Hoka Clifton 11 vs Brooks Ghost 18
Two shoes people weigh up against each other constantly. Here is what actually separates them, taken from the same database that drives the Shoe Finder quiz, with nothing added by hand. The short version: the Brooks Ghost 18 has the higher heel at 10mm against 8mm, the Hoka Clifton 11 is 23g lighter.
Side by side
| Hoka Clifton 11 | Brooks Ghost 18 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £140 RRP | £135 RRP |
| Type | Everyday trainer | Everyday trainer |
| Support | Neutral | Neutral |
| Weight | 266g | 289g |
| Heel drop | 8mm | 10mm |
| Heel stack | 42mm | 36mm |
| Widths | Standard and wide | Standard, wide and 4E |
| Plate | None | None |
What the differences mean
Weight
The Hoka Clifton 11 is 23g lighter, at 266g against 289g. As a rough guide every 100g costs about one percent in running economy, so 23g is worth a fraction of a percent. You will feel it more than it costs you, and it counts for more on a fast 5k than on a slow long run.
Heel drop
This is the real difference. The Brooks Ghost 18 has a 10mm drop and the Hoka Clifton 11 has 8mm. A higher heel asks less of your achilles and calf and more of your knee, and a lower one does the opposite. If you get regular trouble at one of those, pick accordingly. If you get none, pick whichever is closer to what you already run in, because changing drop suddenly is the most reliable way to give yourself a new problem.
Width fittings
Both come in a wide fitting, but only the Brooks Ghost 18 goes as far as 4E. That matters if wide is not quite wide enough for you, which is more common than the number of shoes offering it suggests.
Feel underfoot
The Hoka Clifton 11 is the softer ride. The other sits in the middle. Preference rather than performance.
How long they last
The Brooks Ghost 18 is built to take more mileage. If one pair is doing all your running, that is worth more than it sounds, because cost per mile matters more than the price on the box.
Price
Within about £5 of each other at full price, so this is not the thing to decide on. Whichever happens to be discounted on the day is the better buy.
Which should you buy?
Neither, until you have tried both on. Fit decides more than any specification on this page, and the two shoes above are close enough that a foot shape will separate them faster than a spreadsheet will.
Hoka Clifton 11
Soft, light and easy to run in. Hoka's most popular everyday shoe for good reason.
Brooks Ghost 18
The safe, do everything trainer. If you are unsure what to buy, start here.
Or let the quiz decide
This page compares two shoes. The shoe finder compares all 239 of them against your width, your weight, where you run, your budget and any recurring niggles, then gives you three and tells you why each one made it. It takes about a minute.