Revision as of 17:26, 21 February 2015

The Bondi was my favorite of the Hoka range for some time. Then the Altra Olympus, came along, and was a 'better Bondi' because it's shaped for the human foot. After that the Hoka Clifton came along and produced Minimax cushioning at a remarkably light weight. I've found that the Original Bondi B, the Bondi 2, 3, 4, and Bondi Speed are all remarkably similar. The Bondi has a horribly small toe box, but once its cut open the shoe works quite well. The Bondi has a reasonable balance of soft cushioning and weight, but has been surpassed by the Clifton. In fact, running with a Clifton on one foot and a Bondi on the other proved to me how close the two shoes feel, except for the weight. The Bondi is not available as a trail specific version, but I've found it works pretty well on most trails, though it lacks the lugs for slick, muddy tails. (I use The Science of Running Shoes as the basis of how I test running shoes and what you should look for in a running shoe.)

Hoka Bondi 4 top	Hoka Bondi 4 bottom	Hoka Bondi 4 inside	Hoka Bondi 4 outside
Hoka Bondi B top	Hoka Bondi B bottom (you can see the wear that occurred rapidly at Badwater.)	Hoka Bondi B inside	Hoka Bondi B outside

1 Characteristics

These characteristics apply to all of the Bondi range of shoes unless otherwise noted.

• Why you'd buy it. Probably the only reason to get a Bondi now would be if you can get it far cheaper than the Altra Olympus or Hoka Clifton, unless the slight increase in cushioning over the Clifton is critical to you.
• Cushioning. The Bondi is one of the best cushioned shoes available, and is slightly softer than the Altra Olympus. While it's not as thick as it looks on the outside, it is much thicker than a traditional running shoe. The latest incarnations of the Bondi, the Hoka Stinson and the Hoka Mafate all have surprisingly similar levels of cushioning.
• Drop. Sadly the Bondi does not have a zero drop midsole, and the rear is about 5 mm thicker than the front. This is only about half the drop of a traditional running shoe and I typically don't have any issues moving between the Bondi and a zero drop shoe like the Altra. The Bondi has a rather abrupt taper at the very front of the shoe, unlike the Altra Olympus that has a gradual taper. Personally I find the Olympus taper preferable and swapping from the Olympus to the Bondi rather odd. It feels like the Bondi has a lump under my toes. However, I know of the runners that prefer the Bondi taper. The very rear of the shoe is cut away slightly, creating a little bit of a rocker shape. The midsole does wrap around the lower part of the foot to create some additional stability. This helps overcome some of the problems you get with a thick sole creating a stilt like instability.
• Structure. This shoe is made of a single type of foam, so there is no variation in foam density within the midsole to interfere with the movement of the foot on the ground.
• Flexibility. The Bondi does not have much flexibility, though the level of cushioning offsets this a little.
• Outsole. The Bondi has a variety of materials on the outsole. There is some exposed midsole, some slightly more durable foam, and some durable rubber. While this helps balance durability with the weight it does create some uneven wear over the life of the shoe. In hot conditions I've had problems with the difference in wear levels, with the harder outsole at the extreme front and back of the shoe remaining intact while the softer outsole and exposed midsole wear badly.
• Shape. The Bondi has the typical Hoka shape, which includes a horribly constricted toe box. The toe box is so bad that I've noticed a distinctive pattern of blisters it causes when I'm working blister repair at aid stations. I believe it is critical to cut open the toe box of any Hokas.
• Upper. The upper varies a little with the different models and versions of the Bondi. The earlier versions had a multilayered and complex upper, but the later versions are much simpler. The padding around the ankle opening has become rather thin in the later versions, which reduces the comfort.
• Tongue. The Bondi has a classic tongue rather than a tongue-less sock style of upper. The tongue has good padding.
• Lacing. The Bondi Speed and Bondi 3 have a "speed lacing" system that uses fine laces and a locking system, but they include traditional round laces as well. I generally prefer the traditional laces as it can be tricky to get the tension right with the "speed lacing" system. Like many shoes in the Hoka range, the earlier versions had elastic straps that pull the sides together even if the laces are loose, but they were dropped from the Bondi 4. (I always cut these elastic straps off.)
• Heel counter. The Bondi has a mild heel counter with no strongly defined edges, so it should not cause a problem. The heel counter comes as far up the back of the heel as is normal for a running shoe.

Please support this site This review was made possible by readers like you buying products via my links. I buy all the products I review through normal retail channels, which allows me to create unbiased reviews free from the influence of reciprocity, or the need to keep vendors happy. It also ensures I don't get "reviewer specials" that are better than the retail versions. Buy Hoka Bondi at Zappos Buy Hoka Bondi at Road Runner Sports Buy Hoka Bondi at Kelly's Running Warehouse Buy Hoka Bondi at Charlotte Ultra Running Company

2 Cushioning and Shoes

It's intuitively obvious that the cushioning in a shoe will reduce the impact on your body when running. However, The Science of Running Shoes indicates that the reality is rather more complex. While slight cushioning may reduce the effort needed to run by improving your Running Economy, most scientific research indicates that more cushioning does further improve Running Economy. In addition, cushioning does not generally reduce impact and may actually increase it. This is counterintuitive, but is likely to be due to the way a runners mind and body adapts to softer cushioning. Unfortunately, the scientific evidence is far from complete and it's hard to give clear recommendations. I believe that some runners will prefer more cushioning, while others prefer less, and typically those running further have a fondness for greater cushioning. I also believe that a shoe should be as light as possible, and a shoe should justify its weight with the cushioning it provides. My advice is to decide what level of cushioning you're looking for, and then find the lightest shoes that also fit well and are comfortable.

3 Visualizing the Attributes of the Hoka Bondi

How Hoka Bondi compares showing rearfoot cushioning against the performance penalty of its weight. Upper right is better.	How Hoka Bondi compares showing forefoot cushioning against the performance penalty of its weight. Upper right is better.
How Hoka Bondi compares showing the price against the benefit (cushioning/performance penalty). Upper left is better.	How Hoka Bondi compares showing the loaded drop against the benefit (cushioning/performance penalty). Upper left is better.

4 Compared with the Hoka Clifton

The Hoka Clifton seems like it's an evolution of the Bondi, with the two shoes feeling remarkably similar, even when wearing one shoe on each foot. You can think of the Clifton as a Bondi that's lighter, with slightly more cushioning. I prefer the Clifton and would choose it every time.

Hoka Bondi 4 top	Hoka Bondi 4 bottom	Hoka Bondi 4 inside	Hoka Bondi 4 outside
Hoka OneOne Clifton top	Hoka OneOne Clifton bottom	Hoka OneOne Clifton inside	Hoka OneOne Clifton outside

5 Compared with Altra Olympus

The Altra Olympus is a competitor for the Hoka range, and I believe it represents a much better shoe. The Olympus has a slightly thicker sole, a toe box shaped for the human foot, and it's zero drop, but it's not quite as well cushioned.

Hoka Bondi 4 top	Hoka Bondi 4 bottom	Hoka Bondi 4 inside	Hoka Bondi 4 outside
Altra Olympus top	Altra Olympus bottom	Altra Olympus inside	Altra Olympus outside

6 Compared with Hoka Stinson Lite

The Hoka Stinson has become closer to the Bondi as it's evolved. The latest version of the Stinson Lite has remarkably similar levels of weight, cushioning and comfort. It's not clear to me why Hoka would produce two shoes that are this close, but the outsole on the Stinson Lite is better than the Bondi, making it a slightly better shoe.

Hoka Bondi 4 top	Hoka Bondi 4 bottom	Hoka Bondi 4 inside	Hoka Bondi 4 outside
Hoka Stinson Lite top	Hoka Stinson Lite bottom	Hoka Stinson Lite inside	Hoka Stinson Lite outside

7 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
Older shoe reviews: Saucony Hattori Review, Mizuno Cursoris Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, Hoka Clifton Review, Saucony Virrata 2 Review, Brooks PureCadence 3 Review, Brooks PureConnect 3 Review, Brooks PureFlow 3 Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, New Balance 980 Review, Brooks Transcend 2 Review, Hoka Huaka Review, Patagonia EVERlong Review, Asics 33-DFA Review, Hoka Conquest Review, Saucony Cortana Review, Puma Faas 100 R Review, Saucony Fastwitch Review, Nike Free Review, Asics Gel Lyte 33 Review, Skechers GOmeb Speed Review, Skechers GOrun Ultra Road Review, Nike LunaRacer Review, Altra Paradigm Review.