Brooks Glycerin vs Hoka Clifton – What Is the Running Shoe for You?
If you’re looking for road running shoes, these are your two best choices: Brooks Glycerin or Hoka Clifton.
Both of these are two of the most popular shoes on the market.
To help you find the right shoe, we’ve included a breakdown of everything you need to know about these shoes.
- Brooks Glycerin is a super-soft but still durable shoe.
- It is the most cushioned shoe from Brooks.
- Suitable for all types of runs, it is ideal for everyday training.
- Clifton is Hoka’s most popular model.
- It is a comfortable and durable running shoe suitable for many users.
- It has a highly cushioned midsole, which works well with easy runs and long runs.
After all, you may know that Brooks is one of the oldest brands in running, making shoes for over a century now.
Hoka may be younger, but that doesn’t put it at a disadvantage.
It uses expert cushioning and has built a reputation for that distinct feature.
Brooks Glycerin vs Hoka Clifton – Which One To Buy?
Ultimately, the decision is up to you. But that doesn’t mean we can’t put in our two cents.
Let’s take a look at which one’s better. Brooks is heavier, weighing 10.2oz, while Hoka’s Cliftons only weigh 8.9oz.
They also have a more considerable drop, having a solid 5 mm between Clifton’s 5mm drop and Glycerin’s 10 mm drop.
But the real deal breaker is in the sizing. The Glycerin doesn’t run true to size and runs smaller than you would expect, and it even has a smaller toe box.
That makes it much more uncomfortable if you don’t know what to expect.
That’s why we recommend the Hoka Clifton. It’s a balanced shoe with a lower drop and is more comfortable than the Glycerin.
It makes it a better choice for long-distance runners; they run true to size. You won’t have to do any calculations to know if it will fit your feet.
Brooks wouldn’t do too badly on a short-distance run.
Brooks Glycerin
Brooks Glycerin is a famous road running shoe that offers neutral stability. You can buy them on the market for a mass retail price of $150.
They appear in both men’s and women’s sizes, having different weights.
The men’s Glycerin is available with a weight of 10.2oz, and the women’s is 2oz lighter with a weight of 9oz.
They both have a drop of 10 mm, which has a pretty steep offset.
They’re also classed as Brooks’ most cushioned shoe, but the volume of cushioning isn’t listed in the description.
The bad news about the Glycerin is that they are heavy with a 10.2oz weight and narrow, with a smaller toe box than you would expect.
This can be a massive issue for the Brooks Glycerin, as they don’t run to size.
When you buy a pair, you’ll need to go a size up, either by half or full size, depending on your preference for space.
But that doesn’t make them a bad shoe. Once you’ve passed the sizing issues, they have plenty of arch support.
They’re made of good material, so you’ll find them comfortable and durable.
After all, Brooks would be nowhere today if they didn’t have a good build quality.
Hoka Clifton
Hoka Clifton is another road running shoe that offers neutral stability.
They are Hoka’s most popular running shoes. They are highly cushioned daily trainers and suitable for a wide range of users.
The men’s Cliftons weigh 8.8oz, with the women’s being lighter at 7.50oz.
Both the men’s and women’s shoes have a light drop of 5mm, giving them a less steep offset than Brooks’.
The Hoka Clifton offers balanced cushioning and even mentions the volume being 655.00cm³.
The Clifton will propel you forward with each step by incorporating the cushioning with a spring.
While this can put you off guard the first few times you run, you’ll find that once they’re broken in, they’re an incredibly comfortable pair of shoes.
Even if they don’t feel fast, you’ll find that it’s because of the moderate drop.
There’s plenty of breathing room, too, as there’s plenty of room in the toe box, and they’re made with a breathable mesh top.
If you feel like they’re too tight after running for so long, you can go a size up, but that’s not a necessity.
Overall, they do run true to size, and this is only an option given to anyone who does struggle with swelling after running a long distance.
But overall, they have moderate support, making them easy to run in.
Comparisons
Now, let’s go into a little bit more detail about the comparisons here. Both Brooks and Hoka have designed these road running shoes with neutral stability.
| Shoe | Brooks Glycerin | Hoka Clifton |
|---|---|---|
| Weight (gr) men/women | 286/176 | 250/215 |
| Weight (oz) men/women | 10.1/6.2 | 8.8/7.5 |
| Stability | neutral | neutral |
| Cushion | most cushion | balanced |
| Drop (mm) | 10 | 5 |
| Sizing | true to size | true to size |
| Width options | medium/wide | regular/wide |
Both offer cushioning, but Hoka offers a balanced cushion with an actual cubic volume.
While Brooks says that Glycerin has the most cushion, we have only their word for it.
They haven’t announced how much volume the cushioning has.
When it comes to the drop, you’ll find that the Brooks Glycerin has a steeper offset than the Hoka Clifton.
These are clearly visible when you look at the shoe, with a 5mm distance between them.
You’ll also find that Brooks Glycerin is heavier for both men and women by roughly 2oz.
That can be a distinct difference in how comfortable they are to run in.
Heavier shoes aren’t a problem for short-distance runners, but they can be a challenge for long distances.
The price won’t really be a deciding factor here, as there’s only $10 between them. Instead, you may find the deciding factor lies in the sizing.
While you can size up the Hoka Clifton’s if you find that your feet are swelling, it’s not compulsory.
However, you will need to size up the Brooks Glycerin to ensure they fit correctly and comfortably.
What Is the Difference Between Glycerin and Glycerin GTS?
Brooks Glycerin GTS is a more supportive version of the Glycerin shoe.
GTS refers to Go-To-Support. These models have supportive sidewalls and give more support to your feet.
Glycerin GTS is a shoe for people with overpronation (regular Glycerin is a neutral running shoe). They both have the same kind of cushioning.
You can read more about neutral vs. stability running shoes here.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, both Hoka and Brooks offer two popular choices for road running shoes.
However, Brooks Glycerin is clearly suited for short-distance runs, while Hoka Clifton is better suited for long distances.
The major deciding factor lies in the sizing, as you’ll find that most runners prefer shoes that run true to size.
That’s why we decided that Hoka Clifton is a better choice.
They are both comfortable and provide a decent amount of support for your feet.
