The Hoka Bondi 9 is the 2025 update to a daily trainer fave in Hoka’s collection. For the new Bondi, we’re getting new cushioning technology and a revamped upper that’s all wrapped up in an overall lighter design.
Testers Nick and Mike have been putting in the running time with the Bondi 9 to find out if it’s a good upgrade on the Bondi 8 and is one of the best new cushioned daily trainers to buy in 2025.
00:00 – Intro
00:28 – Price and what’s different from Bondi 8
01:31 – How does it fit?
03:05 – The Run Test
09:24 – Verdict and comparisons
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Hey this is Mike from rers this is a Haw Bond the update to hawker's cushion Daily trainer Fame probably up there With the Clifton as one of its most Popular shoes now there has been some Changes from the Bondi 8 we'll let you Know what those are exactly then myself And Nick will take you through our Running thoughts and let you know Whether the hwo Bondi 9 is a good update To the Bondi 8 and whether this is a Standout new cushion daily Trainer shoe To buy in 2025 [Music] So here's your quick rundown of those Key Hoka Bondo 9 stats let's start with Price and the Bondo 9 comes in at £60 in The UK and $170 in the US which means a Slight jump up in price on the Bondi 8 What hasn't gone up is the weight for The UK men's 9 now weighing in at 312 G Compared to 322 G in the same size Bond 8 it's a shoe now with a 5mm drop with An extra 2 mm added to the overall stack Height at the upper we've got an Engineered mesh knit one with a reworked Hill collar to provide improved Comfort At the hill and the mids Sal Hawker has Swapped its compression molded ev8 for a Super critical version for a bouncier Ride from a lighter foam a rear foot Focus active foot frame Prides extra Support while a mild metal rocket is in Place to help you tick off those random
Miles in a smooth fashion the outsold Features a p design with rubber in the Key places to offer good grip for Pavements and Roads and offer the kind Of durability to coat with plenty of Running time [Music] Here comes to the fit of the Hoka Bondi 8 it's been all good for me in my normal Running shoe size I've got a uk9 here Which is a US 9.5 with Hoka it's a size I usually have with that brand and they Tend to fit me quite well because they Are a little bit more narrow and you Know kind of died in than lots of shoes But I have a narrow foot I'm a little Bit small for my size so the fit does Work really well for me there are wider Options available in the Bondi 9 if you Want to kind of spread your toes a bit More than I need to but all around for Me the fit was very good in my normal Size no concerns around the heel or Midfoot or anything like that so I'd Stick to that so fit for me has been Absolutely spot on in the Bondi 9 I've Got m in UK size 8 and that is my Typical running shoe size I've also got It in the normal width fit option There's two additional kind of options On that fit side of things but for me The normal size has been absolutely fine I've got pretty skinny narrow feet and I Think there's enough room there it's not
Too narrow it's not too broad either Space up front of the toes is very good Not overly generous doesn't feel too Long for me either I don't think people Going to really have to look at going Half size up or half size down or maybe You know a full size up or down in this Shoe and I think unless you've got those Kind of slightly B the feet I think Looking at those wide fit options might Be something to do the kind of General Padding feel of the upper is very good As well you know hugs and very snug Fitting in general you know good amount Of padding at the hill collar no kind of Irritation up there kind of around the Achilles area as well I would say I Think for most people you could go true Siz in this year you have a good Experience if you got slightly wider Feet then you may want to look at going At one of those kind of wider fit Options that are available in this Shoe I've run around 60k in the Hooka Bondi 9 across several training runs now I've been sticking mostly to an easy Pace in the shoe I see this very much as An easyday Cruiser the kind of Sho p on For Recovery runs your very slow paced Runs and that's what I've been doing in The shoe so far not being a huge fan of The Bondi line in the past it's fair to Say the bond8 I found just very big and Clumpy and just didn't really have a lot
To it for me you know protects the legs But doesn't really do else and didn't Feel very fun on the run I did have Pretty high hopes for the new model with That super critical EVA foam in the Midso that it would be a more fun easy Day shoe than it has been in the past But fortunately those hopes haven't Really been fulfilled with the Bondi 9 Like it still does its job it protects The legs it's comfortable but I still Think it lacks the ride the fun that you Get from some other big cushion shoes And it certainly isn't really a very Versatile shoe it's definitely an Improvement on the Bondi 8 I would say That you know it feels lighter on the Foot and poppier and a bit more fun to Run in but yeah it doesn't have the feel Of my favorite kind of hooker shoes and Indeed best kind of cushion shoes from Other brands so I figured it wasn't Going to be the most firstto shoe Because you it's a big heavy shoe it's Not designed to be one that You' be Using for a nice mix of training and it Certainly isn't there are certainly Cushion shoes like the aex Jael Nimbus 27 even the Brooks Glycerin 22 although That is a little bit lower stack that You have a bit more about them if you Are going to use them as your cushion Daily trainers you know for a bit of Everything if you are a newer Runner you
Want a cushion protective shoe or just Someone who likes a cushion protective Shoe to do everything this wouldn't be The one I'd pick because it doesn't feel Like it's really moving well at PACE at All just feels a bit big and actually That's not necessarily a huge problem With the bond you know lots of shoes That are very focused on easy runs but Actually it's the way it feels on easy Runs that I think has let me down Slightly so it does the job of an easy Day shoe that's what sure like I'm not Going to say it doesn't do its job well Like it is comfortable it is protective I pulled it on for a couple of recovery Runs after really hard sessions I Remember particularly doing a 10 mile Run the day after a really long and hard Session or maybe even a double day and You know it works like protects the leg Just ticking along very slowly if you're Just getting out there to move and help The muscles recover a bit with a nice Easy run then does do that job but the Rifle just isn't that nice I find like For some reason the rocker doesn't seem To work on the shoe as well as it does For me with other hooker shoes like gets Me off the heel nicely into the midfoot Which is what I expect but just get a Bit lost in the forefoot feels like it Feels like a bit stuck there and I don't Really flow off my toes very nicely I
Don't get any kind of punch from that Foam either and that's often the case Think with hooker shoes so I've got some Really good Foams in the range the Pea Foams in particular are very Lively and The higher end shoes but even with the Super critical phone which I have liked Other shoes like the Max 6 and the sky Flow like still think a lot of the time It's the really well-designed geometry Of those shoes that I've liked that I've Really got into rhythm with and not Necessarily the foam that's doing all The work there it's you know the rocker The it kind of lifts off the toes a Little bit so even though this foam's an Improvement on the original Bondi Actually I preferred the ride of the new Hoker Clifton 10 even though that's got The old compression molded Eva Pham just Because I found it a bit smoother and Easier to get into rhythm with and That's the problem with the bond KN I Never really feel like even on an easy Run where I just don't really thinking About my shoes I just want to tick along In a nice Rhythm don't really get that From the shoe I think it just feels Still a bit big and you kind of clunky Moving through that for foot so although It's been like a valuable tool at times During marathon training you know Protecting the legs on those easy runs The days after hard workouts you know
There are lots of Sho that do that I Think they should do that in a slightly More enjoyable way so I've done 50k in The Bondi 9 now when I look back at my Time in the Bondi 8 which has been out For a couple of years now was it my most Memorable shoe to run in I think you Know the thing that really stood out for Me was pretty heavy I think the riding Experience I think if you look at it Against other daily trainers in hawker's Own range but also outside of it I think There were just better options and ones That I would grab for over the Bondi 8 Now for me the Bondi 9 is still very Much a daily trainer that ve towards a Kind of easy rela recovery kind of runs Potentially has some scope to work for More moderate Pace runs now that there's A drop in weight but I think if you're Looking for a shoe that can handle Faster runs that's not really what this Shoe is about I think you know you look At the positives here and I think the Drop in weight and I think it's it's a Significant drop in weight to make it a Shoe that I felt I I've enjoyed to be Out more in I think it is a shoe that You're going to want to spend more time In given that it doesn't feel as Cumbersome and clunky to running Compared to the Bondi eight you look at That kind of midell makeup and the Change I think you know of categorizes
This shoe as a plush shoe I don't think It the plusher shoe in its range I think You look at something or look at it Against something like the Skyward X Which is a Max cushion shoe but I Definitely feel that is a softer feeling Shoe to me when you look at the Cushing Technology it's used in other Hawker Shoes I think you know you look at the Mac series that has a kind of more Responsive Edge STP but can also be used For kind of more relaxed runs I don't Think you have the same scope here and I Don't think it's executed in the same Way in the Bondi 9 that definitely is a Comfortable shoe in and when I've been Out in a shoe it has felt very Comfortable I've always felt well Protected in this shoe you've got that Kind of mellow meta rocket in here which You know I always wish it was a little Bit more pronounce so I think it would Make it a nicer experience to run in This shoe it's not a hugely bouncy shoe Either I was hoping for a little bit More on that front that's not really What I've seen in my time in this shoe But I think when I've stuck to those Kind of easy recovery Paces it felt Absolutely fine I felt well protected I Felt very comfortable I felt very stable When I've tried to kind of up things in That kind of pace Department it just Felt like you know it's not where this
Shoe is wanted to kind of live in those Kind of running Paces look at the outso I mean it's you know there's plenty of Rubber here you know I've been using it In kind of dry roads and Pavements I've Done some kind of Rainer runs in it as Well it's handled you know absolutely Fine on that front you know I'd have no Quals in spending a lot of my running Time in this yearo I think it's going to Have a long life I think you know you're Going to get a good level of durability Out the shoe and I think you probably Could run some lighter trails in the Shoe and you'd have no problems doing That so for me from outside point of View all looks very good so yeah I think You know the Bondi 9 has been a solid Experience for me you know has it been a Massively improved experience on the Bondi 8 I think in a couple of areas it Has been better I think you know the the Lighter weight is definitely a plus I Think the midsole is still has you know All those qualities of a Bondi shoe Comfortable protective um And very resilient and you know going to Create a kind of smooth kind of ride but I think you know I probably looking for A little bit more from this Sho given That where you know what Hawk has done With other daily trainers in its range And you know maybe hoping to see a Little bit more from the bond 9 so yeah
Solid experience overall is it the best Cushion daily Trainer shoe is it the Best daily Trainer shoe in Hawkin range I'll get into that in my Verdict verdict on hondai 9 is it's a Shoe that is built for a purpose which Is to protect the legs and easy runs Recovery runs and it does that purpose But it's not really one that I'd be Picking out still because there are lots Of shoes that kind of do that role and I Think you can get a bit more out of Other shoes it's my least favorite of The Hoka cushion shoes for example I Think the sky flow is a bit stiffer but It's still comfortable and has a bit More versatility I think it ticks over a Bit more naturally for me easy Paces as Well and the hooker Clifton 10 it's got A slightly higher drop it's got the Older foam it's a bit cheaper and Actually I think it performan is similar To the Bondi in fact maybe slightly Better I think it's a little bit more Versatile and I enjoyed running it more At easy Paces as well and then it stands Up fine against a lot of this big Max Cushion shoe market that's out there These days but there are certainly shoes That I prefer in this area you know Things like the suc hurc 24 you know It's similar actually like it's a big Shoe it's just designed for one purpose Those easy runs but the ride is just
Better for me in the hurcan 24 I find it More natural get a little bit more pop Off the toes I find it just I can forget About it when I'm cruising along at easy Runs and then it gives me a little bit More back if I do try and do anything Other than easy runs in it built very Similar to the hondai 9 all round but I Just think it's a little bit better Overall aex J number is 27 it's a Slightly stiffer shoe slightly slapper Shoe less rocket but actually think the Transition's a bit better on that shoe For me the balanc 1080 v14 is softer More fun feels a lot more Nimble and is Still very cushioned Brooks gler in 22 If you want a high drop option that Again just says a bit more about it the Brooks gler in Max which is a really Nice rocket shoe and actually that's got Exactly the kind of rocker I like and That really moves through very smoothly You know it's expensive shoe it's not That much more expensive than the Bondi In the US I don't think and yeah you're Getting a higher level of fun out of it All around I'd say as well as more Versatility so even though the bond n It's fine like if you pick this up and You just want an easy day shoe it does That job it's also traditionally a shoe That's used a lot for walking and it Does that very well it's a very stable Shoe for sure but yeah know when the
Bondi almost set the tone for all of These shoes I think it's fair to say Like a lot of brands are mimicking the Style of Hoka that was set in place by Shoes like the Bondi but now actually I Think doing it slightly better than the Bondi does itself and actually hok shoes That do that a little bit better in its Lineup as well so the Bondi n's out There you know it works fine you do the Job it's kind of intended for but I Wouldn't be picking it out myself in That sea of other shoes from both hoker And Brands so my on the Haw Bondi 9 is That from an upgrade point of view from The Bondi 8 I do think Bondi fans are Going to like the changes and the Improvements I think particularly the Lighter design and I think the midsole Changes doesn't really take away from The fact that this is going to be a shoe That's going to work for the same types Of runs and it's going to be a shoe That's going to be very nice to kind of Walk around in as well I think in terms Of being standouts kind of daily trainer Cush and daily trainer inazone range I Think there are better shoes or shoes That I would grab over the Bondi 9 I Think I look at the H Max series which I Think for me has a little bit more Versatility about it I think the weight Is a little bit nicer you know maybe the Fit isn't you know as padded and you
Know supportive as a Bondi 9 but I think For me that works very well as a daily Trainer that can handle a mixture of Runs I think from a super plush Comfortable live enjoyable point of view There is a Skyward X as well which is More expensive but I think can handle Similar types of runs as the Bondi n and While it's a heavy shoe I don't think it You know feels like a heavy shoe to run In so I think that would be one I would Look at in Hawker own range so we're Looking outside of Hawkers range I think There's plenty of good daily trainers That sit in the same category as the Bondi 9 I think you've got things like The new Bal 1080 v14 from aex point of View you've got things like the no blast 5 you got the Jus 27 I think if you look From a Brooks Point of View you got the GH 16 the Gin Max I think all of those Shoes I think have qualities that I Think you know those would be shoes I I Would grab for first for the same types Of runs as the Bondi 9 is really kind of Designed for Bondi 9 sits well with Those shoes it's definitely in good Company but I think in terms of standing Out from the other kind of daily trainer Options that sitting around the same Price in Hacker's range but outside of Hacker's range I just think it doesn't Do quite enough for me to be the shoe That I would stick in my rotation over
Other shoes that are available okay so There have it that's is our multi test To take on the hacker Bondi 9 now if you Got any questions about the shoe that we Haven't covered in this this video other Shoes you desperately want to see it Compared to as well whether it's in Hawker's own range or outside of its Range as well do let us know as always Like And subscribe hit that little bell To find out about latest videos and yeah We'll see you the next run Test's video [Music]
