Reddit · r/RunningShoeGeeks · Jun 23, 2025 · summarized
NegativeTried marathon training in the HOKA Bondi 9 and developed severe hip pain after some long runs, which went away in a lower-stack shoe; found the Bondi 9 very unstable overall.
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Max cushion
Runners mostly find it plush and comfortable, and softer than the Bondi 8.
A score out of 100 for how well reviewed a product is next to others of its kind. It rises with positive reviews and with how many there are; negative and mixed reviews take points off. The best in each category scores in the 90s.
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Showing 1 review mentioning unstable Show all
Reddit · r/RunningShoeGeeks · Jun 23, 2025 · summarized
NegativeTried marathon training in the HOKA Bondi 9 and developed severe hip pain after some long runs, which went away in a lower-stack shoe; found the Bondi 9 very unstable overall.
Runners mostly find it plush and comfortable, and softer than the Bondi 8. A few had problems with stability, fit or firmness.
Of the 15 reviews with a clear verdict, 67% are positive, 13% mixed and 20% negative. The praise mentioned most is great cushioning. The most common complaint is heavy.
The complaints reviewers mention most: heavy (2 reviews), narrow fit (1 review) and unstable (1 review). For example: Does its job of protecting the legs and is comfortable on easy runs and walks, and a big upgrade on v8. But it feels too limited for him: heavy, without much bounce, softness or energy return, and not versatile even among max-cushion shoes.
We collected and summarized 15 experiences shared on Reddit and blogs, with links to the original sources. Reviews submitted here are checked for spam before they appear. Every review, submitted here or collected, is read as positive, mixed or negative.
The softest, highest-stack shoes for long and recovery runs, ranked by real runners.