Hoka Bondi B shoe review

Well, I wanted to see what all the hype was about regarding the Hoka Bondi B2 shoes.  I’ve done the research, read others reports and was curious if they are really that good compared to some of my trusty running shoes. 

Over the past two years my “go to” shoe has been the Asics Gel Nimbus 13.  This is a nicely cushioned shoe but also has a tall heel stack at around 12mm.  After going to a run clinic this spring I realized I’m a classic heel striker.  My initial response was I wanted a shoe with less stack between the toe and heel.  I settled on a pair of Saucony Ride 5’s.  I liked the weight of them; the wide toe box and they had a heel stack of 8mm.  I went on a couple runs and did a 5K in them.  I was shocked at how much more beat up my body felt after running in these compared to my Gel Nimbus!  I was upset that this experiment was a failure so I went back to my Gel Nimbus’s until the Hoka’s came in the mail.

Saucony Ride 5 weight 10.6oz

Asics Gel Nimbus 13 weight 10.4oz

Hoka Bondi 2 weight 11.1oz

 Now depending on where you buy them, Hoka has a 60-day no question asked return policy!  Pricing is a little higher than a standard running shoe.  I paid around $120 for both my Gel Nimbus and the Ride 5’s, the Hoka’s were about $150.00 but with the return policy I figured what’s to lose!  They showed up in the mail, I quickly put them on and took off!  I was AMAZED at how these things felt!  It was like running on pillows.  Some believe the height of the show makes them more unstable compared to a standard shoe, but that’s not the case because the overall footprint of the show is larger making the shoe very stable.  Some argue they like to “feel” the ground and pavement but I think there is still enough “feeling” to know when you are uneven surfaces, gravel, etc.  The toe to heel stack is also lower, coming in at around 4mm to 5mm.  They put more cushioning in the midfoot of the show and the heel is “rockered” allowing for a more seamless transition from planting to take off.   

Ride 5 on Left and Hoka on Right

Gel Nimbus on Left and Hoka on Right

Notice the larger footprint of the
Hoka over the Ride 5

Gel Nimbus footprint vs. Hoka

Notice the "Rockered" heel of the Hoka vs.
a more standard running shoe

I have now put some good runs in on these from a duathlon race to a 10K and my body doesn't feel as beat up as in the past.  I don't think they are any “faster” of a shoe than my previous ones but I did have a very good first run in my duathlon and PR’d.  I have no idea if the shoes helped or not.  If I have any criticism of the shoes I would say that my feet get a tad warmer in them but not much.  Overall I think this may be the future of running shoes.

Chris