Latest revision as of 09:56, 18 April 2017

The Bondi 5 is a little heavier than its predecessors, but sadly not quite as well cushioned. I find myself much preferring the Hoka Clifton which is both lighter and softer, or even better, the Altra Escalante. I also find the sole of the Bondi a little higher than I would like, and that stack height does interfere a little with my biomechanics, and adds a little more stress to my ankles. Like all Hoka shoes, the shape of the toe box is grim, and I found that just a few miles in the Bondi caused me a lot of toe pain, but cutting the toe box open resolved the problem nicely. I've rated it as "Recommended", and that rating may be erring on the side of generosity. I feel that the Bondi has declined while it's competition has risen. (For the previous version, see Hoka Bondi 4 Review.) (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 5 top.jpg	Hoka Bondi 5 bottom.jpg	Hoka Bondi 5 inside.jpg	Hoka Bondi 5 outside.jpg
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

• Cushioning . The Bondi used to be one of the best cushioned shoes you could buy, and was famous for its massive, soft, pillowy ride. Sadly, that's all in the past, and the fifth version is significantly firmer, and a little heavier. The Bondi is thick, so it might work a little better for much heavier runners, but I'd suggest that there are other shoes in the two a much better job. The Bondi has a rather abrupt taper at the very front of the shoe which Hoka describe as a 'Early-Stage Meta-Rocker', a fancy name for putting the taper under the toes. I find this can feels like the Bondi has a lump under my toes, but typically I only notice when I swap shoes late in a long ultra. 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.
• Drop. The Bondi is not zero drop, with the rear is about 5 mm thicker than the front. This is a fairly modest amount of drop, and not enough to cause me any issues.
• 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. The midsole does wrap around the lower part of the foot to create some additional stability, which helps overcome some of the problems you get with a thick sole creating a stilt-like instability without interfering with biomechanics.
• Flexibility. . The Bondi does not have much flexibility, though the level of cushioning offsets this a little.
• Outsole. This iteration of the Bondi has hard rubber outsole material over the majority of the contact area, and all of the high pressure, high wear areas.
• 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. (I recommend cutting open the toe box of virtually all running shoes, with the exception of a few shoes like some Altra shoes. When you have some worn out shoes, you should try cutting open the toe box. I've found that it's a big improvement, allowing my toes to move naturally and engage for toe off, as well as reducing the possibility of blisters.)
• Upper. The upper is seamless and moderately breathable as you can see from the image below. The padding around the ankle opening is a little thinner than I'd like, though it's far from uncomfortable
  
  

  A shot of the Bondi, backlight to show breathability
  
  
  

  An alternative view.
• Tongue. The Instinct has a traditional tongue with a tab to attach it to the laces. It's well-padded, but perhaps a little short.
• Lacing. The traditional flat laces stayed tied.
• Heel Counter. The Bondi has a large, ridged heel counter, but the upper is probably sufficiently padded to isolate you from it. The only issue might be if you twist your ankle, even slightly it might dig in, something that's more likely with the thick, stilt-like sole.

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 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.