Hoka Clifton ranks first among these walking shoes, and Brooks Ghost Max ranks second. All five contenders were evaluated on the same published criteria, and their weighted scores determine the order from highest to lowest.
Best overall
Hoka Clifton from Hoka is an option in the walking shoes comparison. It is the strongest all-around choice in this group, with its clearest strengths in performance and value. The performance assessment focuses on capability in the activity it is designed for. Versatility is the main point to compare with the nearby contenders before choosing it.Strongest alternative
Brooks Ghost Max from Brooks is an option in the walking shoes comparison. It is the closest alternative to the top choice, with its clearest strengths in versatility and comfort. The versatility assessment focuses on usefulness across people, settings, and skill levels. Durability is the main point to compare with the nearby contenders before choosing it.Best balanced contender
New Balance 1080 from New Balance is an option in the walking shoes comparison. It offers a balanced middle-ground choice, with its clearest strengths in performance and durability. The performance assessment focuses on capability in the activity it is designed for. Value is the main point to compare with the nearby contenders before choosing it.Best specialist contender
ASICS Gel-Nimbus from ASICS is an option in the walking shoes comparison. It is a more specialized alternative, with its clearest strengths in performance and comfort. The performance assessment focuses on capability in the activity it is designed for. Value is the main point to compare with the nearby contenders before choosing it.Best situational contender
Skechers GO WALK from Skechers is an option in the walking shoes comparison. It is the most situational option in this top five, with its clearest strengths in performance and comfort. The performance assessment focuses on capability in the activity it is designed for. Value is the main point to compare with the nearby contenders before choosing it.Three independent write-ins unlock an honorable mention. The 10 strongest active mentions are shown; inactive mentions archive after 12 months. At 25 monthly votes, a contender enters a scoring review for possible top-five promotion.
No honorable mentions yet. Repeated write-ins merge automatically.
Commercial-link disclosure: Some shopping and booking links may become affiliate links when a partner relationship is active. SummaRank may then earn a commission from qualifying purchases or bookings, at no added cost to you. Commercial availability never affects scores or rank order.
The five criteria create the AI baseline. The community adjustment is then added or subtracted to produce the current published score.
| Criterion | #1Hoka Clifton | #2Brooks Ghost Max | #3New Balance 1080 | #4ASICS Gel-Nimbus | #5Skechers GO WALK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98 | 91 | 94 | 90 | 89 | |
| 91 | 93 | 89 | 89 | 87 | |
| 94 | 91 | 91 | 89 | 85 | |
| 90 | 94 | 86 | 85 | 85 | |
| 95 | 92 | 86 | 85 | 82 | |
| AI baseline scoreWeighted criteria result | 94.2 | 92.0 | 90.0 | 88.1 | 86.2 |
| Community adjustmentVote-share influence | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Current published scoreBaseline + community | 94 | 92 | 90 | 88 | 86 |
Select any two contenders above.
We’ll line up what matters.
Hoka
Brooks
#1 · Highest weighted score
#2 · Second-highest weighted score
Performance
Versatility
Value
Comfort
Versatility
Durability
SummaRank compared field testing, fit and comfort guidance, durability, safety context, and value across realistic use cases, using current material from Outside, REI Co-op, Runner's World and the linked official or research references. Each contender was scored independently on the same five-part scorecard: Performance 30%, Comfort 20%, Durability 20%, Versatility 15%, Value 15%. The weighted total determines the published order from highest to lowest; criterion strengths are not assigned by rank position, and verified community voting can make a limited, visible adjustment.
The five criteria create the AI baseline. The community adjustment is then added or subtracted to produce the current published score.
| Criterion | #1Hoka Clifton | #2Brooks Ghost Max | #3New Balance 1080 | #4ASICS Gel-Nimbus | #5Skechers GO WALK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98 | 91 | 94 | 90 | 89 | |
| 91 | 93 | 89 | 89 | 87 | |
| 94 | 91 | 91 | 89 | 85 | |
| 90 | 94 | 86 | 85 | 85 | |
| 95 | 92 | 86 | 85 | 82 | |
| AI baseline scoreWeighted criteria result | 94.2 | 92.0 | 90.0 | 88.1 | 86.2 |
| Community adjustmentVote-share influence | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Current published scoreBaseline + community | 94 | 92 | 90 | 88 | 86 |