View Full Version : Hoka Bondis?
AllDownhillFromHere
02-15-2018, 21:13
Anyone tried these? They have a pretty thick sole and are rigid for a light runner/trail shoe. I'm looking for something with a wide toebox and a rigid sole that will give me some support vs. plantar fasciitis.
If I'm recalling correctly these are road running shoes. I once considered them for maintained dry trail in fair weather. IMO they did not have the traction for rocky sloppy trail. I've never demoed them though.
I have a pair of the Hoka Stinson ATA4's. I think they are the Hoka shoe most used for hiking. I only have about 20 miles on them as they are brand new. They have a fairly wide toe box (not as wide as a Lone Peak though). For foot protection/cushioning they are better than the Lone Peak. The tread pattern seems to have good traction and I was out in the mud a bit today in them and they shed the dirt fairly well. No idea on anything else at this time. I have heard from others that the soles wear out fast.
Another option for you is the Saloman Odyssey Pro which I also have a brand new pair of (I know I have too much money). About 30 miles so far on these. They have a much harder sole than either the Hoka or a Lone Peak and the sole is even harder than the Altra Olympus (which is a much better shoe than the Lone Peak imho). The toe box is not as wide as the Hoka however. But I have wide feet and I actually like them as they are snug enough that they have good lateral stability (I don't know their effect on your foot situation though). The tread on them looks like a mountain bike tire pattern - lots of smaller lugs. They look like they will wear really well but I won't know for sure until the end of March when I will have 500-600 miles on them. I will do a shoe report when I get back from that hike.
Hope that helps a bit.
Oh darn. Forgot one shoe.
Altra Olympus. I have worn out 2 pair of these. They are the training weight version of a Lone Peak is the way I look at them. They have the same very wide toe box and the Altra rock plate is built into them. They provide MUCH better foot protection than the Lone Peak and are at least equal to the Hoka Stinson. They seem to wear a little bit longer than a Lone Peak but nothing special. They are also zero drop. I have no idea what impact a zero drop would have on fasciitis but if you have not been wearing zero drop and switch to them it takes a fair amount of time for the achillies tendon to lengthen out from where raised heeled shoes leave them. It took me several weeks before I was certain that I would not pull the tendon if I slipped badly the wrong way. I have decided that I do not really like the zero drop shoes. Maybe I have spent so many years with the standard setup I just can't adapt but I have gone through a pair of Lone Peaks and the 2 Olympus's and still do not really feel right in them. Thus the experiment with the 2 shoes above.
Kaiser24
02-16-2018, 05:54
Anyone tried these? They have a pretty thick sole and are rigid for a light runner/trail shoe. I'm looking for something with a wide toebox and a rigid sole that will give me some support vs. plantar fasciitis.
Have you looked into Altra Lone Peak or even Superior with the stoneguard in place? The Altra line is all about wider toe boxes with zero drop without the extra thick soles- the stone guard is a insert that is placed under insole to give a more rigid feel.
Check them out
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AllDownhillFromHere
02-16-2018, 09:12
Have you looked into Altra Lone Peak or even Superior with the stoneguard in place? The Altra line is all about wider toe boxes with zero drop without the extra thick soles- the stone guard is a insert that is placed under insole to give a more rigid feel.
Check them out
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I have a pair of Lone Peaks - way too floppy. The footbox is nice, though.
I have a pair of Lone Peaks - way too floppy. The footbox is nice, though.
Just out of curiosity. Did your fasciitis show up after you started wearing the Lone Peak's?
AllDownhillFromHere
02-20-2018, 22:30
Apart from Bondis, has anyone tried the Altra Olympus?
Apart from Bondis, has anyone tried the Altra Olympus?
It's been my go to hiking shoe for the last three yrs.
I find the same floppiness in the LP's, Timps, Superior, and to a lesser extent the Olympus even with wide forefoot high volume high arch high instep feet. Since my Altra likes are based on a wide natural splay toe box, light/UL wt(for a non super minimalist trail runner/light hiker), comfy outer, and cush I tweak the interior volume with an arch plate or 3/4 plantar fascitis type after market foot bed over the stock ALTRA foot bed(even though I don't have plantar fasciitis), different wt/bulk socks, elastic or stretchier laces and lacing techniques. I use the runners knot for eliminating heel slippage.
https://runrepeat.com/top-10-running-shoe-lacing-techniques
Tip: be careful not to increase the heel height too much as it's counter productive to Altra's Zero Drop design raising the heel of the foot too high out of the shoe resulting in the shoes coming off easily.
Apart from Bondis, has anyone tried the Altra Olympus?
I gave my take on the Olympus 4 posts above this one of yours.
The Saloman Odyssey Pro I mentioned above I now have about 70 miles on vice the 30 then. I am liking the shoe a lot I think. Nice hard sole so it has better foot protection than any of the Altra's, good lateral stability, and I have D width feet and it fits me well. You might find a place to try one on.
We don't know about what shoes your accustomed AllDownHillFromHere. It can be a bit of a shock if you're accustomed to narrower tight fitting less clunky perceived hiking or trail runner shoe designs going to shoes like Altra, Keens, etc. When I first saw Keens I thought they were low cut clunky Herman Munster knock offs.
wordstew
03-05-2018, 08:34
Give the Hoka One Tor Tech a look.
AllDownhillFromHere
03-05-2018, 09:22
Give the Hoka One Tor Tech a look.
Thanks, I ended up going with the Bondis, but with some different insoles than stock. Probably a 7/10 at this point, so it will have to do.
wordstew
03-05-2018, 09:36
Thanks, I ended up going with the Bondis, but with some different insoles than stock. Probably a 7/10 at this point, so it will have to do.
If you don't mind I'm curious as to what insoles you went with...
Hokas appear to be supper cushy, did they make a significant difference
AllDownhillFromHere
03-05-2018, 10:35
I found the stock insoles so thick that they pinched in on the arch, there wasn't enough room in the footbed - and this is on a wide. I went with Currex Runpro running insoles, a rigid arch but no rigid heelcup.
pafarmboy1
03-05-2018, 20:30
I found the stock insoles so thick that they pinched in on the arch, there wasn't enough room in the footbed - and this is on a wide. I went with Currex Runpro running insoles, a rigid arch but no rigid heelcup.
I run in Hoka stinsons so figured I'd try them on a 70 mile hike to see if I could ditch my Keen Targhees. Worst 70 miles I've ever had. Toe box was way too tight for swelling of feet when hiking all day. Love them for an hour-long run. Hated them for long hiking days.