Hoka One One Simplifies its Name to Avoid Confusion, Secures Hoka.com

Founded in 2009 by Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard, Hoka One One is an athletic shoe company that designs and markets running shoes. Nicolas and Jean-Luc wanted to create a shoe that would allow them to run faster downhill. This is how the Hoka One One running shoes were created. The shoes have an oversized outsole with more cushion compared to other running shoes. The brand name originates from the Māori language phrase loosely meaning “fly over the earth”.

The shoe quickly became a success, but for many years runners struggled with pronouncing the brand name. To the joy of all confused runners, in 2021, Hoka finally dropped the “one one” and simplified its brand name to just Hoka. Shorter, simpler names often reflect what consumers commonly referred to the company anyway. Hoka not only rebranded successfully to a shorter and more memorable brand name but also invested in the CVCV domain name – Hoka.com.