Hoka has gone from 1.9% in 2013 to 6.0% in 2014 to 11.6% in 2015.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Wow!

What a jump by Hoka. I didn't expect them beat Newton.

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blog

Beat Brooks too.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

wait until you see a shoe count next spring, if they do one at 70.3 oceanside. probably #1. hoka has bad distribution outside the u.s., that's it's weak link, tho not for too much longer. that's why they were only #3 in kona.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Kind of like Canyon on the bike side. Not that Canyon is going to climb to Cervelo or Trek levels but they should see a nice uptick in sales once they start selling in the US.

Dan, not to brown nose you too much, but your Mad Calf Disease article from early 2013 probably did wonders for Hoka's business. Have they ever mentioned anything to you about sales pre and post your article?

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

there were a lot of hoka articles on slowtwitch. we began with just reviews of the mafate, and then the bondi, right after they were released.

by the way, i'm in hokas right now, just got off the red eye from kona, in long term parking at LAX, waiting for AAA because my goddam car won't shift out of park.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Nike now in 10th. Wow.

I would love to see the models that are contained in these numbers... Running only in brooks, I wonder what model people are using...

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

What is going on with Newton. Couple years ago they were the 'it' shoe. Now I rarely hear anything about them.

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The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.

It's fairly shocking that Asics is so big in the tri world but such a non-entity in the pure running world. I have to wonder what accounts for the disparity. Also, KSwiss is still a thing?

I think that similarly the lack of a larger presence of Nike is odd.

I don't know how many times I heard "Out on the Newton run course" yesterday.

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Why do you say ASICS is a non-entity in the pure running world?

Is that based on sales volume, sponsorship of major marathons, or something else?

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Michael in Fresno
"Do you spend time with your family? Good. Because a man that doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man" V. Corleone

Fair question, because it's clearly an entity among a population of runners, what LRC'ers would affectionately refer to as "hobby joggers." I was thinking along the lines of sponsored athletes, major events, etc. I rarely see "serious" runners in Asics and they certainly almost never podium in major road races.

I will say the Noosas are huge among tourists in Florida, based on my observation.

Asics a non-entity in the pure running world???

I have no empirical basis, but my general sense just from watching a lot of running for the last 15 years and working for a few years in a specialty running shop is that Nike, Adidas, and Asics are the big three.

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The plural of anecdote is not data. :-)
- Andrew Coggan

I need amend my statement to make it more clear what I meant. I work part-time in a specialty running shop and sell a ton of Asics. That said, they are not worn by the upper echelon of runners nearly in the same proportion as they are by the competitors in the triathlon world championship. The fact that Ryan Hall is their most visible American distance runner speaks volumes.

Also, I'd argue you should replace adidas with Brooks in your Big 3.

Can Zoot really justify a shoe line when 3.9% of the sport's top athletes don't wear shoes specifically designed for their sport?

"working for a few years in a specialty running shop is that Nike, Adidas, and Asics are the big three."

today, in specialty running, i'd say it's brooks, asics and saucony. and now hoka. nike's huge, and they sponsor a lot of athletes, but so does adidas and where are they in tech running? i think nike's lost it in tech running. but nike did a couple of months ago hire hoka's product manager, so, i'd call that a mixture of realization and capitulation.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

"Out on the Newton run course"

i may be wrong, but i don't think you'll be hearing that anymore.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

If we are talking about what we sold the most of to local runners, and what I would put on my own feet - Saucony, Brooks, Asics. I would hardly consider anything but those three for my own running (although I have recently developed an interest in the toe box shape of the Altras, something that the new Saucony Nomad has satisfied, for now).

If we are talking about what I would expect to see on the feet of the field in the 10k at a Diamond League meet, I would guess Nike, Adidas, Asics, probably in that order. I have never actually counted, but that would be my guess.

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The plural of anecdote is not data. :-)
- Andrew Coggan

They can insofar that they are offering a lot of new shoe product to the run market, they have diversified the portfolio. They were 5.9% last year and 4.7% the year before. Hoka has done a great job penetrating the entire run market, no doubt, and has taken share from all the manufacturers. And Zoot is going to be the exclusive appeal maker for all WTC branded clothing for the next 2 years which should also raise exposure.

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-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

True they've increased the offerings, but they haven't increased the visibility. It's near impossible to find them in stores and I believe they are cost prohibitive to take a flyer on for those used to the "traditional" brands. Don't get me wrong, I'm very curious about how they'd perform, but I think they'll have trouble unless they really get into specialty stores. I don't think Zoot lacks exposure as a brand in the tri community, right?

Skechers; 12th place, 2 places behind Nike. Holy crap! I wear Skechers for my short races because they are easy on easy off compared to Hoka Stinsens that I wear to train, and they really are cushy. But I'd want something more substantial to run 26 miles after 112 on the bike.

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''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law

Not really surprised in the huge jump in Hoka.. Take a look at what their sales trajectory has been since they were bought up by Deckers. They were a few million dollar company just a couple years ago, and now it looks like 80 mil+, and growing around 70 to80% still. And most of those buyers are from within our sport, that is where Hoka got its traction(thanks to Dan). It had some fringe stuff in ultra, but those numbers are tiny compared to triathlon and now tech running.

And soon I think if you do a count of lets say PCT climbers, or other hikers, they will feature up there too. I suppose once you get that brand recognition, time to spread out to every sport or activity that puts something on their feet. Hoka is to running as Cervelo was to cycling. Start small in a niche, then warp speed into the mainstream. Not since Reebok(and Vibram somewhat) have I seen such a quick rise in a shoe company. Only time will tell if it sticks, that is the real telling of a company and product.