Hoka Clifton Pro vs Nike Vomero Plus: Two of the Best Cushioned Running Shoes Compared

Introduction

If you want a genuinely comfortable shoe for easy and long runs, these two are among the best cushioned options on the market right now. The Nike Vomero Plus has been a favourite since it launched, while the Hoka Clifton Pro arrived a little out of nowhere and has quietly impressed.

Neither is a workout shoe. Both are big, cushy daily trainers designed to make easy miles fun, and both do that job better than most of the max-cushion category. The question is which flavour of comfort suits you.

Specs and Prices at a Glance

The numbers set the scene. The Vomero Plus costs £155 or $180 and weighs 300 g (10.6 oz) in a UK 9, which is a US 10. The Clifton Pro is slightly cheaper on paper at £150 or $165 and comes in lighter at 270 g (9.5 oz) in a UK 9, which is a US 9.5.

Stack heights are similar but not identical. The Vomero Plus runs 45 mm at the heel dropping to 35 mm at the forefoot with a 10 mm drop, while the Clifton Pro is 42 mm at the heel, 34 mm at the forefoot, with an 8 mm drop.

Design and Build

With the Vomero Plus you get a thick engineered mesh upper with generous padding on the tongue and collar. It is a fairly warm, heavily padded upper, but very comfortable the moment you step in. Underfoot there is a full slab of ZoomX, Nike’s bouncy PEBAX foam, kept stable by foam sidewalls and a wide base. A near-full-coverage waffle tread outsole is an increasing rarity on big cushion shoes and should be good for durability.

The Clifton Pro takes a more stripped-back approach. Its mesh upper is lighter and a bit more breathable while still well padded, with an internal heel counter. The midsole uses a big slab of ProFlyte Plus, a supercritical EVA foam that is bouncier and more fun than the foam on recent standard Clifton models. There is also a pronounced rocker and a podded Dura abrasion rubber outsole that drops weight while keeping extensive coverage.

Nike Vomero Plus: Big Bounce, Big Comfort

The Vomero Plus earned its place as the first max-cushion shoe that really clicked. That comes down almost entirely to the ZoomX midsole: you sink in a little and get bounced straight back, and the energy return grows the faster you go.

It handles steady paces well, but it is not a shoe for all-out speed work. At 300 g it is simply too big and heavy to take to faster efforts, and it works best paired with faster shoes in a rotation.

The bounce holds up over distance. After around 100 miles of use there has been no sign of the midsole bottoming out, and the cushioning stays lively throughout long runs. Despite the 10 mm drop, the ride is smoother than many Nike shoes with the same geometry. A bit of rocker plus that sink-in heel feel means heel strikers get rolled smoothly through the stride rather than snapped along.

Hoka Clifton Pro: Smooth and Subtle

Hoka cushion shoes are known for a smooth ride, and the Clifton Pro is no exception. The rocker and geometry roll you cleanly through foot strike, and the firmer, more resilient ProFlyte Plus foam gives a good push off the forefoot at every pace, from the most relaxed easy runs to slightly steadier efforts.

Where the Vomero Plus is loud and squishy underfoot, the Clifton Pro is more subtle. It is a shoe that gets out of the way: you are not really thinking about it on a long run, it is simply delivering support and a decent amount of energy without calling attention to itself.

It is also the more versatile of the two. The foam is energetic, the shoe is a fair bit lighter, and going through the gears felt fine in testing. Both shoes held their shape over long runs with no bottoming out.

Fit and Sizing

Both shoes fit true to size, so sticking to your normal running shoe size should work, especially if you have worn these brands before. Just note the UK size conversion differs between them: a UK 9 is a US 10 at Nike and a US 9.5 at Hoka.

Both come with heavily padded uppers that can run slightly warm on top of the foot, though neither caused real problems. Wide fit options are available for both shoes, which is worth knowing as Hoka models can sometimes come up narrow.

Verdict: Which One Should You Buy?

For pure easy-run and long-run fun, the Vomero Plus wins. That ZoomX midsole delivers a booming, springy ride that few cushion shoes match, and the price leans in its favour too: although it is more expensive on paper, it is an older shoe that is nearly always on sale, often with stackable discount codes.

The Clifton Pro is the better all-rounder if you want one shoe to cover everything. It is lighter, slightly cheaper at RRP, naturally stable, comfortable, and a little more capable when the pace picks up. If your running is mostly easy miles and long runs, though, the Vomero Plus’s extra bounce is hard to beat.

Conclusion

Both shoes are excellent and you will not go far wrong with either for cushioned daily training. Pick the Vomero Plus if you want maximum fun and bounce at easy paces, and the Clifton Pro if you want a lighter, more subtle ride that stretches slightly further across your rotation.