Hoka
Maximal-cushion running shoes. Founded 2009 in Annecy, France by Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas Mermoud (both ex-Salomon). The fastest-growing brand in running.
Status: Avoid
- Founded
- 2009
- Website
- hoka.com
- HQ
- USA
- Manufacturing
- Vietnam,Indonesia
- Ownership type
- Conglomerate subsidiary
- Parent
- Deckers Brands (NYSE: DECK)
- Acquired
- 2012 (initial stake); 2013-04-01 (full ownership)
- Status since
- 2026-07-28
Ownership
Deckers Brands took an initial stake in 2012 and full ownership on 2013-04-01 for a reportedly ~$1.1M total (undisclosed; Hoka had <$3M in sales). Hoka net sales were $2.587B in Deckers FY2026 (+15.9%) — roughly half of Deckers' $5.47B.
Why Avoid
Avoid on sourcing churn, documented in the parent's own filing: Deckers manufactures nothing and buys on individual purchase orders with no long-term purchase commitments, so the shoe inside the box can change factories while the name, price and colourway stay constant. The customer experiences unexplained decline; the filing calls it diversification. One of the two biggest growth stories in the category, and the one with the least manufacturing commitment.
Reversibility
What would change our verdict
Long-term purchase commitments appearing in a Deckers filing; supplier disclosure at Brooks level; factory-level continuity per model.
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