The HOKA Bondi 6 is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Comfort and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. Most runners who came to it from another shoe preferred it. The rating rests on 36 runner reviews and 6 other rated shoes in the Bondi product line.
Exceptional
99/100
Overall
Exceptional99
Comfort
Exceptional99
Cushioning
Exceptional99
Durability
Exceptional98
Value
Very good91
Appearance
Decent70
Confidence
Confidence
How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on
confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long
record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence will score low
when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.
Reviewers report less leg fatigue after long road runs.
Reviewers with knee, bunion or foot problems say it is the shoe that lets them keep running.
Runners with wider feet praise the roomy wide version.
Cons
Reviewers find it too heavy and soft for speed work.
Appearance is its lowest-rated dimension at 4.0 out of 5, with reviewers calling it bulky and boot-like.
Three reviewers report lower back or Achilles discomfort while running in it.
Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale
Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how
much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both
well rated and well established.
Confidence
5060708090100255075100
Better Shoes Rating
Bondi 6 rates 99.
This shoe has very high certainty.
See how we rate shoes.
Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the HOKA Bondi
Each dot is one version of the Bondi, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.
Rating
406080100
962018982017792017992018992020992022972024
Release year
We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating.
See why.
With about 100 miles on this shoe I have found it to be the most comfortable of the 5 or so Hoka I have used. As a 49 yo 190 lb runner i need all the support I can get!!
I have run for 35 years in various shoes: Nike, Asics, New Balance, Adidas. Nike and Asics always were the shoes I went back to although New Balances 850 was super comfortable and light trainer in the late 80's and early 90's. I finally tried the Bondi Cavu and I liked it but a 2:15 marathoner who managed a local store was wearing the Bondi and I decided to try it out. Amazing. I have have three pairs and these shoes are comfortable as any I have tried. The Bondi is a durable shoe and I have put more miles on it than any other shoe I have worn. They just don't wear out. As a teacher, I wear sneakers to school because I'm on my feet quite a bit. When the trainers were ready to be switched up, I wore them to school and noticed less leg fatigue or tightness after a day of work. Hoka One is the company to watch and invest in for the future. They have figured it out!
If you're looking for a shoe to go fast in, you might want to look somewhere else. This shoes has a luxurious amount of cushioning, to the point where it feels like I'm working harder to move at my regular pace. Which, if you're running long distances on pavement for training runs, it might not be that bad. The shoe has proven to be durable and the sole has very little wear after 250 miles.
It’s a heavier shoe due to the awesome cushioning. I needed a wide toe box. Considering the blistering I got near end of training and during LA marathon this year, I think I need to try regular width. Going into Saucony Triumph first, though.
In 46 years of running, I've never come across a more comfortable road shoe. Did an 8-miler right out of the box and was grinning all the way through. I've done the usual old-man-transition-to-trails, and the comfort of the Hokas has brought me back around to actually enjoying the impact from hard surfaces. I would not run in these on trails -- way too wobbly and high-centered -- but then they were not designed for that. In my marathon buildups, my main concern is approaching but not crossing the increased-mileage-without-injury line, and my Hokas have provided the maximum padding that I apparently need to have confidence in doing long runs on the road. I'm excited to explore the other Hoka models. I cannot emphasize how well padded they are -- and I had test-driven other models in previous years, but the Bondis were love at first sight for my feet. If I _had_ to make a criticism, I would ask for stiffer heel counters and slightly more forefoot flexibility. I've been a Saucony guy for a decade, and I will still consider them for trail and race shoes, but these Bondis have made a convert of me. Naturally, I wish the price could come down by 10% or 20%. (I've only done 70 mi in them, so I can't rate them on durability.)
