Hoka shoes (part three)

The way that initial skepticism turned into adoption happened in late 2010, near Madagascar, on the island of Reunion, during an ultra-trail race called “Diagonale des Fous.” As he was in the 70th kilometer of that race, Ludovic Pommeret a top-ranking French racer was having severe problems with his cheap Decathlon-made shoes that he had to switch to a pair of Hoka’s made Mafate shoes at one of the pit stops, and now with them on, found his second wind and ended up second in the race, a spectacular turnaround that brought the limelight on the strange looking product. 

From that unlikely victory came the Pommeret model that immediately was successful and became the talk in every trail racing circles, ushering a marketing strategy focused on trail running. On the eve of influence marketing, trail fans, promoters and bloggers became the mouthpiece used by Hoka to reach practitioners at all sporting events, especially local races that could hugely leverage the company’s very limited resources. 

This also led Nicolas Mermoud to focus immediately on the American market, a full 40% piece of the world’s business, by working closely with athletes, retailers and the press. Very soon, this international strategy allowed Hoka to reach the kind of critical mass and the image needed to convince the other world markets. 

Introduced in 2011, the Bondi shoe encountered a fast and huge acceptance, further polishing Hoka’s image as the product to race on. Initially embraced by ultra-marathon runners for their enhanced cushioning and inherent stability, the shoes quickly gained popularity among other active runners for that maximum cushion and minimal weight. It’s heart-warming to remember that the founders began that venture on a shoestring budget.

It’s on April 1st 2013 that the Deckers Brands, the parent company for UGG, Teva and other footwear products, took full control of Hoka One One for $1.1 million. For 2024 total Hoka sales reached a record $4.2 billion! Both original founders stayed with the brand, as Diard now oversees international distribution and pursues his innovative product development, while Mermoud continues to run the company’s racing program. 

What made that story even more interesting to me, in my current case of metatarsalgia that’s not quite over. It would appear shoes like Hoka could help address it due to their features like thick, cushioned mid-soles, wide toe boxes, and a rocker sole design that reduces pressure on the forefoot. The cushioning absorbs impact, the wider fit decreases compression, and the rocker geometry helps facilitate a smoother, more efficient stride, all of which can alleviate the pain associated with this condition. A compelling reason to step into a pair of Hoka. I’ll keep you posted !