This one is awkward because we sell a lot of Bondis. And we'll keep selling them. They're a fantastic max-cushion road shoe. The problem was that customers were taking them onto trail, and we weren't doing a great job of redirecting.
What was going wrong
Bondi has a smooth road outsole. On damp grass, on leaves, on wet rock, that outsole slides. We had returns for ankle rolls within the first month of ownership. We had hot spots from the upper not being built for trail abrasion. We had people saying the shoe "broke down" when really it was just not designed for what they were using it for.
Meanwhile, the Clifton on trail has similar issues. Both shoes are designed for pavement.
What we do now
If you come in and tell us you want a cushioned shoe for door-to-trail runs, we walk you to the Challenger wall first. Same cushion story, trail-ready outsole, similar last geometry. The jump is easy.
If you're a Bondi lover and want a trail option for the occasional weekend, we'll usually point you to a Mafate or a Stinson. Both are built for it.
Where the Bondi still wins
Long pavement. Recovery runs. Days when your legs are toast and you just need something cushy. Walking. The occasional ultramarathon road relay. For those things, the Bondi is still the shoe.
So no, we're not mad at the shoe. We're just more careful about where we send it.
