The engine's answer
Best running shoe for fitness running on road running, under €280
Hoka Bondi 9
97% match
The most cushion Hoka can legally sell you
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Live search for the Hoka Bondi 9 at retailers that carry it.
Why it wins here
The Hoka Bondi 9 wins this question with a 97% match against all 78 shoes in the catalogue. It costs €190, weighs 297 g and stands on a 43 mm heel stack with a 5 mm drop; its cushioning scores 95/100, its grip 60/100 and its energy return 50/100. The tightest constraint is the terrain: only 61 of the 78 shoes count as a road-ready shoe, and 60 clear both the price and the terrain filter. Its biggest edge over that field is on goal — cushioning 95 /100, durability 82 /100. The nearest runner-up, the Asics Gel-Nimbus 27, finished 1 point behind.
The dimensions where it beats the rest of the field by the most, for this question specifically — with the numbers behind each one.
- Goalcushioning 95 /100, durability 82 /100
- TerrainRoad shoe, grip 60 /100, stability 60 /100; 61 of 78 shoes count as a road-ready shoe
- Budget€190, €90 under the €280 ceiling — 77 of 78 shoes qualify
What's good
- Marshmallow comfort for feet that have had enough
- Favourite of nurses, walkers and big-mileage plodders
What to watch
- Ponderous at anything beyond easy pace
- Bulky on the scale and in the wardrobe
What the runners-up gave up
The next three in the ranking, and the measure each one lost on against the Hoka Bondi 9.
- Asics Gel-Nimbus 2796%First-class seating for easy milesAsics Gel-Nimbus 27 (96%) lost on the goal: cushioning 90 /100 against 95 /100 for the Hoka Bondi 9. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
- Hoka Gaviota 595%Maximum support meets maximum marshmallowHoka Gaviota 5 (95%) lost on the goal: cushioning 90 /100 against 95 /100 for the Hoka Bondi 9. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
- New Balance Fresh Foam More v495%The Bondi rival with the roomier heartNew Balance Fresh Foam More v4 (95%) lost on the goal: cushioning 92 /100 against 95 /100 for the Hoka Bondi 9. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
Questions this answer raises
- Is the Hoka Bondi 9 within a €280 budget?
- Yes. At €190 it sits €90 under the ceiling, and 77 of the 78 shoes in the catalogue come in at €280 or less.
- Does the Hoka Bondi 9 suit road running?
- It is a road shoe with grip 60 /100 and stability 60 /100. The question filtered for a road-ready shoe, which 61 of the 78 shoes are; for fitness running the ranking also weighed cushioning 95 /100, durability 82 /100.
- How much shoe is under foot in the Hoka Bondi 9?
- A 43 mm heel stack with a 5 mm drop, a cushioning score of 95/100 and no plate — at 297 g on the scale.
Change an assumption
This page answers one runner's question. Yours is not that question — adjust the surface, the goal or the budget and watch the whole field re-rank.
Answer for your own running