So I signed up for the HOKA midnight run on the 31st… and before I lace up and embarrass myself in front of actual runners, I figured I should at least know why everyone loves having these shoes on their feet.
Because I kept hearing about HOKA everywhere.
Online.
At coffee shops.
Malls.
People wear these things like they’re status symbols and those who notice voice their admiration without hesitation.
The only other type of shoe that I remember can elicit this type of reaction are Onitsukas.
So I did a little digging.
Where Did HOKA Come From?
HOKA was founded in 2009 in Annecy, France, by Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard, two former Salomon employees.
They wanted to design a shoe that allowed for faster downhill running, and the solution was a shoe with an oversized midsole that had more cushion than anything else on the market at the time.
The name comes from a Māori phrase meaning “to fly.”
To fly.
That’s a big promise from a shoe.
Why Do Runners Love Them?
When HOKAs first came out, the running world was obsessed with minimalist shoes, thin-soled, close-to-the-ground things.
HOKA went the completely opposite direction and made what people initially called “maximalist” shoes.
Big, thick, heavily cushioned… and surprisingly light for how much shoe you were getting.
Ultramarathon runners picked them up first because of the cushioning on long distances. But the shoes quickly became popular with everyday runners too because of that same reason: maximum cushion, minimal weight, and a geometry designed to give you a stable, efficient stride.
Less joint pain.
Less fatigue.
More kilometers.
For someone like me who is not training seriously but wants to survive a midnight fun run without dying… that sounds very good.
And now here I am.
Registered.
Mildly panicking.
I don’t have HOKA shoes yet.
I’m thinking my Nikes are good enough for now.
But as soon as I can afford them, I’ll buy me some HOKAs.
See you at the starting line.
