Brand Story
Hoka (stylized as HOKA and formerly known as Hoka One One) is a French sportswear company that designs and markets running shoes. It was founded in 2009 in Annecy, France, and had been based in Richmond, California, United States, before it was acquired by Deckers Brands in 2013. Hoka first gained attention in the running industry by producing shoes with oversized midsoles, dubbed "maximalist" shoes, in contrast to the minimalist shoe trend that was gaining popularity at the time.
Timeline
- 2009
Founded in France by trail runners
Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard found Hoka One One in Annecy, focused on oversized midsoles for descents.
- 2013
Acquired by Deckers Brands
UGG parent buys Hoka, providing infrastructure for rapid expansion into general running.
- 2020
Clifton 7 hits cultural inflection
Pandemic-era walking and casual running drive Hoka into the lifestyle/fashion conversation.
- 2022
Bondi 8 + chunky-shoe peak
Hoka becomes the gorpcore-adjacent silhouette of choice, racking up sold-out collabs with Free People, Norda, Engineered Garments.
