- Hoka is using Hou Minghao and its refreshed Shanghai flagship to push beyond specialist running
- Its China strategy combines athlete credibility with fashion, lifestyle and experiential retail
- Trail and lifestyle products are already becoming important contributors to Hoka’s global growth
Hoka (霍卡) is best known for putting very big soles on very serious running shoes. Now it is increasingly dressing the Chinese market in shoes that go beyond the running track.
Hou wears it as part of a complete urban look, with little sign that he is about to tackle a mountain
The latest step is the appointment of actor and singer Hou Minghao (侯明昊) as brand ambassador. His first campaign centres on the Mafate Speed 2, a technical trail shoe presented in stone-white and river-grey. Hou wears it as part of a complete urban look, with little sign that he is about to tackle a mountain.
Hou adds a younger, more fashion-facing name to Hoka’s China roster. Olympic champions Wang Shun (汪顺), Gao Tingyu (高亭宇) and Chang Yuan (常园) help establish its sporting credentials. Actor, runner and outdoor enthusiast Jing Boran (井柏然) sits between those two worlds. Together, they allow Hoka to move from professional sport into urban lifestyles without leaving performance behind.
We should talk physical retail too: Last year, Hoka opened its first global Brand Experience Centre in Shanghai’s Xintiandi, effectively creating a 1,600-square-metre China flagship. Across three storeys, it brings together urban running, trail, hiking and lifestyle products.
Just over a year after opening, the Xintiandi centre received its first major refresh. Hoka has reshaped the three-storey interior around a clearer mountain-to-city story: an enormous shrub anchors the space, while wood, stone and metal carry trail aesthetics into an urban social setting.
Hoka now reportedly has more than 230 locations in China, including directly operated and partner stores
Hoka now reportedly has more than 230 locations in China, including directly operated and partner stores. That gives the brand a sizeable platform from which to target consumers beyond specialist running circles.
The Dao view: This seems to be working
The broader business suggests that this direction is finding customers. During the quarter ending 30 June – before Hou’s campaign launched – Hoka’s global sales rose 7.7% to US$703.5 million, while direct-to-consumer revenue grew 17.3%.
China has already helped turn brands such as Salomon and On into markers of technical taste. Hoka now wants the same crossover: retaining enough mountain credibility for runners while making its oversized shoes feel at home on Shanghai streets.
