I’ve had the wide (2E) Bondi 4 for a couple of weeks now. Step in the right direction, but still no panacea. They are certainly wider in the toe box, but they still are too cramped in the midfoot area. Specifically, the arches are too built up, both upward and inward (you can feel this easily with your fingers). On my first run I got blisters on both arches. I’ve continued running in them and have now toughened up the blistered area, because I do like enough of the other aspects of the shoe to keep them in the rotation.
Beyond the blister/arch issue, which I consider a design flaw (for MY foot), I think there is another source of the complaint of narrowness that everyone seems to be having. I was reflecting on this on my run in them this morning, as despite the toe box now being sufficiently roomy, I still feel compression of the first and, even more pronounced, the fifth metatarsal (pinky). I think part of the problem results simply from the fundamental design/goal of the shoe: maximal forefoot cushioning. As you sink into the shoe, your downward force on the concavity causes the outer “rims” of the concavity to squeeze inward. This may be a bunk theory, but it seems to be corroborated by my historical experience with shoes. I have a wide forefoot, but I’ve never had a problem with even the narrowest of racing flats. Contrast that with the Hokas where even in a wide shoe I feel cramped after several miles. And similarly, I love the older 4-lug Newtons and hate the new 5-lugs (like Dev), despite the fact that both have a lot of forefoot cushioning. Maybe the lack of cushion at the widest aspects of the 4-lug shoe alleviates the aforementioned concavity problem, allowing your first and fifth metatarsal heads to “spill” over the sides somewhat?
At any rate, I do appreciate many aspects of the shoe and will keep it in the rotation. I wore the bondi 3 out, even though I had complaints, and I wore the Clifton 1 out (didn’t like this one as much as the Bondi; too soft and compressed too quickly), so I’m still bullish on Hoka. But I will continue my search for the perfect shoe.