Light, fast, and soft usually don’t go together, but they do with the HOKA ONE ONE Clayton. Although it’s not the first running shoe to accomplish this feat this shoe is unique. With a midsole that is softer in the heel and firmer in the forefoot, the Clayton promises to be soft for midfoot landings and highly responsive at toe-off.
At 7.3 ounces, the HOKA Clayton is 0.8oz lighter than the original HOKA Clifton and Saucony Kinvara 6 and is just 0.2oz heavier than the Nike LunarTempo. This shoe is 4mm thinner than the clifton, making it a Hoka with a more ‘normal’ stack height. I have run in a number of shoes from this brand over the years, from the massive Stinson to the lightweight Huaka, and I have to say that this is the best Hoka that I have put on my foot. The midsole material is substantially more responsive than other Hokas, including the Huaka, and the wide base makes it a relatively stable shoe (considering its weight).
Keep in mind that this shoe is not for everyone, the Clayton will not neccesarily work for you just because a more substantial Hoka has worked wonders for your knees or plantar fasciitis in the past. This is a lightweight trainer that is designed to appeal to those runners looking for a fast shoe that still offers a lot of cushioning underfoot.
While the Clayton isn’t quite an update to the Huaka, it could be considered a better version of the shoe (not all will agree with this obviously). The upper is a bit wider and the shoe doesn’t feel as mushy underfoot, making it a shoe more appropriate for higher speeds. I have always found the Hokas to be great for long slow runs, but have found them rather unresponsive and sluggish when I have used them for uptempo runs or interval work. The Clayton, with its firmer midsole, is much better in this area, despite its large stack height the shoe just feels responsive. Sage Canaday, one of Hoka’s sponsored athletes (and a 2:17 marathoner) has even been using them for his track sessions.
This shoe is part of Hokas evolution as a company, the brand is still relatively young and it is constantly searching for ways to innovate. The company’s initial goal was to make lightweight oversized shoes to help runners cover ultra distances with relative ease. Now they are shifting their focus a bit and are attempting to create shoes that are more appropriate for runners tackling shorter distances, the Clayton one of the results of that paradigm shift. Look for more lightweight responsive shoes from them in the near future.