodology (men’s US 9; Asker C hardness since February 2026); read September 2026.
- American Podiatric Medical Association, Seal of Acceptance footwear database; checked September 2026.
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