A max-cushion leather walking and work shoe sold in an EE wide width. RunRepeat scored it 89 and OutdoorGearLab 83, both praising its all-day comfort, very wide and stable platform and genuinely slip-resistant outsole. Both also call it heavy and not very breathable.
Full review
Room for wide feet
RunRepeat, which scored the Bondi SR 89, says it has a marvelously accommodating fit for wide feet or bunions. Its calipers put the toebox at 81.2 mm at the big-toe mark, 2.7 mm above the average of the walking shoes it has measured, and it calls the footprint the most massively wide platform it has seen in its lab. The shoe is sold in a regular D and an EE wide width.
OutdoorGearLab measured the shoe at 5.0 inches wide, the widest of the five walking shoes in its comparison table, and lists an extra-wide, stable base among its reasons to buy.
Cushioning for long days
OutdoorGearLab ranked the Bondi SR third of 16 men's walking shoes with an 83 overall score and named it the best slip-resistant shoe. It measured a 40 mm heel stack and 33 mm forefoot, and after miles of walking its testers had no foot pain and only minimal leg fatigue from the weight. It notes the shoe carries the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance and says it would happily wear the shoe for an eight-hour-plus shift.
RunRepeat found it fantastic for long periods on its feet, scoring it 92 for all-day wear and calling the comfort off the charts, with smooth heel-to-toe transitions and stability unusual for a neutral shoe.
Grip on wet floors
RunRepeat's traction test confirmed the slip-resistant outsole lives up to its marketing, and OutdoorGearLab rated traction 9.0. Both describe a water-resistant leather upper that suits workplaces with spills and slick floors.
Weight and breathability
The cost is bulk. OutdoorGearLab weighed the shoe at 14.52 oz, gave it 5.1 for weight, and found long walks could get a bit tiresome; it also lists low breathability. RunRepeat calls it heavy, bulky and not breathable, and rates its outsole and heel padding durability as bad.
Strengths
- +RunRepeat measured a 81.2 mm toebox at the big toe, 2.7 mm above its walking-shoe average, and calls the platform the widest it has seen in its lab
- +Comes in an EE wide width as well as regular (Zappos listing; OutdoorGearLab lists regular and wide)
- +Slip-resistant outsole confirmed in RunRepeat's traction test and rated 9.0 for traction by OutdoorGearLab
- +Thick cushioning: OutdoorGearLab measured a 40 mm heel stack and reported no foot pain after miles of walking
- +Water-resistant leather upper and an APMA Seal of Acceptance, per OutdoorGearLab
Watch-outs
- −Heavy: OutdoorGearLab measured 14.52 oz and found long walks a bit tiresome
- −Low breathability, per both RunRepeat and OutdoorGearLab
- −RunRepeat rates its outsole and heel padding durability as bad
How it compares
In RunRepeat's comparison table the Brooks Addiction Walker 2 is also a slip-resistant leather walker, but RunRepeat lists its toebox as narrow where the Bondi SR's is wide, and scores it 85 against the Bondi SR's 89.
Rating sources
Counts as 4.40/5 in our score — this publisher's 32 scores on the site average 4.23, so its scores are adjusted down to compare fairly with other publishers.
Counts as 4.61/5 in our score — this publisher's 149 scores on the site average 3.69, so its scores are adjusted up to compare fairly with other publishers.
Our 4.5 score is the average of these published ratings, each adjusted for how strictly its publisher scores. More about methodology.
