HOKA BONDI B: I Will Never Go Back.

"All the fathers are the stars today.  You are a  father so you are the star. Have a blast."

I received this text yesterday as one of the many Happy Father’s Day greetings. 

I followed it to the letter and I blasted the day with an acquisition of a new pair of Hoka from ARC Manila. 

Meet the Hoka Bondi B. It is a very much welcome addition to my collection of running shoes. It is  my second Hoka, after the Stinson EVo Tarmac (http://bicolanopenguin.blogspot.com/2013/05/hoka-stinson-evo-tarmac-opposium.html?utm_source=BP_recent). And if my comfy experience of the Stinson for the past 3 months is any indication,  my feet will sure to enjoy  the bountiful  embrace of the Bondi.

A look at the Hoka website (http://www.hokaoneone.eu/en/d/bondi-b-unisex_87.html), the Bondi B’s  engaging particularities   are   rolling, oversized and lightweight.

Rolling. The road-optimised Bondi B utilizes a unique 50% forward rockering profile. This facilitates a forward rolling motion that guides you from the initial heel strike through to the forefoot push off in a smooth, progressive motion that pushes you forward with each and every step.

Oversized. True to its Hoka DNA, the Bondi B utilizes oversized technology to achieve a midsole construction with 1.8x the EVA volume of conventional running shoes. This allows you effectively to absorb the impact associated with running on hard-packed surfaces like tarmac or concrete roads.  Despite having a lower EVA volume than big brother  Stinson (2.2x)  or the humongous Mafate (2.5x ), the cushioning of the Bondi is still  more sumptuous (they call it  zero gravity) than your  Nikes, Mizunos, Reeboks and even Asics. This running shoe is no Newton or Vibram.   It is anti-minimalist.

Lightweight. The Bondi B only weighs 280 grams on each foot. This 9.9-oz  weight  is  lighter  than erstwhile  cushioned behemoths of the running world like   Brooks Ghost (10.7 oz), Asics Nimbus ( 11.1 oz  )  or   Mizuno Wave Creation (11.9 oz). And yet, the volume of cushioning of the Bondi is more souped up.

Where did the name come from? Bondi is the name of a popular beach in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is a cool place, a favorite among free lovin' surfers. How about the  'B' ? I guess it refers to a beach but it could be something else. Like a 'bomb' which adventure runner Marshall Ulrich (author of   "Running on Empty". Visit http://marshallulrich.com/blog/hoka-one-one-shoe-review/) uses when he referred to the Bondi B as  "These are the bomb."

Amazing these Hoka shoes are. I agree with Ulrich. After slipping on a pair of Hokas, I will never go back.