Hoka Bondi 6

Peak Hoka

Hoka’s Bondi is the essence of maximalism in shoe design—a highly cushioned shoe with a prodigious 37mm stack height. When people think of Hoka, this is probably the shoe they envision. “Moon shoe” would not be an inaccurate adjective.

So. Much. Shoe.

Stepping into a Bondi for the first time can be disorienting; the shoe’s thick sole boosts one’s height by an inch and a half, and the aggressive rocker creates a sensation of leaning forward.

Yet their thick fusion and mammoth size are deceiving. The foam, while protective, isn’t as soft as it would seem, and the shoe’s weight, though in the double digits, belies its bulk.

Hokas’ influence on the running industry has been such that the Bondi is no longer the only maximal distance and recovery shoe on the market: New Balance has the Fresh Foam More and 1080v10, Saucony joined the game with the Endorphin Shift, Nike has pushed out a number of models with thick midsoles, and other companies are joining the trend as well.

But the Bondi occupies a special place as trendsetter.

Technical Information

The Bondi rides on a thick midsole of dual-density EVA foam. The shoe employs a fairly aggressive rocker—in Hoka parlance, an “Early Stage Meta-Rocker,” which when combined with the bevelled heel, creates a propulsive motion. The shoe’s massive stack height—37mm in the rear, 33mm in the front—could lead to stability issues, but the Bondi’s wide base actually provides a surprising amount of stability.

Wide heels and “bucket seat” midsoles that surround the foot make the Bondi surprisingly stable shoes.

To put this into perspective, the Bondi’s forefoot height is greater than that of many other highly cushioned shoes. All of this foam adds up to weight, but not as much as one might think: My size 10s run 22.7 ounces per pair. To put this into perspective, my New Balance 880V9 and Saucony Triumph 17s, while very different shoes, weigh about as much.

The mesh upper has a thick, padded tongue and cushioned heel collar. A series of thin horizontal overlays add structure to the upper, while a pull-loop on the heel aids with entry.

Outsoles after 150 miles.

Hoka shaves weight from its shoes through the use of hard rubber zones on the outsole, leaving large portions of exposed midsole. This is now common practice on performance shoes like Hoka’s Rincon and Saucony’s Kinevara, and while the Bondi doesn’t fall into this category, it follows suite, though with substantially more rubber than the Rincon or the Clifton. High-wear areas are protected by segments of hard rubber. Exposed portions of the midsole make little contact with the road.

Impressions and Application

While they are no longer the only game in the recovery shoe town, the Bondi is a comfortable, durable recovery shoe with a rocker geometry that moves things along surprisingly well given its massive size. These are not shoes that lend themselves to intervals or fast tempo runs, but its easy to roll along at a moderate pace, and the Bondi won’t make its presence known with each step. The thick sole has very little flexibility, so the meta rocker is a welcome and necessary addition.

The overlays add structure, while the upturned “Meta-Rocker” midsole gives the Bondi a surprisingly propulsive feel.

Some reviewers find the Bondi’s ride to be supremely soft, even squishy. Others find the shoe’s midsole to be firmer than the of the much lighter Clifton. In my experience, I split the difference. The initial impression and walking feel is that of a marshmallowy shoe with a degree of spring, but the Bondi seems to stiffen up on runs. It’s still a soft shoe, but even recovery runs bring out a firmer character.

The upper is breathable enough to make for comfortable recovery runs in warm conditions, and the Bondi holds its own in colder weather due to the insulating quality of the foam.

Needless to say, road feel isn’t a consideration with so much foam underfoot. A lively racing shoe this ain’t. But there aren’t many shoes more well-suited for cruising and recovery days, and this is where the Bondi shines.

Durability shouldn’t be a concern. I see a small amount of beveling on portions of the hard rubber portions of the outsole, which is to be expected after 150 miles. The exposed midsole foam shoes vey little wear, and the substantial upper should hold up to abuse well.

I have plenty of room in the toe box, and I have no slippage in the heel, although the latter issue really hasn’t been a problem for me. The shoes feel locked down without being too narrow, though other reviewers find that Bondi’s run on the narrower side.

The Bondi’s ride is surprisingly polarizing. My recovery runs seldom surpass 6 miles, and I use other shoes for longer tempo and distance runs, so the relatively firm foam doesn’t bother me. Some reviewers find Hoka’s tagline of “running on clouds” accurate, while others appreciate the Bondi’s (relatively) firm and surprisingly fast ride but find them too firm for actual recovery work.

This is obviously subjective, but like many reviewers, I find these shoes shine on easy middle distance runs.

The Bondis are quite popular among workers who stand for hours at a time, and for runners looking for a measure of stability, the shoe’s wide base and countersunk midsoles (the foot actually sits within the foam) make for very stable shoes, in spite of their height.

The Future

Hoka released the Bondi 7 this year. Like the Clifton, the update focuses on the upper, which sees new a overlay pattern and a memory foam heel collar. The midsole and outsole remain unchanged. This makes the Hoka 6, which is widely available at a discount, a compelling buy.