Inspiring runners, new and old
HOKA was founded in 2009 in the French Alps. In 2013, it was acquired by Decker Brands, which also owns UGG and Teva.
The brand has been on the rise since. For the fiscal year ending March 31, HOKA’s net sales increased by 23.6% year-over-year to $2.2 billion.
Tsavdarides, who joined HOKA from UGG in December, said her goal is to inspire people to not only get into HOKA, but running overall. She also wants to build a brand where people can “be curious, learn, and experience,” she said.
To measure the success of the “Far Out” experience, she plans to track consumer sentiment on the ground and on social media. These insights will then inform HOKA’s experiences in other markets.
“This is something that we want to understand: the idea of broader consumer experiences, trying some new, fun ideas, and being a bit more disruptive in some of our marketing investments,” Tsavdarides said.