I follow Deckers stock which is primarily Ugg, but Hoka is finally listed as 2nd in the earnings release. Up 75% this quarter from last years one, and crossing the $30 million quarterly sales mark. So looks like going forward they should be a $150m company this fiscal year, I think a billion in the next 3 to 4 years…
And there is a lot of pressure for Deckers to break itself up and sell the pieces, who gets HOKA?? I think a major brand would be smart to sweep them up, but probably not. Perhaps one of the huge retailers who needs their own brands to fight Amazon, Walmart, Macy’s, maybe even Zappos?
Could be private equity too, just hope they tell me before so I can invest…(-;
How do you like your sketchers? I just started surfing with one of their pilots and he said he can get me some shoes, any suggestions? Keep in mind that I love my Hokas, so don’t want something on the opposite end of what they represent. But hey, if I can try a new shoe for free, why not?
But you are the first I have heard of going to that brand, they are fairly new to the technical running market so it will either take time, or just won’t happen in the long run…
How do you like your sketchers? I just started surfing with one of their pilots and he said he can get me some shoes, any suggestions? Keep in mind that I love my Hokas, so don’t want something on the opposite end of what they represent. But hey, if I can try a new shoe for free, why not?
But you are the first I have heard of going to that brand, they are fairly new to the technical running market so it will either take time, or just won’t happen in the long run…
I can’t speak to Skechers shoes from experience, but it does appear that they put a lot of time and research into developing a legitimately solid running shoe. I’ve heard a lot of good things. That said, I also haven’t worn Hoka for running. They’re just too narrow for my feet. I’ve had great luck with Altra, which has the similar maximalist sole as Hoka, a toe box that’s built much more ergonomically (wide and ugly), and they’re zero or minimal drop. They’ve worked out great for me, but I’m also not running for speed these days, not doing running races, etc. and want to run when I can’t get another workout in to stay relatively fit & want to limit injuries when doing so. Don’t pay full price, though. Search around online and pick up last year’s model at a deal. I found I could do that at a lower cost to me, even if I didn’t like the first 1-2 pairs, than I could by going to my high end running shop, paying full price, and having them exchange what I didn’t like until I found what I did like. I dropped something like $130 on 3 pairs online, liked 2 of 3, compared to $140 for 1 pair at full price locally.
I don’t know about their running shoes, but I just bought a pair of their golf shoes that are excellent. I was surprised, but comfort trumps all for my feet.
Hoka is up because they’ve expanded their line. They have hiking shoes and boots, casual shoes and several models in wide widths. They have some stability models as well. They also make a leather version of the Bondi that people can use at work. Quality control has improved dramatically in the last couple of years as well. They also expanded the number of dealers selling Hoka. Plus the shoes aren’t so shockingly ugly anymore.
We have doctors referring people for Hoka after foot surgery or other foot issues because of the extra cushion and the stiff sole. I would guess a good 30-40% of our Hoka sales are to people who don’t run.
BTW, the wide versions of Hoka are every bit as wide as Altra, but there are other differences between these brands like the zero drop and increased flexibility of Altra.