This is the iconic hard working shoe in the HOKA lineup.
It offers a soft stable yet supportive ride and good durability.
If you are injured or if you want more mileage or you just want a shoe that takes less recovery, the Bondi 8 will work for you.
It is a great every day workhorse.
I have a few Hokas - Bondi and Cliftons. My main issue is they are slow to run in and mushy. Also foam starts falling out at the ankle eventually prematurely. They don't last as many KMs as I would have hoped (about 500KMs).
Average in running shoe range should be about 600-650KM) which I definitely don't get from the Hokas I have run in and retired.
They are comfortable in though credit where it's due.
They are meant to be for slow runs, they aren’t for speed work. I get close to 1000km on mine (I’m around 83kg so not super light) and have never had any issues with the ankles. So maybe they suit a particular running style?
I find the ASICS Nimbus a better neutral cushioned runner than these personally. The retail price is also out of hand for these.
I'm 40, 110 kgs, had a ankel surgery and doctor advised I may get arthritis soon.
Will these shoes help to me reduce stress on my foot when I cardio (1km @9KMPH)?
Its gonna depend on your specific ankle issue, but having had surgery for a trimal (tib fib and talus) fracture, which left me with a a collapsed arch, these have stopped the constant pain i was getting down the inside of my lower leg. Without them my ankle rolls inward, so if you have something similar they might help.
I'd recommend going to a professional running shop first though to get their recs and try on a few options before committing, they're kinda weird shoes haha.
Edit: also if they are a good fit I'd suggest getting 2 pairs to rotate, my first pair had a much shorter lifespan than I hoped but they were the only thing I wore, having two pairs to rotate means they broke down much slower (about 30-50% extra lifespan!).
Thank you
I’ve just hit 1000km on my Clifton 8’s, was just about to jump on these but I can’t find my size on my current ones. Hopefully they’ll have some left in stock tomorrow in store
Can vouch for the durability of Hoka’s and keen to try the bondi’s
These look ridiculous and you feel like a bit of a clown when you first put them on, but they are very comfortable and one of the best shoes for anyone slightly older who is into/wants to get into running (brilliant shoe if you are just starting out), if you wants comfortable shoes to walk in or if you have a standing job. They are not the best shoes if you want something 'fashionable'
$280 is the RRP and the '8' is the current model, but I imagine a new model is probably just around the corner. That said, it will be a while until prices drop below $169 and by then there wont be as many options.
source: I have, um, lets say a lot of Hoka shoes after trying many other brands.