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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Weight
    2. Stack Heights
    3. External Shape
    4. Internal Shape
    5. Other Features
  5. Performance
    1. Heel Energy Return
    2. Forefoot Energy Return
    3. Heel Cushioning
    4. Forefoot Cushioning
    5. Heel Firmness
    6. Forefoot Firmness
  6. Comments

HOKA Clifton 9 vs Nike Invincible 3

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

HOKA Clifton 9
Nike Invincible 3

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Apr 15, 2025 04:45 PM

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Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Apr 23, 2025 05:04 PM

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Amazon.com
HOKA Clifton 9 Picture
Nike Invincible 3 Picture

Variants

  • Clifton 9 (Black/Black - (Women - US 7))
  • Clifton 9 (Black/Rose Gold - (Women - US 7))
  • Clifton 9 (Evening Sky Coral - (Women - US 7))
  • Clifton 9 (Frost/Gold - (Men - US 9))
  • Clifton 9 (Lettuce/Solar Flare - (Women - US 7))
  • Clifton 9 (Nimbuscloud/Steel Wool - (Men - US 9))
  • Clifton 9 (Oat Milk/Barley - (Men - US 9))
  • Clifton 9 (Olive Haze/Mercury - (Women - US 7))
  • Clifton 9 (Sandstone/Cream - (Women - US 7))
  • Clifton 9 (Solar Flare/Lettuce - (Men - US 9))
  • Clifton 9 (Stardust/Electric Cobalt - (Men - US 9))
  • Clifton 9 (Sunlit Ocean/Lilac Mist - (Women - US 7))
  • Clifton 9 (Vanilla/Astral - (Women - US 7))
  • Invincible 3 (Electric Pack/Olympic Safari - (Men - US 9))
  • Invincible 3 (Jade Ice/White-Clear Jade - (Women - US 7))
  • Invincible 3 (Light Cream/Coconut Milk/Oxygen Purple/Light Orewood Brown - (Men - US 9))
  • Invincible 3 (Phantom/Bright Crimson/University Red/Black - (Men - US 9))
  • Invincible 3 (Photon Dust/Psychic Blue/Sail/Light Smoke Grey - (Women - US 7))
  • Invincible 3 (Pure Platinum/Cool Grey/Vapor Green/Dark Obsidian - (Women - US 7))
  • Invincible 3 (University Red/Blue Joy/Rugged Orange - (Men - US 9))
  • Invincible 3 (White/Blue Tint/Sail/Blue Void - (Men - US 9))
  • Invincible 3 (White/Bright Crimson/Sail/Black - (Men - US 9))
  • Invincible 3 (White/Fire Red/Cement Gray/Black - (Men - US 9))
  • Invincible 3 (White/Sesame/Anthracite/Coconut Milk - (Men - US 9))

Our Verdict

HOKA Clifton 9

Nike Invincible 3

The Nike Invincible 3 and the HOKA Clifton 9 are both popular daily trainers with a similar level of stiffness and stability, though the HOKA has a slight edge in stability. The HOKA is also lighter, making it feel a bit more effortless over longer distances. However, the Nike is a more premium daily trainer due to its bouncy ZoomX foam resulting in a plusher ride that feels more responsive underfoot. This added bounce makes the Nike more versatile, allowing it to handle some strides more easily.  In contrast, the HOKA leans more toward consistent daily mileage with a balanced, reliable feel.

0 

Main Differences for
Marathon Racing

Threshold 

0.10

Marathon Racing 

4.5
5.8

Forefoot Energy Return 
 

2.1
7.6

Heel Energy Return 
 

1.8
8.0

Weight  

6.1
4.8

Full Comparison

Design

Weight  

6.1
4.8

Right Shoe Weight Photo  

HOKA Clifton 9 Right Shoe Weight Photo
Nike Invincible 3 Right Shoe Weight Photo

Left Shoe Weight Photo  

HOKA Clifton 9 Left Shoe Weight Photo
Nike Invincible 3 Left Shoe Weight Photo

Weight 
 

257.5 g (9.08 oz)
287.3 g (10.13 oz)
Show Text 

Stack Heights 
 

Stack Height Photo  

HOKA Clifton 9 Stack Height Photo
Nike Invincible 3 Stack Height Photo

Heel Stack Height 
 

39.2 mm
38.2 mm

Forefoot Stack Height 
 

30.9 mm
29.8 mm

Heel-To-Toe Drop 
 

8.3 mm
8.4 mm

Advertised Heel-To-Toe Drop 
 

5.0 mm
9.0 mm

External Shape 
 

3D Model Full Shoe  

HOKA Clifton 9 3D Model Full Shoe
Nike Invincible 3 3D Model Full Shoe

Outsole Heel Width 
 

89 mm (3.5")
99 mm (3.9")

Outsole Arch Width 
 

84 mm (3.3")
72 mm (2.8")

Outsole Forefoot Width 
 

107 mm (4.2")
118 mm (4.6")

Internal Shape 
 

3D Model Internal  

HOKA Clifton 9 3D Model Internal
Nike Invincible 3 3D Model Internal

Internal Length 
 

274 mm (10.8")
272 mm (10.7")

Internal Heel Width 
 

58 mm (2.3")
63 mm (2.5")

Internal Forefoot Width 
 

87 mm (3.4")
93 mm (3.7")

Other Features  

Other Features Photo  

HOKA Clifton 9 Other Features Photo
Nike Invincible 3 Other Features Photo

Tongue Gusset Type 
 

Non-gusseted
Non-gusseted

Plate 
 

None
None
Performance

Heel Energy Return 
 

1.8
8.0

Heel Compression Video  

Heel Energy Return  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Heel Energy Return 
 

73.0%
85.9%
Show Text 

Forefoot Energy Return 
 

2.1
7.6

Forefoot Compression Video  

Forefoot Energy Return  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Forefoot Energy Return 
 

73.5%
83.6%
Show Text 

Heel Cushioning 
 

6.6
6.6

Heel Cushioning Picture  

HOKA Clifton 9 Heel Cushioning Picture
Nike Invincible 3 Heel Cushioning Picture

Heel Cushioning  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Energy Absorbed At 300N 
 

1.01 J
1.00 J

Energy Absorbed At 600N 
 

3.23 J
3.23 J

Energy Absorbed At 900N 
 

6.17 J
5.89 J
Show Text 

Forefoot Cushioning 
 

5.9
6.7

Forefoot Cushioning Picture  

HOKA Clifton 9 Forefoot Cushioning Picture
Nike Invincible 3 Forefoot Cushioning Picture

Forefoot Cushioning  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Energy Absorbed At 300N 
 

0.82 J
1.02 J

Energy Absorbed At 600N 
 

2.42 J
2.60 J

Energy Absorbed At 900N 
 

4.43 J
4.24 J
Show Text 

Heel Firmness 
 

7.0
7.2

Heel Firmness  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Average Firmness 0 To 300N 
 

42.4 N/mm
42.2 N/mm

Average Firmness 300 To 600N 
 

60.1 N/mm
60.0 N/mm

Average Firmness 600 To 900N 
 

77.0 N/mm
84.2 N/mm
Show Text 

Forefoot Firmness 
 

8.9
8.9

Forefoot Firmness  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Average Firmness 0 To 300N 
 

51.9 N/mm
41.1 N/mm

Average Firmness 300 To 600N 
 

83.3 N/mm
84.8 N/mm

Average Firmness 600 To 900N 
 

113.1 N/mm
136.0 N/mm
Show Text 

HOKA Clifton 9

Nike Invincible 3

Comments

  1. Comparison

HOKA Clifton 9 vs Nike Invincible 3: Main Discussion

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