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 ! 

What about Sketchers?

When I presented the Hoka story a few days ago, I forgot to mention Sketcher, another footwear company founded in 1992 by Robert Greenberg, shortly after his departure from L.A. Gear, a company he also founded. 

Initially intended as a distributor for Dr. Martens, Skechers quickly shifted focus to developing its own brand of casual, stylish street shoes. It also became widely discussed in the running community and by legal analysts, because Skechers kept on producing shoes considered to be copycats of Hoka, specifically in the Max Cushioning category.

That’s right, Skechers has been a "fast-follower" in the industry, which led to many lawsuits with other brands, including Nike and Adidas. No doubt that copying successful designs enabled Sketcher to be a better value than the design’s originator and just like Android phones are outselling iPhones worldwide. 

As a result, Sketcher is twice the size of Hoka in terms of sales. Now, how does the copy compare to the original? Both are in fact very close. Experts say that Hoka shoes might be better for longer distances and offer better stability, while Skechers are often perceived as having better padding or softer cushioning. 

Hoka are said to be better for activities requiring more support, whereas Skechers might be the right choice for a more comfortable, casual, everyday wear. I just got a pair of Sketchers and will soon tell you how well they address my metarsalagia!

What makes Hoka shoes so popular? (part one)

It’s only this year, through and quite randomly, that I became fully aware of Hoka shoes. I had seen them before but without much interest. It’s when I saw a septuagenarian, neighbor of mine wearing a pair and after I talked to him about his experience with that footwear that my interest sparked up. 

After some quick research, I learned that Hoka was founded in 2009 by Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard, both former Salomon employees. This goes a long way in recognizing the reservoir of talent that Salomon truly was. 

Diard began with Salomon in 1981 and was promoted to marketing director in 1989, was put in charge of brand development in 1997, just when the ski company got sold to Adidas and began to lose its soul. In 1998, Diard became the company’s president and successfully developed its trail running division. 

Through 2005 Diard kept going in the complicated marriage with Adidas and finally the German based brand through the towel and sold Salomon to the Finnish group Amer that already owned Atomic skis, Wilson tennis and Suunto among other sport related brands. In 2008, the book “Born to Run” sparked running with "barefoot" or minimalist shoe designs and increasing interest in ultra-running and trail running, though some of its claims about shoes immediately created debate. 

The book popularized the idea that modern, highly cushioned shoes can cause injuries and that a more natural, forefoot-strike running style (as seen in the Tarahumara people) was healthier. This led to a boom in minimalist footwear, ultra-running events, and a broader interest in running naturally and for its own sake, rather than just for competition. 

In spite of athletic success with that kind of product, Jean-Louis Diard wasn’t so sure and at the same time, his relationship with Amer Sports deteriorating, he parted way with Salomon. Tomorrow, we’ll see how this would trigger the birth of Hoka.

Hoka shoes (part two)

So here we are in 2008 as Jean-Luc Diard gets together with Nicolas Mermoud, himself former marketing manager at Salomon who later worked at Rossignol. Both decided to start a joint venture. They believe that innovation has limitless potential in the outdoor sporting goods industry and they fit this opening. 

Working on running shoes is their goal and this domain is ripe for significant innovations, especially in view of the fact that minimalist shoes in trail footwear is the rage, but is too much performance-oriented and ignore masses chiefly looking for fun and comfort. They also believe that it’s not the runners’ responsibility to adapt to the terrain, but it’s their shoes that should, quite a paradigm shift! 

Still, starting a new shoe brand remains a risky endeavor as the world is just entering one of its worst financial crises. Still both men see a path to spearheading innovation and think that some “over-sized” design evolution as an attention-getter trend. From golf club drivers, to tennis rackets, wide skis or fat bike tires, over-sizing can generate a lot of consumers’ attraction. 

As a practicing trail runner, Mermoud knows full well that just like uphill sections, downhill segments on a race can be fraught with danger and injuries of all kinds and no manufacturer appears to address this. This triggers a search for a trail shoe design that could literally fly on the uphill as well as in the downhill part of a course. 

Another Salomon alumni, Christophe Aubonnet and Sébastien Mazars designed a shoestring and in just a few months a totally new sole that will be the foundation of the Hoka One One, which means “flying on earth” in Maori. This time the sole is the opposite of minimalism as its bulky look goes in the opposite direction. At the start-up company, all the principals are sure the shoe will be seen as revolutionary and be loved at first sight. 

Reality however will be drastically different when the shoe is officially unveiled before the industry and the press. Some quickly say that it looks like podiatrist footwear for older folks, a far cry from the youth and trendy image hoped for the product. Even racers who’re seen on the shoe get mocked, hearing they look like astronauts walking on the moon! In the next blog, we’ll discover how that view will soon be turned around...

Sketchers’ preliminary results…

It’s been over two weeks since I’ve experienced walking with my new pair of max cushion shoes. Again the name of these walking or running shoes refers to their thick, soft mid-soles designed for shock absorption and comfort offered by Hoka and Sketchers, but also by brands like New Balance (Fresh Foam More), ASICS (Gel-Nimbus), and Brooks (Ghost Max). 

This footwear offers significant comfort and impact absorption but can lead to drawbacks such as reduced stability and potentially altered running mechanics. 

As far as I was concerned, I saw them as the solution for the metarsallagia I have suffered since last April, mostly for wearing running shoes with a toe box far too narrow. If that were not the case and what I suffer from is actually more a form of arthritis, as I initially assumed it was, so much the better! 

Their thick mid-soles absorb a large amount of road impact, even when walking, making the shoe feel soft underfoot. This makes a huge difference with my former shoes and their ultra-thin front sole that makes you feel any pebble or irregularities in the pavement. This obviously leads to a more comfortable experience, especially on hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt which sums up what I’m walking on. 

The shoes seem to reduce the load transmitted through the sole of the foot and its interior bones and offer a good balance of cushioning and energy return, which might theoretically improve efficiency over long distances. 

I was warned about getting less lateral stability, a risk of ankle rolls or sprains, particularly during quick changes in direction or on uneven surfaces but I didn’t find anything noticeable there and my foot pains has been largely reduced, which so far is a good step in the right direction. 

The next marker in my evaluation will be their durability, so please stay tuned for that.