HOKA

HOKA started in Annecy in 2009, when two former Salomon runners, Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas Mermoud, worked out that a much bigger midsole was the way to run downhill faster. Plenty of people laughed at the idea, and then plenty copied it. What you get is road and trail shoes with more foam than looks reasonable, plus a rocker sole that rolls you forward. The brand describes its shoes as ultra cushioned and built for speed with minimum impact. Stockists like Très Bien carry the Speedgoat 2, the Mach X Caged and the Tor Summit hikers, along with collaborations with UNNA and J.L-A.L. Some shops still list it as Hoka One One.