Nike Vomero 18 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 Nike Vomero 18 has the higher heel at 10mm against 5mm.
Side by side
| Nike Vomero 18 | Hoka Bondi 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £134.99 RRP | £160 RRP |
| Type | Max cushion | Max cushion |
| Support | Neutral | Neutral |
| Weight | 298g | 297g |
| Heel drop | 10mm | 5mm |
| Heel stack | 46mm | 43mm |
| Widths | Standard, wide and 4E | Standard and wide |
| Plate | None | None |
What the differences mean
Weight
There is almost nothing in it, 298g against 297g. Weight is not the deciding factor between these two.
Heel drop
This is the real difference. The Nike Vomero 18 has a 10mm 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 Nike Vomero 18 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
£134.99 against £160 at full price, so the Nike Vomero 18 is £25 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.
Nike Vomero 18
Thick, soft and forgiving underfoot. Great value if you want maximum comfort on easy runs.
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.