HOKA ONE ONE was founded by Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diar, both former Salomon employees, in Annecy, France in 2009, when they sought to design a shoe that allowed them to run downhill faster, and created a model with an oversized outsole that had more cushion than other running shoes at the time. The shoes named after the Maori language phrase loosely meaning "fly over the earth" improve the experience of going uphill too. And down again. And up again. It turns out the duo redesigned a shoe that helps athletes in challenging conditions and all runners performances. HOKA shoes retain features like a low weight-to-cushion ratio and midsole and outsole geometry designed to promote inherent stability and an efficient stride. Hoka One One is the new running shoe.
