Asics Gel-Nimbus 28 vs Hoka Bondi 9
Two shoes people weigh up against each other constantly. Here is what actually separates them, taken from the same database that drives the Shoe Finder quiz, with nothing added by hand. The short version: the Asics Gel-Nimbus 28 has the higher heel at 8mm against 5mm.
Side by side
| Asics Gel-Nimbus 28 | Hoka Bondi 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £179.99 RRP | £160 RRP |
| Type | Max cushion | Max cushion |
| Support | Neutral | Neutral |
| Weight | 278g | 297g |
| Heel drop | 8mm | 5mm |
| Heel stack | 43mm | 43mm |
| Widths | Standard, wide and 4E | Standard and wide |
| Plate | None | None |
What the differences mean
Weight
The Asics Gel-Nimbus 28 is 19g lighter, at 278g against 297g. As a rough guide every 100g costs about one percent in running economy, so 19g is worth a fraction of a percent. You will feel it more than it costs you, and it counts for more on a fast 5k than on a slow long run.
Heel drop
This is the real difference. The Asics Gel-Nimbus 28 has a 8mm drop and the Hoka Bondi 9 has 5mm. A higher heel asks less of your achilles and calf and more of your knee, and a lower one does the opposite. If you get regular trouble at one of those, pick accordingly. If you get none, pick whichever is closer to what you already run in, because changing drop suddenly is the most reliable way to give yourself a new problem.
Width fittings
Both come in a wide fitting, but only the Asics Gel-Nimbus 28 goes as far as 4E. That matters if wide is not quite wide enough for you, which is more common than the number of shoes offering it suggests.
Price
£160 against £179.99 at full price, so the Hoka Bondi 9 is £20 less. Both are discounted often enough that the gap on the day may look nothing like this, which is worth checking before you decide on price alone.
Which should you buy?
Neither, until you have tried both on. Fit decides more than any specification on this page, and the two shoes above are close enough that a foot shape will separate them faster than a spreadsheet will.
Asics Gel-Nimbus 28
Soft, protective and forgiving. The default choice for comfortable everyday miles.
Hoka Bondi 9
About as much cushioning as you can buy. Great if your legs and joints ache.
Or let the quiz decide
This page compares two shoes. The shoe finder compares all 104 of them against your width, your weight, where you run, your budget and any recurring niggles, then gives you three and tells you why each one made it. It takes about a minute.