The Clifton 9 sees some modifications to its predecessor, specifically to make it lighter and to offer a higher level of cushioning. It’s a shoe designed for comfort over daily runs featuring a softer compression molded EVA foam midsole, a breathable engineered knit upper, and a gusseted tongue.
The Novablast 4 sees some big changes from the previous version. The biggest of those is the new FF BLAST ECO PLUS foam that aims to provide a softer ride with more energy return when you want to pick up the pace. There’s also an updated shoe geometry that combines the trampoline-inspired midsole with a higher stack of midsole foam.
Tom and Nick have been testing the shoes out to see how they compare.
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JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:37 – Stats
01:02 – Design
01:30 – How’s The Fit?
03:34 – The Run Test
11:10 – Verdict
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Asics Novablast 4:
Hoka Clifton 9:
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Hey it's Tomy from the Run testers in This video we are going to be doing a Versus of the as6 Nova blast 4 and the Hoker Clifton 9 now the A6 no blast 4 Was sent to Nick from the guys over at Sports shoes We're not paid to do this Review so we can say whatever we want But big thanks to sports ches for Sending these over so that we can do These verses and reviews if you go into The caption below you can find a link to The Nova blast 4 on sport shoes this is An affiliate link so we do make money From it if you decide to buy it uh so Just keep that in mind if you decide to Do that right let's dive in and do the Versus the Hawker Clifton 9 costs £130 Or $145 it weighs 247 G or £ 8.7 o for Men in a size 8 and the drop is 5 mm the A6 Nova blast 4 costs £1 135 or $140 it Weighs 256 G or 9 oz for men in a size8 And the drop is 8 Mm the Clifton 9 sees some modifications To its predecessors specifically to make It lighter and to offer a higher level Of cushioning it's a shoe designed for Comfort over daily runs featuring a Softer compression molded EVA foam Midsole a breathable engineered knit Upper and a gusseted tone the shoe also Includes an early stage meta rocker to Improve Heel To Toe transition a modest Covering of oun hole rubber for grip and Durability and geometry designed to
Improve stability the Nova blast 4 sees Some big changes from the previous Version the biggest of those is the new FF blast Eco plus foam that aims to Provide a softer ride with more energy Return when you want to pick up the pace There's also an updated shoe geometry That combines the trampoline inspired Midsole with a higher stack of Midol Foam there's an engineered waven mesh Upper offers a plush fit as well as Plenty of breathability and flexibility As well as a gusseted tongue to prevent Slip and there's a healthy covering of Ahar outso rubber across the shoe to Improve grip and Durability so I found the fit of the no Blast 4 and the hooker Clift 9 to be Perfectly good for me in my normal Running shoe size I wear a uk9 with the Aex that's a US 10 it's a US 9.5 in the Hoka so it's a little bit tighter around The front compared to the aex just Because of the way the sizes convert but It's fine it fits me perfectly well and They're both good enough on width for me As well now the Clifton may be slightly Narrower than the Nova blast but I have A pretty narrow foot so I haven't really Any problems on that front quite similar Heel designs there they almost go around The outside of the Achilles not much Padding right in the center at the back And neither of them have irritated my
Achilles or anything like that so yeah Very happy in my normal running shoe Size with both of these okay so the fit For me in these two shoes the Nova blast 4 I have this in a UK size8 I'm a UK Size 8 I found it to be completely fine There's plenty of room in the forefoot The new upper is a little bit more Forgiving than the Nova bass 3 so it Gives you a little bit more space to Move your your feet around there's Plenty of space before the big toe for Me and I've had no issues at all I would Stick to my size in the uh Nova blast 4 The Hawker Clifton 9 uh again size 8 UK Uh I found this to be very comfortable As well no shoes at all with the sizing Of this shoe it's a hawker uh so it they Do tend to be a little bit more narrow Um than some shoes I don't have Particularly wide feet so I had no Issues with it at all um but just to Take that in consideration um it's Always the case with Hawkers but I do Think there's a little bit more give in This shoe than some of the Hawkers that I've tested uh other than that I will Stick to my siid in the Clifton 9 as Well so I've enjoyed running in both the Aex no blast 4 and the hoker Clift and 9 They are both what I would consider that Mid-level cushioned trainers so they're Pretty versatile they are got a high Level of cushioning the snack is very
High in the no blast in particular but They're not all out cushion shoes like Some like the Bondi in the hoker range Or the Gel Nimbus 26 in the aex range so They are designed to be able to handle a Variety of running and they do that Pretty well I do think both of them are Pretty bstyle daily trainers they can do Easy runs for sure sure they're Comfortable enough for me to go out and Cruise very long runs in for sure and Then they've got a little bit to them if You're going to try and up the pace I'd Say of the two of them I prefer doing That in the ax Nova blast 4 I think the FF blast plus foam is just a little bit More lively and gives a little bit more Back than the foam on the hooker Clifton 9 joyed doing a session in this shoe I Enjoyed ticking through long runs at you Know steady an easy Pace with some Efforts uphills and stuff like that and I do feel it's the more capable shoe if You are going to go out and run hard and Run fast same time I think the clip 9 Does Those runs pretty well as well it's Got a slightly smooth the ride with that Lower drop there and The Rocker the A6 Has pretty smooth itself but not quite As smooth I think with the hoker you're Really relying a bit more on the Geometry of the shoe which is very good And does roll you through your stride Quite nicely whereas with the aex you
Get a bit more back from the actual foam Not so impressed by the Midel foam on The uh Clifton 9 I think it's just fine It just provides a pretty neutral Platform but it doesn't really uh feel Very dynamic or exciting Under Foot Whereas you do get a bit more bounce out Of the no blast 4 for sure I was running In both shoes at the same time I think The nose blast certainly felt a fair bit Softer under FTA and like I said a Little bit more bouncy see do get maybe A slightly smoother transition out of The Clifton 9 but I do think the no Blast is quite good on that front Especially the no blast 4 I haven't Actually always found the transition to Be that smooth with the no blast in the Past it was a shoe I think that relied a Lot on being very bouncy and maybe the Four isn't the bounciest version of the No blast yet but I think it's the most Effective in how it moves you through Your foot strike uh had a variety of Speeds it feels nice ticking along easy Paces but then like I say has got a Little bit about it if you are going to Go and run fast in them for me both of These shoes I would mostly just do easy Runs in them like the occasional easy to Steady run maybe a tempo run or kind of Fart like intervals won't necessarily be Taking down the track or anything like That but they are both shoes that would
Work for a one shoe runner in that they Are pretty versatiles and they yeah they Can do a little bit of everything quite Well and I do think they are cushioned Enough for easy runs for sure especially At no blast it's got a big old stack of Foam here I know aex has got even more Cushion shoes in its range but I Strongly think why need more than this Like it is a very comfortable shoe for Sure so these are both two shoes that You're going to look at if you are Looking for a daily training shoe maybe You looking for one shoe that is going To do all of your running maybe you're Looking for a shoe as part of a rotation That's B F into that Daily World between Your race shoes and your easy day shoes So these are both shoes that are going To do that uh and they're both shoes That have an interesting development Over the history of the lines because They've changed quite a lot in the last Few versions The A6 Nova blast 4 is now On its fourth version obviously the First version of the Nova blast was Really interesting I love that shoe it Was so bouncy I lovely soft mids sof in It I it was Surprisingly exciting to wear that shoe And it just sort of came out of nowhere Um but it was a really wobbly shoe as Well so that was one of the major issues That people had with that that shoe it
Was had a really thin midsole on it and It was quite high as well so a lot of People found it as a little bit of an Unstable shoe in the later versions um The uh brand changed the format of the Shoe made the midsole a bit wider uh and Made some updates to the midsole foam And it it sort of lost its excitement For me I never really especially the NOA Blast 3 it just didn't didn't really do A lot for me and I I never used that Shoe for hardly any runs because I just Didn't feel it was giving me anything Back it just a bit of a Workhorse with a D midsole the latest version has this New FFL plus um Eco things design Elements in it and is a significantly Improved foam it feels a little bit more Responsive it feels like it compresses In a better way and gives it a little Bit more energy back it just feels like A shoe that has a lot more to it than What you're getting from the Nova Blast 3 and as a result it's a much more Versatile shoe so I've used this shoe For lots of different runs easy runs I've used it for longer runs and I've Taken it to track as well and done uh Quite a hard interval session in it um For easy runs it's great it's got a lot Of cushioning in it uh it feels soft Enough to run nice and comfortably um Slow in uh for daily runs it's great it Just gets you out there feels really
Comfortable and just helps you along There a nice rocker feel to it it's a Just a great solid daily shoe for faster Runs it's not a speed shoe but it does The job it's not bad when I was doing Intervals in it it it felt like I could Pick up the pace nicely it wasn't going To compete with some of my carbon plate Ratios and things like that but it Really felt like it had a bit more to This shoe and I would never have said That about the Nova Blast 3 so I think Nova blast 4 has become a very solid Daily versatile shoe that may be the Sort of shoe that people pick up as Their one shoe and I'd even go as far as To say that if you were looking to run a Marathon half marathon and you wanted One shoe to do that in that you could Also do training in I think this is a Good for that I could definitely run a Marathon comfortably in this shoe and um Pick up the pace a bit as well uh I Don't think I'm going to get a PB in it But um I definitely think it's a shoe That could could do marathon um training And and racing perfectly well the hockey Clifton 9 now I've never liked the Clifton range I've always found the Midell foam in the cliftons to be very Very dull um I always hated testing some Of the earlier Clifton shoes because the EVA foam that was in those shoes just Didn't feel like it did anything it just
Felt very very dull um and just very Solid just a solid slab of Midol foam That didn't really do a lot um the new Mell foam in the Clifton 9 is way better It's a lot more enjoyable it has a Little bit more softness in it it feels Like it's got a little bit more energy Return in it and overall it's just a Much more enjoyable comfortable ride I've done probably about 6 decay in this Shoe and some of that was a race I did The um winter run in in London in this Shoe uh I wasn't racing it but I was Running at an all right pace and it felt Great I really found it to be a Comfortable shoe to wear um when when I Was picking up the pace of bit I Wouldn't say it's as versatile as the Nova blast 4 I think the foam in the uh Nova blast 4 is just better it's just a Little bit there's a bit more energy in It return in it it's about better rocker In the design it's just a shoe that's a Little bit more versatile a little bit More performance-based than uh the Clifton 9 um but I still think the Clifton 9 is a solid shoe uh and Definitely comfy relatively stable shoe That just does a a good job for daily Runs um and for most people it would It's it's a great uh do- it all shoe I Think um so yeah both solid shoes but I Just think the um the Nova blast just Has a little bit more to it in terms of
Versatility uh the outsole on the shoes Um the Nova blast 4 has a slightly Updated outsole fine I've not had any Issues with this outside at all on the Wet paths and roads in Brighton um I It's not the most there's not loads of Rubber on this outsole there's little Bits of exposed U metal foam on it but It's fine not any issues at all um and a Slight Improvement on the no last 3 Clifton 9 there's not a lot of rubber on This out soole but the midsole um is Actually starting to we wear a little Bit for me so I'd say the outso on the Clifton 9 is not great um because i' I Think that over time this exposed Midsole is going to start to get Problems and the way that I run Generally rubs down this side of the Shoe so so uh the grip's fine on the wet Ground and things like that I just don't Think there's enough covering for that Uh now slightly more delicate mid cell Phone okay so my verdict on these two Shoes bit of a tricky one um I do think They're both good shoes I actually Really like the Clifton 9 now I think is A really comfortable enjoyable daily Trainer uh both good at easy runs uh I Just think it all comes down to that Versatility and I think the no Nova Blast 4 has more versatility you can Just do a lot more in this shoe I think It's a great round shoe now and I never
Said that about the Nova Bast 3 uh so I Think definitely if I was looking for a Solid shoe to do easy runs to do daily Runs and to be able to do a bit more in It maybe even raceing it if I was Looking for a more comfortable time Great I'd go for the Nova blast 4 I Think it's a good value option I think It does a lot now uh and it takes Learnings um from some of the mistakes That were made in the Nova Blast 3 uh Clifton 9 I do think it's a solid shoe I Just don't think it's it's as vers Verstile um and I think any of the Benefits that you get from the Clifton 9 You're getting in the Nova blast 4 Anyway as well as that versatility so I'm going to go for the NOA blast 4 do Think both of these are really good Shoes I think they are both reasonably Well priced as well in that slightly Lower than the really top band of Cushion shoes price bracket they're both In both shoes that pop up in sales I Think as well because they have got a Few Generations here of the two of them I do prefer the no blast myself I do Prefer the ride field a little bit I Find it a little bit more lively underf Foot for faster runs but still very Comfortable probably even more Comfortable than the Clifton for long Run as well so all around it's a shoe I Prefer Rob the two but the Clift and N
Is another really good shoe as well got A slightly lower drop if you prefer that In a shoe I didn't say say the Difference in drop was massively Noticeable when I was running in both of Them at the same time but there is that Factor to all hokers got a nice smooth Ride here with the rocker but overall The no blast 4 is a shoe I prefer as Just the more vertile more fun shoe to Uh pick up and wear for a nice variety Of runs okay that's it from us on this Versus thanks a lot for watching don't Forget to like subscribe click the Little bell and all those things that Makes us smile and if you go into the Ction below you can find a link to the A6 blast 4 on sport shoes thanks a lot For watching catch you next Time
