Bondi X

They made the Bondi X a few years ago. That did have a carbon plate. The regular Bondi does not. And they stopped making the Bondi X because it’s an abomination of a shoe. So you’re not entirely wrong. There was a Bondi with a plate. But it was a terrible shoe.

From this, personally, I find NB super comfortable, but the foam does 'die' a bit earlier. I think if you're after a versatile trainer, Clifton is meant to be great daily (I have the Bondi for easy/recovery). They're meant to be a bit more durable too, I like the Vomero (just from trying on, not running), but they're soo soft I'd worry they would break down faster than the clifton

Hoka bondi - very soft, too soft for me, Hoka clifton - soft, harder than bondi - mu daily choice.

Shoes are so personal so what helps one person’s back or feet may not for another. Do you live somewhere you can go try them on? I run in Hoka Mach 6 (I know nothing about them, I just went to a running store and tried shoes on til I found what felt good) and I wear Bondi ones at work (healthcare on my feet all day)

Hoka bondi wide & go to a shoe store & be properly sized

If you can find the HOKA sales on shoppee you might be able to find on in your price range. Can’t go wrong with the Clifton or bondi series.

I have hallux limitus so need stiff rockered shoes. I’ve therefore spent a lot of money arrive at this. Base mileage at slow pace: Hoka Bondi / Puma Magmax v1 Quicker workouts: Nike Zoom Fly 6 / Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 Long Runs: ASICS Superblast 2 Race Day: Saucony Endorphin Pro 4