Brooks Ghost Max 4 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: they are closely matched on paper, so fit and feel will decide it.
Side by side
| Brooks Ghost Max 4 | Hoka Bondi 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £145 RRP | £160 RRP |
| Type | Max cushion | Max cushion |
| Support | Light support | Neutral |
| Weight | 292g | 303g |
| Heel drop | 6mm | 5mm |
| Heel stack | 39mm | 43mm |
| Widths | Standard and wide | Standard and wide |
| Plate | None | None |
What the differences mean
Weight
The Brooks Ghost Max 4 is 11g lighter, at 292g against 303g. As a rough guide every 100g costs about one percent in running economy, so 11g is worth a fraction of a percent. You will feel it more than it costs you, and it counts for more on a fast 5k than on a slow long run.
Heel drop
Both sit at around 6mm, so neither will feel unfamiliar if you are coming from the other. Nothing to choose here.
Support
The Brooks Ghost Max 4 has a light steadying element built in and the Hoka Bondi 9 is neutral. That matters if your ankles roll inwards noticeably when you run. If they do not, support is not a bonus, it is just something you do not need underfoot.
Price
£145 against £160 at full price, so the Brooks Ghost Max 4 is £15 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.
Brooks Ghost Max 4
A big, wide, forgiving platform. Very stable underfoot and kind to sore joints.
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 239 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.