Descending Etna: A Founding Story
HOKA founders Jean-Luc Diard and Nico Mermoud, and Director of Advanced Product Development, Christophe Aubonnet reflect on the brand's trailblazing history.
HOKA was born in the French Alps in 2009, when two athletes set out to design a running shoe that made downhill running feel like flying. Their unique shoe quickly won over elite ultramarathoners and it wasn’t long before word was out. The rest, as they say, is history.
In May 2023, HOKA Founders Jean-Luc Diard and Nico Mermoud, along with Director of Advanced Product Development, Christophe Aubonnet, revisited Mt. Etna (Italy). Here they reflected on the moments that have shaped the brand.
“We wanted to create something that made people feel like movement was effortless."
Jean-Luc Diard
HOKA Founder
“We were inspired by the feeling on a run when everything just flows... [we] had a pivotal moment at a race in Mt. Etna where we each felt that feeling on the mountain’s downhill terrain. We wanted to help other people have this feeling too – the feeling of flying."
Nico Mermoud
HOKA Founder
“After over 30 hours of racing... on the downhill we experienced the most freeing, fun terrain. This magic moment became a foundational part of the HOKA DNA – chasing that adrenaline-filled feeling of flying down the mountain.”
Christophe Aubonnet
Director of Advanced Product Development
Born Disruptors
HOKA’s very first shoe, the Mafate, completely disrupted the industry’s minimalist trend at that time with its oversized shape and high-cushion design.
This spirit of disruption and freedom in running remain at the heart of HOKA brand DNA to this day. From boundary-pushing technologies and cushioning, to new perspectives on sport shoe geometry, HOKA continues to redefine how footwear can look - and feel.
