Asics Gel-Nimbus 26 vs Hoka Bondi 9
Asics Gel-Nimbus 26
Hoka Bondi 9
Gel-Nimbus 26 plays the long game with balanced cushion, Bondi 9 goes all-in on max softness.
How They Compare
The things that actually matter 💅
Pick Your Side 💜
Which one stole your heart?
Which One Is For You?
Two amazing products, two different vibes ✨
- You want cushion that lasts hundreds of miles, not just the first few
- You prefer a shoe that balances softness with some ground feel
- You trust Japanese engineering to protect your knees
- You want the most cushion physically possible in a shoe
- You like the Hoka look and want to be part of the movement
- You prioritize how the shoe feels from step one
The Full Story
LoveBar's deep-dive, written for humans 💕
Asics Gel-Nimbus 26 and Hoka Bondi 9 are both designed for people who want their feet wrapped in clouds, but they define cloud differently. The Nimbus uses a combination of Gel and FF Blast Plus foam to create a cushion that is soft without being mushy — it still gives you some feedback from the ground, which many runners prefer. And that outsole just refuses to wear down, making it one of the best long-term investments in running. The Bondi 9 says forget subtlety and stacks the foam as high as it can go. Out of the box, the Bondi feels like nothing else — impossibly soft, almost disarmingly comfortable, like your feet are being apologized to. The trade-off is that the Bondi foam can pack down faster over serious mileage. The Nimbus is the marathon of comfort — paced and lasting. The Bondi is the sprint of comfort — immediate and overwhelming. Your choice depends on whether you want comfort that wows on day one or comfort that still performs on mile five hundred.