Last month, writing about a big sale on Hoka's Bondi 8, GP executive editor/in-house running guru Jack Seemer typed a pretty prophetic paragraph...

"Even if you have no intention of picking up a pair, the news bodes well for fans of the Bondi, which hasn't received an update since the end of 2022. Is a new version of the popular trainer right around the corner?"

The answer turns out to be an emphatic "yes," as the Bondi 9 recently surfaced on Hoka's site and will be available for purchase early next year. It's getting a bit more than a new coat of paint, too.

Before we get into the Bondi 9 highlights, let's take a moment to revisit what makes the Bondi nameplate so special. The shoe played a pretty crucial role in the early growth of the brand, after all.

See, 15 years ago, during the very early days of Hoka, a father and son team, Johnny and Jason Halberstadt, met Hoka co-founder Nico Mermoud at The Running Event.