Hoka Bondi B - quick review

Triathlon Forum
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Hoka Bondi B - quick review

In short, awesome shoe ;

Never have felt anything like it; incredibly light for it’s size;This is definitely going to be my long distance shoe;
I’ve done some tempo runs (6minute miles for me), and some hill work so far on this shoe, and my leg recovery has been awesome.

A quick overview of me

I am 46, just under 6’ / 180 pounds / high arches – with damaged tendons in right foot and a fused tibia/fibia on the same leg.

Because of high arches – I like to run in a neutral shoe --something that lets my foot pronate a little and allow the arch to move.

I have a good mid foot to forefoot stride;

I am an okay runner I think; my IM runs are usually between between 3:15 and 3:45 / 1/2iron runs between 1:20 and 1:40 - I run around a 17 to 18 5K – so nothing extraordinary but okay I think;

I do well with the Asic Keyanus (sorry about the spelling), and Zoots TT3.0 and 4.0 – Newtons are a bad choice for me because the cantilever effect of those shoes puts a lot of stress on my arches and my damaged tendons.

I weighted all these shoes; I can’t find my notes, but the Hokas are almost as light as the Zoots, a lot lighter than the ASICs, and about the same as the Newtons (I think).

The biggest difference for me with the Hokas, is that it slightly changed where/how my foot lands so I’ve adjusted my stride a little.

For a big shoe, they are of course “cushioney” but somehow incredibly light and responsive; “road feedback” is acceptable to me. I am sure I am losing some speed because of their shock-absorption features but for an HIM or IM run I don’t think this would matter at all.

I live in the NorthEast but ordered mine from the Boulder Running Company out in Colorado – not a lot of U.S. retailers stock this shoe.

Only downside is that I have to sneak them out of the house so my wife doesn’t realize how much money I’ve spent.

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Photo?

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of me or the shoe ?

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of me or the shoe ?

you and the shoe… together, maybe on the couch with only a blue fleece blanket and a bottle of wine.

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I am an okay runner I think; my IM runs are usually between between 3:15 and 3:45 / 1/2iron runs between 1:20 and 1:40 - I run around a 17 to 18 5K – so nothing extraordinary but okay I think;
of the house so my wife doesn’t realize how much money I’ve spent.

Don’t fall prey to ST group think. For most folks out there, 17-18 on a 5k is awesome, especially at 46. Same with the other times. You are a good runner.

Maybe one day I’ll be that fast too…

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I am an okay runner I think; my IM runs are usually between between 3:15 and 3:45 / 1/2iron runs between 1:20 and 1:40 - I run around a 17 to 18 5K – so nothing extraordinary but okay I think;
of the house so my wife doesn’t realize how much money I’ve spent.

Don’t fall prey to ST group think. For most folks out there, 17-18 on a 5k is awesome, especially at 46. Same with the other times. You are a good runner.

Maybe one day I’ll be that fast too…

except there are huge swings between all his times indicating hes lying about them.

a 1:20 HIM, thats <1:15 open half give me a break

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classic -

“there are swings in his times, which means he must be lying about them.”

honestly, crap like this is why i’m considering walking away from slowtwitch.

-mike

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What I thought:
Pros-
Cushion
light
comfortable

cons
To much cushion for me
stiff upper
warm shoe

Shoe was alright. Not sure I would wear it in an IM. It is a very warm shoe and I would have to see how it did when wet. Looks like it could absorb a lot of water.

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“To much cushion for me stiff upper warm shoe”

are you sure you’re talking about the bondi b? and not the mafate? i have both, and the mafate is definitely a stiff upper compared to your typical road shoe, because it’s not a road shoe. it’s designed for trail ultra runs.

but the bondi b has a very soft upper. softer than my adrenalines, and my asics lightweight trainers.

but they’re cushy, no doubt about that. i don’t find that they’re slower than a typical lightweight trainer, i find it quite a fast shoe, even in a 5k. however, it’s not a racing flat, no confusing this shoe with a green silence.

i think the benefit of this shoe for a triathlete is in half-mary and up in a triathlon. leg soreness will really slow you down, hence the value of a cushy shoe like this. it might be slower than a racing flat for a lighter weight triathlete in an oly or shorter, but, for guys like me - 165lb - or heavier, even an oly run wears on your legs.

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Preferably you in the shoes, but I’ll settle for the shoes… :wink:

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I can’t be the only one who involuntarily burst out an expletive when they saw the price of these things?

Honestly, where will it stop?

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bottom line–they work! I’m rocking them at my LC races. I’m old and heavy (54/165) but they are a godsend

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Not ending yet- check out the Mizuno Wave Prophecy, and make sure you’re not drinking anything at the time.

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Thanks for the review. I ordered a pair of One One’s and can’t wait to get them. Something in Dan’s review made me worried about how the Bondi B would hold up. I think Dan said he would be using it as a racing flat. Could you let us know how it stands up to daily training. I think I’d prefer it (rather than the One One) as a daily training shoe (I train mainly on roads, only some on trails), but I don’t want to be replacing a $180 shoe every 300 miles.

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Not ending yet- check out the Mizuno Wave Prophecy, and make sure you’re not drinking anything at the time.

Ef me… $200?!?

There better be some gold somewhere in those things…

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I would be happy to follow up with how the shoes work out – unfortunately, I had a bad bike crash in mid April and will be inactive for months. I’ve just returned home from hospital hence my late reply:)

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Totally sucks. Sorry to hear that. Hope you heal up soon.

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Jack

I’ve had my Bondi B’s for a week- I’m not a strong runner - actually far from it - and my biggest issue has always been my knees - rugby for 17 years did it’s fair share of damage. Anyhow - I have medial meniscus tears and have actually put off the surgery.

Fast forward to two weeks ago - I had not been able to run any decent distances (3+ miles were agonizing) but since running in the Bondi B’s - I have very little to no knee pain.
I find them supportive - "soft (but a good soft) in the heel area - plush might be a good description, without giving up road feel.

All in all - cushioning is making it possible for me to start ramping up the miles again and pain free so far.

I love these things - and yes - they were a little on the high side price wise - but tell me what isn’t expensive these days (particularly in this community)

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How would you describe the fit?

I have a low-volume foot with a narrow heel. But, I have a wide forefoot with splayed toes. Finding a shoe with a wide toe box and narrow heel pocket is a big problem for me. :frowning:

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not sure how to answer your question about “fit.” – sorry
.