I test walking shoes for a living and my all-time favorite, the Hoka Bondi 8, is reduced by almost 20% this weekend

(Image credit: Future/Lou Mudge)

published 8 November 2024

I don't often give a pair of shoes the full five out of five stars, but the Hoka Bondi 8 deserved it. They are the best shoes I tested in 2024 for my guide to the best walking shoes and have held the top spot for over six months, despite the many other shoes I've tested during this time. I rarely see discounts on this shoe, so a 19% discount on the men's shoes and the women's shoes is worth snapping up while you can.

So, why are they so great? Well, they're plush. The bounciest, most well-cushioned shoes I've tried. They have a high stack of midsole foam, which is something I really like in a shoe, and means that the energy return on hard surfaces is great.

I still reach for my pair of Hoka Bondi 8 shoes, and after seven months of wear have shown themselves to be durable. The wide crashpad is a feature that I've found myself valuing more and more, as it distributes my weight over a wider surface area and takes some of the pressure off the rear of my foot.

The upper is soft and will keep your feet cool with its well-ventilated engineered mesh material. The upper doesn't feel stiff or restrictive either, which is the main downfall I've found with built-for-purpose walking shoes (the Bondi 8 is technically designed for road running), but like most running shoes, doesn't offer any water resistance.

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Lou Mudge is a Health Writer at Future Plc, working across Fit&Well and Coach. She previously worked for Live Science, and regularly writes for Space.com and Pet's Radar. Based in Bath, UK, she has a passion for food, nutrition and health and is eager to demystify diet culture in order to make health and fitness accessible to everybody.

Multiple diagnoses in her early twenties sparked an interest in the gut-brain axis and the impact that diet and exercise can have on both physical and mental health. She was put on the FODMAP elimination diet during this time and learned to adapt recipes to fit these parameters, while retaining core flavors and textures, and now enjoys cooking for gut health.