Man, I'm in such different circles than everyone. I've never heard of Hoka and I don't know any sneakerheads. Everyone I know is into Keens, Toms, or Sketchers.
More recently I think they've been adopted by the "active retiree" crowd? They're nice to walk in.
(I owned some of the original Cliftons myself. Did not love the flimsy tongue or cheap insoles that would slide around and crumple under your toes.)
I was at a small restaurant last week. Was chatting with the two owners. All three of us were wearing Hoka Bondi.
I am an ex-runner (hip issues). Wore Asics gel kayano for 30 years. Now I'm a Hoka man.
A doctor employed by Google? A document you maintain and the AI autocomplete recommended Hoka? Something else?
Karl "Speedgoat" Meltzer broke the Appalachian Trail record in them, and whoever was doing marketing then really blew a big bubble with that result.
Trad brands didn't stand a chance against that sole and backstory.
https://thewalkahead.com/2016/09/21/karl-meltzer-crushes-at-...
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/run/clown-shoe-th...
I do a lot of mountain and trail running here in Norway, and I've exclusively used Hoka Speedgoats for the last five years. Their performance is excellent.
(Just walking around any Norwegian town, it seems like the majority of trainers are Hokas.)
I wonder if this is a market signal to short Hoka; old people wearing them will be dead in <10 years, and no young person will be caught dead wearing them because it's an old person shoe. What is the Instagram of shoes?
Not sure I've seen much Hoka outside of trial running circles here yet.
I'm thinking about sneakers used for actually doing sport though.
This has led to fashion boutiques carrying the non-collab Salomons as the demand has diversified. So people are exposed to the brand and have access to it at a variety of kinds of shops, not only at running outlets.
The Swiss brand On on the other hand seems to be everywhere all over Europe now and I am surprised you haven't seen them in Spain yet.
The 35+ runners in my city mostly wear Hoka and OC, NB is mostly a mom/dad brand and Nike and Adidas is mostly worn by teens (Forum style), 25+ women (Gazelle, Samba, Superstar) and older demograhic who doesn't run but perform stand up type of work (the foam models).
I don't run. Most of my shoes are Adidas, but I like my Nikes better after I got two pairs, altough I dislike their branding. Most of my Adidas sneakers (Gazelle and Samba) are too narrow, the Terex have lost their outsoles, the Night joggers are fine, but the amount of foam and sponge annoys me and I have another pair with a very thick outsole which are also annoying. The skater Adidas versions (Tyshawn) are great, along with the Etnies shoes and the bike specific FiveTen brand (also Adidas). For outdoor activities I use Columbia aporoach shoes and Garmont 3/4 boots. I've injured both of my ankles with a pair of Black Diamond approach shoes because they're too narrow. When I want a bit more confort while walking, I take my Mizuno Wave Rider although their lining broke after less than a week and they're no go if it's too hot outside. They also get rocks in the outsole and are notoriously hard to clean if you accidentally step in sticky stuff.
On & HOKA both have huge marketing towards "new" runners in the UK. And HOKA especially have made a point of marketing to women, in contrast to many traditional sportswear brands - with the rapid increase in numbers of women participating in sports, that's been a big part of their success.
You mention a handful of specific shoe models but none of them are running shoes (not even the "Night Jogger").
For my daily shoes, I have been wearing cushioned running shoes for the past ~10 years. For my daily trainers, I currently wear On Cloud Eclipse. For workout shoes I alternate between NB SC Trainer and On Cloudmonster Hyper. For trail running, Topo Vista or Inov-8 G280 (now called Trailyfly). For racing, NB SC Elite.
I also have a pair of Sambas for fashion; they're too narrow for anything else. I do light hiking in approach shoes (La Sportiva TX4 -- I ADORE these, to the point I bought their waterproof mid-height version for more extreme hiking), too!
(I am a runner, my son is a high school runner and works in a running shoe store. I'm deeper into the running shoe market than most.)
Yup, because I don't run. Mostly hikes and daily dog walks, 4-5k. I don't really like cushioned shoes that much. I mostly wear them when I'm tired and my ankles hurt if it isn't too hot outside. If that's the case I usually wear the Wave Riders. The Nite Joggers I suspect are more of a cushioned fashion model disguised as a running shoe.
Probably, they certainly do in the UK
Unfortunately my oddly-shaped feet means I've had more bad than good experiences when trying to run a few miles in new shoes.
I am unapologetically into Skechers. Though I do try to seek out the ones without that big ugly "S" on the side.
After all, someone somewhere thought the PT Cruiser was worth manufacturing.
They are a bit worn, so a year or two I bought a new pair which are absolutely horrible to wear for any extended amount of time.
Been looking for a good replacement ever since, while my old ones are slowly wearing away. Plastic pieces chipping off the heel every week.
Most comfortable shoes ever? Maybe not. But probably top 5-10 in my lifetime.
The human body really was never supposed to go over 50 but modern medicine finds a way.
As I get older I'm beginning to align with this.
When you're younger you think everything is going to be great until you die from a short illness at the average age of 79. Wrong. In my cohort of friends, notable age-related degradation started appearing in our late-30s/early 40s, even in the fit ones who stayed active.
The projections are not looking good…
I love cycling, and a run can be refreshing, but I don't really have any desire to swim - much less an open water swim. But triathlons seem to be a pretty effective path to longevity, so it may be something I need to force myself to take up. That and weight training.
Taking off your socks/shoes(tie/untie) without sitting down: hard for most in their 20/30s. Very hard with out bending over.
Pants are what gets hard when you get older, if you can't put on/off pants without sitting down I'd advise some basic training and/or doctor to help.
*assumes otherwise healthy person with no disabilities. I'm not a doctor, this is my own opinion.
I imagine there's lots of different ways to evaluate general fitness like that.
Watch a toddler move around on the ground, they are incredible flexible and strong.
If you're not a pro-athlete and are not fashion obsessed, why not just buy the most comfortable shoes available?
Not that long ago, they were an oddity, around here.
Let's hope success doesn't spoil them.
I used to use Nikes, then something happened, and the exact same type that were comfortable, last year, are now giving me blisters.
Enshittification doesn't just affect tech.
Same. The original Nike Free's were amazing. When mine wore out I bought another pair and they were terrible. I kept trying different versions and none were like the originals. They were heavier, uncomfortable, and not nearly as flexible as the originals.
>Why do all shoe brands have these gigantic sole cushions nowadays?
trends! barefoot running just isn't as popular anymore.
yes, i also remember seeing nike frees everywhere in the late 2000s and through the 2010s and it's my understanding it was because barefoot running was a trendy idea. and whether everyone who wore nike frees to the grocery store etc knew about barefoot running, that's why they were popular. i'm not sure if it's appropriate to say the theories are discredited, but it's clearly less popular now.
people who run seriously like that supershoes help them beat PRs, and some of that tech (bouncy foam, springy plates) has trickled down into everyday beaters. and big cushy hoka-like shoes are just comfortable.
that said there are heaps of smaller companies (vivobarefoot etc) making barefoot minimalist everyday shoes. but i don't know what people who wear those shoes wear to run in.
Your post also reminded me of the comical toe shoes.