Hoka is one of the fastest-growing shoe brands. You can’t step out these days without spotting someone in these funky, chunky shoes, from Joe Biden to Britney Spears to even your local barista. So how did this dad sneaker turn into  a billion-dollar enterprise that’s taking shelf space away from Nike and Adidas?

I’m Joi-Marie McKenzie, and here’s the story behind the rise of Hoka.

The company began in the French Alps, and like many sports shoe brands, you can trace Hoka’s origins back to athletes. Two entrepreneurs with a passion for mountain running, Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas Mermoud, were inspired to create a sneaker that worked in all kinds of terrain, like dirt, lava, rocks, and even trails. So, they founded Hoka in 2009.

That same year, the brand asked a former marathon world champion, Mark Plaatjes, to try its prototype for a test run. He absolutely fell in love with the extreme cushioning of the shoe and eventually purchased 770 pairs for his athletic wear shop. Hoka quickly gained respect from elite runners, and the shoes spread like wildfire among athletes. In 2012, the footwear company Deckers purchased Hoka. It already owned brands like Uggs and Teva, and it planned to turn Hoka into a billion-dollar line. It did just that. Hoka passed $1 billion in 2022, a little more than a decade after its founding. Hoka now makes up about 40% of Deckers’ yearly earnings.

So, let’s take a look behind the neon and see what made these shoes sell so fast. First off, they’re incredibly comfortable. The bottom part of the shoe has what’s called a midsole, the brand signature. It’s this marshmallow-like component meant to make you feel like you’re flying down rocky trails and cliffs. Some experts compare the shoe to a really well-pumped mountain bike tire, rather than your standard one. In fact, the name Hoka means to soar or fly in the indigenous New Zealand Maori language.

There’s also this foot frame that cradles the shoe, and the curved part here is the Meta-Rocker, which propels the sneaker forward. Lastly, the bright neon colors, bold logo, and oversized look make these shoes stand out from their competitors.

So, who’s wearing them? Now, just about everyone. They’re popular among healthcare workers who are on their feet all day long.

The reason I like the Hokas is because it has a nice, wide toe box to fit my bunion, and it also has … it passes the shoe test, which is, it can’t be folded in half. It can’t be twisted. And the heel counter is very nice and supportive.

But fashionistas love them, too. Here they are on the runway at Nicola Formichetti’s show. And let’s not forget Hollywood. Cameron Diaz, Blake Lively, and Reese Witherspoon have also sported these kicks.

But it’s not just feel and look. It’s also Hoka’s business strategy that’s helped it grow. Priced around $125 to well over $250, these kicks are in high demand, but the company has been careful not to overpopulate stores. It’s playing hard to get with customers. While the brand is headquartered in the US, the shoes are made in China and Vietnam, allowing them to keep costs down. The company ships to over 60 countries from Chile to Norway and is continuing to expand its customer base. In fact, in 2023, it launched its first ever collection for kids. The company is also gaining traction by collaborating with brands like Free People and designers like Nicole McLaughlin. And as the brand keeps growing, the stock of Hoka’s parent company, Deckers, just keeps moving up.

Last year it skyrocketed to 78%. But Deckers is still small compared to legacy brands like Nike and Adidas. In 2023, Nike’s revenue was over $50 billion, and Adidas was over $22 billion, while Deckers was nearing $4 billion. But it is consistently increasing. So even though Hoka may be the tortoise in the shoe race right now, it’s growing fast, and it’s in it for the long run.

• To spot something (verb): to see or notice something.
• Funky (adjective): fashionable and cool in an unusual and noticeable way.
• Chunky (adjective): used to describe clothes/ shoes that are thick or made of large pieces.
• A barista (noun): a person who serves customers in a coffee shop.
• An enterprise (noun): an organisation or business, especially one that makes money.
• Shelf space (noun): the total amount of available space in a shop to display products for sale.
• The rise of something (phrase): the increase in popularity or success of something.
• To trace (verb): to find where something came from.
• An entrepreneur (noun): someone who starts their own business.
• A sneaker (US, noun): a sports shoe or trainer.
• Terrain (noun): an area of land, especially considering the natural features.
• To found (verb): to create a business or organisation, to bring something into existence.
• A prototype (noun): the first example of something, used to test and develop future forms.
• Cushioning (noun): providing protection against force or shock, provided by a cushion.
• Eventually (adverb): in the end, especially after a long time, effort, or problems.
• To spread like wildfire (idiom): to quickly become known by more and more people.
• A (product) line (noun): a range of similar things that are for sale.
• Neon (adjective): relating to an extremely bright colour.
• First off (idiom): firstly, before anything else.
• A signature (noun): something that identifies something as being from a particular place.
• -like (suffix): like the thing mentioned.
• Pumped (adjective): inflated, filled with air.
• Indigenous (adjective): relating to the people who originally lived in a place, instead of those who moved there from somewhere else.
• To cradle (verb): to hold and support something.
• To propel (verb): to push or move something, often with a lot of force.
• Bold (adjective): strong in colour or shape, easily noticeable.
• To stand out (phrasal verb): to be different and easily noticeable.
• To be on your feet (phrase): to be standing up or walking.
• A bunion (noun): a painful swelling on the big toe.
• The heel (noun): the rounded back part of the foot.
• A fashionista (noun): someone who works in or writes about the fashion industry.
• To sport (verb): to wear clothes and shoes or be decorated with something.
• Kicks (informal, phrase): shoes, especially fashionable sports shoes.
• To be in (high) demand (phrase): very popular and wanted by many people.
• To play hard to get (idiom): to pretend you’re less interested in something than you are.
• Headquartered (adjective): located, to have the main office of a company in a place.
• To gain traction (phrase): to become more popular, successful, or accepted.
• To collaborate (verb): to work with someone else for a special purpose.
• Stock (noun): the amount of money a company has through selling shares to people.
• To skyrocket (verb): to rise or increase very quickly.
• A legacy brand (noun): a brand with a long history and reputation.
• To be in something for the long run/ haul (idiom): to be involved or willing to be involved in an activity for a long time, instead of a short period.

In this text, there are different examples of verbs and prepositions. When a verb is part of a longer sentence, it is often followed by a specific preposition (such as for, from, with, of, in etc.). Some verbs take a direct object after the verb, followed by the prepositional phrase, e.g.: ‘You remind me of my sister.’

There are no fixed grammatical rules to help you know which prepositions go with which verbs – try to learn them together. Common verb and preposition combinations include:

Verbs with for

‘We’re waiting for the others to arrive before starting the meeting.’

‘He spent all night preparing for the big conference.’

Verbs with from

‘Has she fully recovered from losing her business last year?’

‘Starting a new job saved me from my horrible boss!’

Verbs with in

‘He doesn’t believe in luck.’

‘To succeed in business, you need both talent and persistence.’

Verbs with of

‘I don’t approve of copying someone else’s work.’

‘This candle smells of lavender and vanilla.’

Verbs with on

‘The outcome will depend on how well they perform under pressure.’

‘He couldn’t concentrate on finishing his exam with all the noise around him.’

Verbs with to

‘She hasn’t responded to my email.’

‘He apologised to me for what he said.’

Verbs with with

‘I completely agree with her suggestion to change the design.’

‘The company will provide you with all the necessary documents.’

Examples in the text:

• … a sneaker that worked in all kinds of terrain: work (verb) + in (preposition) + all kinds of terrain (object).
• Hoka quickly gained respect from elite runners: gain (verb) + respect (indirect object) + from (preposition) + elite runners (object).
• The company ships to over 60 countries: ship (verb) + to (preposition) + over 60 … (object).
• … by collaborating with brands like Free People: collaborate (verb) + with (preposition) + brands like … (object).
• But Deckers is still small compared to legacy brands like Nike and Adidas: compare (verb) + to (preposition) + legacy brands … (object).

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/verbs-prepositions

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