Hoka One One Bondi X Review

This week I’ve reviewed the Hoka One One Bondi X. The new Bondi X is a maximal cushioned shoe with a carbon plate, which is a strange concept at a glance! Maximal cushioned shoes are typically designed for longer, slower runs. They give that ‘running on pillows’ feeling and allow you to feel like you could keep plodding along forever. Carbon fibre plate running shoes on the other hand are snappy, responsive shoes. Designed solely for speed. So, adding the two together makes for an interesting ride.

The fit is the same as the Bondi 7. Hoka in their regular width tend to be on the narrower side, so these aren’t a broad fitting shoe and there is no wide width currently available. The upper is designed to hold the foot securely onto the midsole. This is essential in a shoe with a high stack height like the Bondi. The Bondi X isn’t designed as a minimal race day shoe, so the upper still has a nice padded collar. The tongue is thin but offered adequate protection from the laces for my feet. Even after a few hours in the shoes.

If you aren’t used to maximal cushioned shoes, that is shoes with a stack height of greater than 30mm, then the first thing you will notice about the Bondi X is that there is a lot of shoe. You expect this to be heavy simply because of the size of the midsole but like all Hoka shoes it is very light weight. The foam used to create the midsole is the same injected EVA that is used for the Bondi 7. This is a very durable foam with a firmer, more responsive feel than the compressed EVA midsole of the Hoka Clifton. So even if you are really heavy on your feet you don’t bottom out the cushioning. Your feet sit inside the midsole of the shoes and the injected EVA gives a very stable ride. The addition of a carbon plate to the Bondi has made the shoe stiffer, which gives you more propulsion. The Bondi X still feels very cushioned but you don’t feel like you compress into the midsole as much as you do in the Bondi 7. Rather than sinking into the cushioning when your foot touches the ground, you feel like you are immediately moving forward.

All Hoka shoes have an ‘early stage rocker’. This is where the midsole is curved so that your foot gets rolled backwards when it touches the floor. This reduces breaking and increases your cadence, which helps promote a more upright posture. In the Bondi 7 a lot of runners are very aware of the rocker when standing in the shoes. Particularly if they aren’t used to shoes with a rocker. This rocking feeling is less noticeable in the Bondi X. They feel much more stable. This might be because the shoe is stiffer and firmer so you don’t sink into the soft cushioning as much as you do in the Bondi 7.

The back of the midsole sticks out a bit more than it does on other shoes. A similar, yet not as extreme shape to the Clifton Edge. This may make the shoes appear  bulky but although you will be aware of the stack height if you aren’t used to it, once running the shoes don’t feel at all bulky. They feel cushioned and the transition through to toe off is smooth. Smoother than in the Bondi 7, as the carbon plate reduces the compression into the midsole.

I found that my perception of speed and effort was removed. On an easy run I found that I would run a long quicker than normal without realising it. This is especially true on gradual downhills. There is a disused railway near to where I live that I run in frequently. It goes gradually down in one direction. Running downhill on ‘the lines’ I found that I easily ran 15 to 20 seconds a mile quicker than I would do in a none-carbon running shoe without noticing. When turning round and running back up ‘the lines’ it was really easy to maintain a quick cadence and feel like you were running on top of the ground rather than making the classic mistake of leaning forward at the waist and trying to dig a hole in the ground by pushing off hard.

Setting Carbon to one side for the moment, the advantage that a maximal cushioned shoe gives you is that it reduces the inflammation in the joints after long runs. This means that you will feel less stiff and fatigued so you can keep running longer. It also means that you aren’t as stiff the following day. As you would expect, this was noticeable after using the Bondi X. My hour and a half steady run on a Thursday usually means that Friday mornings run is the slowest of the week. My legs are stiff from the previous night’s exertion. None of this stiffness was evident after running in the Bondi X. This is good and bad. It means that you can run freely the next day and are less likely to get niggles and aches from running awkwardly on stiff legs. However, you need to consider that when you run hard you damage the body. Then your body repairs itself stronger. So you need to consider what you are aiming to get out of your training session. If it is ‘time on your feet’ training then maximal cushioned shoes allow you to recover and continue to train. If you are looking to stress your feet and muscles then a shoe that does less of the work for you is likely to give you a better training response.

Hoka One One say that the Bondi X is a carbon plated shoe for everyday training. They are durable enough to cover a lot of miles before wearing out but in my opinion it is better to alternate shoes, having a selection of shoes for different sessions. This way you’ll get a better training response, recover better and improve. In my rotation, the Bondi X is great for long runs and some recovery runs. I feel that the carbon plate definitely improves my posture while running up gradual gradients but I also need to do some running in a shoe that doesn’t offer the same benefits so that my body learns to hold me in the correct posture, without the help of a springy carbon plate.

In short; essentially I’ll be using the Bondi X in combination with lower cushioning, non-carbon shoes to ensure my body doesn’t get ‘complacent’ or too used to it because I do really enjoy them.

In Summary the Bondi X is a great shoe for long runs and recovery runs. Great for long, steady runs and tempos. Maybe a touch too bulky for the fastest of intervals but still did the job. As a maximal carbon version of a Bondi, they aren’t the fastest carbon plated shoe on the market but they are very comfortable and versatile. Ideal for the runner who wants to shave a bit of time off their PB’s, but wants to do so in comfort!

Charlie @ Northern Runner Newcastle

Other Considerations

The Bondi X is very different to the other Hoka Carbon plated shoes. A much gentler feel to the ride. The Carbon X throws you into a quick cadence and keeps you there. It is a faster shoe and still offers a good level of cushioning but works you hamstrings quite hard and doesn’t let you run slowly. So, it isn’t as versatile as the Bondi X. It’s more of a race day shoe. Here is our review:
https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-carbon-x-review-carbon-fibre-running-shoes/

The Rocket X is a pure race day shoe. Lightweight and not super durable. I found that I could jog in these but, when you put the power down the shoe responds and you really feel the benefit. Here is our Rocket X review:
https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-one-one-rocket-x-review-road-racing-shoes/