HOKA OneOne Clifton 1 & 2 Shoe Review

Before I get to the actual review, a little backstory is needed. Early into my sophomore season of high school track, I came down with some nasty shin splints. I was only running about 30-35 miles a week, so I couldn't really figure out how or why I came down with such an injury. What came next is a bit shocking. I spent three months off from running, making regular prescribed visits to the local KORT Physical Therapy center. Everyone knows that physical therapy is annoying, time consuming, and quite expensive. As a 16 year old runner, my innate pride gave me some reservations about having a therapist who specializes in helping older people move certain joints and what not. So I went multiple times, seemingly doing the same exercises at every visit. After a while, the therapist legitimately told me that "running just isn't for everyone" after I showed little progress over a few visits. This came as a surprise. What she told me next was even more surprising; I would now need to buy a better shoe. The recommendation: Adidas Boost Energy $180. I fell for this...twice. $360 on shoes. And to be honest, I never liked them. I put in a lot of miles with them and even completed an Olympic distance triathlon in Indianapolis, but they hurt my flat feet like crazy. Long story short, I knew I needed a change.
I bought my first pair of Hokas early in 2015. Since then, I have logged close to 2.000 miles on just three pairs - one pair of the first model and two of the newer ones. As mentioned, I have experienced a few running related injuries. I can honestly say that I have been completely injury-free for over a year. Injury-free isn't even a valid description. As a matter of fact, I am stronger than ever. Wearing Hokas has allowed me to train harder without worrying about lurking injuries.
These are also the most versatile shoes I have ever worn. Not only can they be used on varying surfaces, but they can also be used for any workout...yes, I mean ANY workout. With the Cliftons, I have completed track repeats at high intensities; I have logged long runs of up to 20 miles on the road; I have put in a few trail runs up to about 10 miles (though I would recommend the Challenger ATR). This factor was something I took into consideration when buying this shoe for the first time. By the looks of the shoe, it does not look fast. This was a major turn-off for junior-in-high-school me. But I believe in trying new things, so I gave them a chance. Within a few weeks of training, I was able to bring my mile time from 5:03 indoor to 4:46 outdoor. Likewise, later that year, I trained my way from a 17:51 5k to a 16:41. I would not be the runner I am today if it weren't for Hoka OneOne.
As of now, I am training for the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon on April 30. Logging upwards of 60 miles a week, I know that having a reliable shoe is absolutely vital. The only shoe I will wear for road training is the Clifton. Not only will I train in this shoe, but I will also race in it. The goal time for this marathon (considering this is my first one) is a 2:45 - a little under 6:30/mile. This is a "safe" goal, as I will refer to in later posts, because I believe that with race day adrenaline, I will beat this time. This is merely a prediction based on training.
A final note for this post is that these shoes live forever. I still wear my first pair of Hokas for hiking, camping, and traveling. They will be my primary shoes for my trip to Costa Rica over spring break. I have no intentions of buying another brand of tennis shoe in the future as long as Hoka keeps making the same caliber masterpieces.
So go out and buy some Cliftons and prepare for the miles and miles and miles ahead!