How Hoka’s Approach to Innovation Has Made the Brand More Competitive in the Hot Running Market
Innovative technology put Hoka on the map when it launched in 2009. But the brand sees its enduring competitive edge as something a bit more intangible.
“You want to be able to sell the technology,” said Colin Ingram, Hoka’s vice president of global product. “But ultimately, we put experience at the top because that is what you remember as a runner.”
Experience was paramount when Jean-Luc Diard and Nico Mermoud founded Hoka in 2009. At the time, the pair sought an easier way to run on uneven terrains. They viewed shoes not as an extension of the human body, but rather as a piece of equipment — like skis or a bicycle — that could connect people to the ground beneath them in a more fluid, relaxed and fun manner.
“We went back and forth between creating something that’s visually extremely different and [something that] provides these sensations,” Mermoud told FN last month.
With this goal in mind, Diard and Mermoud created the three product elements that still define Hoka to this day: a smooth, curved sole that helps runners transition from heel to toe (or the “meta rocker”); an ultra-cushioned midsole; and a flexible, yet sturdy foot frame. Using these elements as a blueprint, Hoka created a product range that utilizes each core element in a different way.
“We took a very simple approach based on key principles,” Diard said in an interview last month. “That’s the way you always do innovation. You don’t go into things that are drastically complex. You have to simplify things by going to the extreme and seeing if those extremes are meaningful.”
Push the limits
Those principles have stuck, even after Deckers bought Hoka in 2012. (Diard still works with Ingram and the Hoka team in his role as global vice president of innovation at Deckers.)
In 2020, Hoka applied its underlying formula to the Tennine shoe, which featured the most exaggerated version of its heel cushion yet. The odd-looking sneaker wasn’t for everyone. But the technology — which made for softer contact when landing on the ground — was effective. Hoka gradually iterated on (and toned down) the concept and came out with different versions that could appeal to more runners.
“If you go to the extreme in one area and you discover there is no benefit, then at least you know it,” Diard said, explaining the Hoka philosophy of innovation. “Very few people dare to do it this way. [But] this is the way you can keep a competitive advantage on the market. And you always learn something.”
Even more recently, this formula has continued to work to Hoka’s benefit. The Skyward X and Cielo X1 shoes that launched this year both feature the same foundational elements in the rockers and cushioning. That is, both have carbon plates and PEBA foam. But they have entirely different wear experiences. The Skyward X offers a more cushioned, glidelike run for the everyday runner, while the Cielo X1 maximizes speed for more advanced athletes. Hoka created these divergent products by tweaking the rocker and cushioning profiles of each shoe in line with their own needs.
“We call it our tinkering mindset,” Ingram said. “Even though the ingredients are the same, the actual output of those two things creates those two polar differences in the shoes.”
Hoka also rethought its carbon plate when it launched its Tecton X trail-running series in 2022. Instead of one carbon plate, Tecton X uses two parallel plates to better adapt to changing terrains on the trail. As it iterated on this model, Hoka sought feedback from several of its athlete partners — like American trail runners Jim Walmsley and Hayden Hawks. This, in turn, made for a shoe suited to the needs of pro athletes and novice runners, alike.
“Initially, I really struggled on the downhill,” said Hawks, who in September claimed victory at the UTMB World Series Finals 100K wearing the Tecton X 2.5. “But as soon as I started wearing Hokas, I was able to push the downhills a lot harder than I ever had before.”
Mass appeal
While Hoka started as a brand for more advanced trail runners, its foundation in performance is what ultimately paved the way for its broader acceptance among the masses. Everyday runners and lifestyle consumers who want a comfortable, good-looking shoe are increasingly turning to brands rooted in performance for an experience they can trust.
“The brands that are the most ‘lifestyle’ are always brands that have a very big performance heritage,” said Diard. And while Hoka doesn’t actively cater to a lifestyle audience, it is consistently chosen anyway.
Since the pandemic-led running boom in 2020 and beyond, the brand has grabbed more mindshare among teenagers and women, many of whom are new to running or unaffiliated with the sport. Dave Powers, Deckers’ recently retired chief executive, described this evolution in May when he said running, as a category, has become “the new streetwear.”
But even as its popularity grows, Hoka isn’t losing sight of the original vision that powered its growth — and the technology that continues to define its brand DNA.
“It’s a brand that stands for performance,” Ingram said. “It is something that has a unique end use. And on the other side, it is ultimately wearable.”