Hoka Flagship to Debut in New York

Hoka, a fast-growing unit of Deckers Brands (Goleta, Calif.), has chosen New York as the site of its first flagship, reports Footwear News. The sneaker brand will open a 9000-square-foot store at 579 Fifth Ave. today (June 7).

The shop replaces a nearby pop-up and joins a smaller location in the Flatiron district.

Hoka President Robin Green told Footwear News that the brand had tested the waters in retail through a pop-up model as “an opportunity for us to immerse ourselves in different communities. They’ve been really successful and it was a little bit of a test-and-learn model until we were ready to really commit to a full permanent retail location.”

Green said Hoka picked New York’s Fifth Avenue because it attracts both local and international clientele.

“It’s an opportunity for us to really engage with the local community within New York, but also have a cross pollination of so many different consumers from all around the world,” said Green, who was Global VP of Men’s Running and Fitness for Nike before joining Hoka earlier this year. “There’s no better retail in the U.S. from a footprint perspective than New York City. So to have the opportunity to be in Midtown with the space that we were able to secure to really put the brand front and center in front of the world is pretty amazing.”

Although apparel is still a small part of Hoka’s overall business — less than 10 percent of its $1.8 billion in sales — Green believes it’s a category with major growth potential. As a result, the store will have “an absolutely powerful apparel offering. We’re probably more known as a footwear brand, but we will have a full assortment of apparel across both genders that really amplifies the footwear.”

While Hoka does three-quarters of its business in the U.S., it is also growing overseas. The company recently opened its first store in France, a 1500-square-foot flagship in Paris, just ahead of this summer’s Olympic Games in that city.

In its most recent quarter ended March 31, Hoka’s sales hit $533 million, a 34% increase from a year earlier. In addition to Hoka, Deckers Brands’ portfolio includes UGG, Teva, Sanuk, Koolaburra and Ahnu.