Supernova Prima 1 vs Clifton 9

The Supernova Prima is adidas leaning all the way into soft, protective cushioning: a deeply padded max-cushion running shoe built for easy miles and long, gentle recovery days rather than speed. It sits above the daily Supernova Rise in the range, trading a little snap for a plusher, more forgiving ride underfoot. At 290g it is on the heavier side of the category, and with no plate and an 8mm drop this is a comfort trainer first and foremost, not a tempo tool. What you get for the £160 RRP is a smooth, cushioned road shoe that soaks up the pounding on higher-mileage weeks and keeps your legs feeling fresh. We rate it as a specialist rather than an all-rounder. If you want one shoe to do easy days and workouts, look elsewhere. If you want a dedicated cruiser for long, relaxed miles, it makes a strong case.

The Clifton 9 is Hoka at its most crowd-pleasing: a tall-stacked, lightweight daily training shoe that feels far nimbler than its cushioning suggests. At 252g it is genuinely light for a max-cushion running shoe, and that low weight is the whole trick. You get a big pile of soft foam underfoot, but your legs never feel like they are dragging bricks around. The signature rockered sole rolls you forward smoothly, so easy miles and steady runs tick by with very little effort. This is not a shoe for chasing a personal best, and it is not built for pace work. Think of it as the everyday workhorse: the shoe you reach for on recovery days, long slow runs and the daily commute of base miles. In our view it remains one of the safest picks in the neutral cushioned category, especially if you want plush protection without the bulk. If you are new to the range, it is an easy first Hoka.