ON are terrible shoes. Nurses love them. That's about it.
ON are terrible shoes. Nurses love them. That's about it.
I was an "early" Hoka wearer. Bought my first pair in early 2011 from Boulder Running Co. Back then, there was two online retailers you could get them at...Boulder Running Co and Running Warehouse. If you didn't get a pair the day of the restock, you were basically S.O.L for about 2 months until the next restock.
My first pair was a pair of yellow Stinson Evo. My second was the Bondi B. Come to think of it I think they only had 3 models. The Stinson, the Bondi and the Mafate.
I still remember wearing them into the local running store and having the manager say "Yeah, we'll never carry those, not enough demand". Granted this was an area that was primary all about road running but looking back it's funny .
It was almost the "perfect storm" for Hoka. Shoes that worked for ultra long distances, the maximalist cushioning, the "rocker", the lack of supply by being so small but a huge demand by a growing ultramarathon scene. "Damn everyone is wearing these, maybe I should too! But ugh I can't get them! Now I really want them!"
The original Clifton was really the game changer for back. They had road shoes before that (the Bondi) but they were considered too big, too clunky and looked too much like Skechers Shape Ups. The Clifton came down on maximalist cushioning, streamlined the look and weigjht and well, was the shoe first widely available shoe and their first release post Deckers acquisition I believe. Once the road runners found that shoe, Hoka took off and hasn't looked bacl.
The masses buy gimmicks.
While the rest of the shoe world had gone minimalist (another gimmick) Hoka went with massive bouncy shoes.
Nike is the king if gimmicks. Air. Shox. Free. Now the plate and pebax foam.
Alan
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