Hoka Men's Bondi 9 Black/White 11.5 Medium

Why it's worth it

The Bondi 9 is Hoka's maximum-cushion trainer, and it's the one shoe here built around exactly what an angry heel wants: a thick, soft midsole, a rocker shape that rolls you forward, and a broad base that keeps the whole thing from feeling tippy.

If your heel hurts right now, start here. The Bondi's whole design brief is impact absorption. The midsole is deep, the geometry rocks you from heel to toe instead of making you push off hard, and the platform is wide enough that all that foam doesn't feel wobbly. Owners dealing with heel pain, leg hardware, and lower-body swelling consistently single this shoe out as the one that let them walk and run without the usual ache.

It's also surprisingly light for how much shoe you're getting. Hoka lists the Bondi 9 around 0.85 pounds for a men's 11.5, which is less than you'd guess from looking at it. Owners say the same thing — the sole is thick, but the shoe doesn't feel like a boot. That matters if you're logging easy miles rather than racing. You get the cushioning without feeling like you're dragging weight.

From our review of 8 running shoes for plantar fasciitis, by Eleanor Vance, Health & Beauty Editor

What we like

• +If your heel hurts right now, start here
• +It's also surprisingly light for how much shoe you're getting
• +Width options are the quiet reason this is our top pick
• +The engineered mesh upper and textile lining are straightforward

What to know

• –It looks like what it is
• –Fit runs snug out of the box and loosens with wear, so your first few miles may feel tight and your heel may slip a little until…
• –All that stack height means less ground feel