Hoka Bondi 8 Review
Enjoy lots of cushioning? You’re in the right place, as this week it’s our HOKA One One Bondi 8 review. The Hoka Bondi first came to the market in 2014 and remains Hoka’s most cushioned neutral training running shoe. The midsole is injection moulded. This makes the midsole more resilient to compression and gives it more rebound than models like the Hoka Clifton, which has a compression moulded midsole. Often injection moulded midsoles feel firmer, but the Hoka Bondi 8 has a new, softer foam meaning that the Bondi 8 offers the best of both worlds! It feels initially soft and cushioned like a Hoka Clifton but is in fact as durable and resilient as the Bondi 7.
Soft, But Is It Soggy?
The resilience just means that the midsole will keep it’s rebound even if you have been running all day (don’t worry, it’s great for a few miles too). A compression moulded midsole definitely doesn’t, making them popular over shorter training sessions because after a few hours of running the rebound in the midsole is reduced. It’s not a problem over shorter everyday runs and comes back when they’re in the cupboard. The Hoka Bondi 8 remains comfortable for new runners doing their first 2-3 miles and could be a very useful addition if you are increasing your mileage as more experienced runners.
The stack height of the Bondi 8 is high at 39mm in the heel and 35mm in the forefoot. The midsole splays out, so the base of the shoe is broader than your foot. Your foot sits inside the midsole in a similar way to a bucket seat in a racing car. This makes the Bondi 8 a very stable road running shoe, despite the stack height. The heel to forefoot drop is a low 4mm. This is to encourage a more midfoot landing, reducing heel strike and the braking force that is applied to your body when your foot hits the ground, as your foot is nearer to your centre of gravity. This means that there is less force for your body to deal with.
Need Extra Room?
The Bondi 8 is available in regular, wide and extra wide for men. Women have the option of a regular or wide Bondi 8.
Midsole & Rocker
The midsole is curved, which creates a ‘rocking’ effect aka a ‘rocker’ or ‘early stage meta rocker’. In very simple terms it can make you feel faster! When your foot touches the floor, instead of the shoes stopping moving, the curve rolls encouraging you to pull your foot back. This reduces how much your foot sinks into the soft cushioning. You don’t sink into the midsole and struggle to make forward motion. The rocker also increases your cadence, which reduces how much you lean forward at the waist. By maintaining a more upright running style you are lighter on your feet and the forces your body has to deal with are spread out through out your body.
As a nation we are generally quite weak around the middle. As we get tied we tend to start to lean forward at the waste. This makes you heavier on your feet and increases the impact on your knees and hips. Shoes with a rocker like Hoka or Scott or a Fulcrum like Karhu help keep your cadence quick and reduce how much you are likely to lean forward at the waist. This makes you quicker when you are tied and reduces the wear and tear on the body. The rocker coupled with the soft cushioning of the Bondi makes it feel cushioned, yet smooth and with plenty of energy. This is compared to a ‘soggy’ feeling shoe that can feel like a struggle to get going in.
Upper & Tongue
The upper has also changed. There are less overlays and the mesh feels softer and has a bit more stretch to it. This makes the fit feel snugger and at the same time the Bondi 8 feels slightly wider fitting compared to the Hoka Bondi 7. As you would expect for an everyday training shoe, the heel cup and tongue are well cushioned to give a comfortable feel to the upper. The tongue is gusseted on the medial side, which makes the upper wrap around the foot better and holds the foot onto the shoe. Compared to the Hoka Bondi 7 I would say the Hoka Bondi 8 feels even more stable.
Chunky Yet Light
Whilst the cosmetics of the Bondi 8 emphasise the max-cushion looks that a lot of us are enjoying, which makes the shoes look big and heavy, they are in reality surprisingly light (wen’s UK8 306g, women’s UK5 252g.
Is It For You?
The Hoka Bondi 8 is designed for comfortable everyday training and in particular building to and conquering longer runs. The soft cushioning and smooth ride make it very easy to make forward progress. You don’t need to be doing 50 miles in them.. but if you wanted to, they’d cope better than the Clifton 9 (coming soon). It is possible to pick up the pace in the Bondi 8 but you’ll likely be more aware of the over-sized feel and higher stack height.
It’s not in the range to make you go faster. The Mach or Rincon, plus the race shoes do this. For everyday miles with some focus on intervals or hill reps, the Hoka Clifton might be a better option, as they feel good enough running quickly and remain soft.
Customers often buy the Hoka Bondi 8 for comfortable longer sessions and sneak a “quicker” shoe in their rotation.
Other Considerations
Scott Pursuit and Scott Pursuit Ride: Both the Scott Pursuit and Scott Pursuit Ride have a rocker designed to help maintain good posture like the Bondi 8. The Scott Pursuit has a soft ride like the Bondi 8 the Scott Pursuit Ride is a bit firmer and feels a bit more responsive. This makes the Ride more versatile in terms of using the shoes for faster running as well as slower paced runs. Here is a link to our reviews of the two shoes: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scott-pursuit-ride-review/ https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scott-pursuit-review/
Topo Athletic Specter: Designed as a faster paced shoe. The Specter has enough cushioning for everyday running too. Similar to the Scott Pursuit Ride they are more versatile than the Hoka Bondi 8 in that they work well at a variety of paces. Here is a link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-specter-review/
Brooks Glycerin 20: Note, there is also a GTS version of this shoe. If you prefer a higher heel to forefoot drop (12mm) and a more traditional feel to your shoes. The Brooks Glycerin offers a soft bouncy ride that rivals the Hoka Bondi 8: https://www.northernrunner.com/brooks-m59/glycerin-t204
New Balance 1080v12: The 1080 has a similar soft feeling to the Bondi 8 but, with a higher 10mm heel to forefoot drop. The rocker isn’t as prominent or as controlling. The downside of this is that you don’t get quite the same propulsion. Here is a link to our review which will give you more information:
https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/new-balance-fresh-foam-x-1080v12-review/
Karhu Fusion: 6mm heel to forefoot. The fulcrum encourages you to lift your feet up rather than ride the rocker. Which in my experience improved my form. The ride is firm but, responsive and they are very durable shoes. Here is a link to our review which will give you more information:
https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/karhu-fusion-ortix-2021-review-by-northernrunner-com/
Altra Via Olympus: A zero drop shoe with a broad rounded toe box. The Via Olympus is made on Altra’s original last which is there roomier. This allows more room for the feet to spread on impact and function in the shoes. The Altra Ego Max midsole gives a bouncy, soft cushioned ride. https://www.northernrunner.com/altra-m86/via-olympus-t220
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