Escalante 5 vs Clifton Pro 1

The Escalante 5 is heavier than the shoe it replaces. Our spec sheet has it at 275g against 240g for the Escalante 4, with a touch more stack and a 2.2mm drop, which is still close to the zero-drop idea Altra builds everything around. In return you get a tougher outsole and a better-fitting knit upper, and most reviewers found the foam a little bouncier than before. It remains a low, flexible daily running shoe with a wide toe box, aimed at runners already used to zero or near-zero drop who want to feel the road and let their toes spread. The ride divides opinion. Run To The Finish liked the springy, grounded feel and rated it the best Escalante so far, while RTINGS found the cushioning harsh and too thin for long runs. We land in the middle. It's a good shoe for short and steady runs, but we wouldn't take it into marathon training, and if you've never run in low-drop trainers it's the wrong place to start.

The Clifton Pro is Hoka taking its most famous daily training shoe upmarket. Where the standard Clifton is the safe, do-everything running shoe, the Pro swaps in a supercritical ProGlide+ midsole to chase more bounce and energy return from the same easy-day brief. With a tall 42mm heel, a moderate 8mm drop and a max-cushion feel underfoot, it is built for soaking up easy miles, long runs and recovery days rather than chasing pace. In our view it sits in the premium daily training shoe bracket, priced accordingly at £155. At 298g it is not light, so this is not a shoe you buy for speed. What you get instead is a plush, protective ride that stays comfortable deep into a long run. If you already love the Clifton 11 and want a bouncier, more energetic version of the same idea, this is the one to try.