Behind the Brand | Hoka One One

Behind the Brand | Hoka One One

June 21 2021, by Chloë Brazil, 2 min reading time

With the aim of improving their time in long-distance races, the founders developed Hoka. It's time to fly.

It's time to fly. That's what the founders of HOKA ONE ONE thought. Frenchmen Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas Mermoud set out to improve their time in long-distance races by designing a shoe that would allow you to go down hills faster. And not only this. The shoes also improve the experience of going uphill.

A piece of history
HOKA ONE ONE was founded in 2009 by Diard and Mermoud. The trend in running, keeping designs as minimalist as possible, reached its peak and the French designed something completely new. Inspired by light and fast mountain bikes and skis, they offered a maximalist shoe, but with a comfortable midsole and natural gait of the foot.

The two founders started by developing a prototype, and later worked with a chemist from a Chinese shoe company to create a completely new type of EVA foam that was soft, durable and surprisingly light - the properties we see today. associate with HOKA ONE ONE.

Mission and vision
According to HOKA, running is better when you have momentum. Excelling with running shoes distinguishes the brand from its competitors. But how exactly do they do it?

By constantly developing their shoes, HOKA ONE ONE is always one step ahead of the rest. What characterizes the brand is the light sole and the midsole with the cushion incorporated into it. In addition, the shoes are always made of lightweight material, so that the athlete has the optimal running experience.

Diard and Mermoud say: “When we applied a form-follows-function discipline to the design of a trail running shoe, we asked ourselves, “How can we make it faster?” The answer was a shoe that was derided by major running shoe brands but loved by runners. These runners started winning races and caught the attention of running shoe buyers.”

A look at the collection
As expected, HOKA ONE ONE has outdone itself again with its new collection. The focus has been on further developing previous versions of the running shoes and applying the latest technology.

The new Clifton 8 has now been released for the award-winning Clifton line: The Clifton 8 is manufactured with a lighter and more responsive midsole and offers the same walking experience as its predecessor.

The brand's Ahari line also has a new shoe. The Arahi 5 offers a seemingly contradictory combination of maximum cushioning and minimum weight for a soft, supple alternative to traditional support shoes. Perfect for the daily walk!

Are you now curious about the HOKA ONE ONE collection? Then view it here!