SNEWS Outdoor Summer 2010 web extras: Hoka One One embraces the anti-barefoot shoe

Check out this expanded magazine extra from the SNEWS Outdoor Summer 2010 issue. To download the full issue, starting in August, go to www.outsidebusinessjournal.com/magazines.

Not everyone in the shoe world is on the less-is-more bandwagon. “Humans in the 21st century are used to pavement. They need protection to run freely and smoothly,” said Nicolas Mermoud, creator of the new Hubbles technology from French running shoe company Hoka One One (“Ho-kah oh-neigh oh-neigh,” which means “time to fly” in Polynesian).

Weighing in at 10.7 ounces, the rocker-sole shoe features a huge midsole—50 percent more surface and twice the volume of a traditional running shoe. With the Hoka Mafate Limited Edition trail running shoe, Mermoud said he believes that the technology will allow trail runners to run confidently, more injury-free and most efficiently.

“Minimal shoes work best for very soft surfaces like grass, or for super lightweight athletes,” he said. “We try to help runners who would otherwise run inefficiently because they worry about the impacts on the ground.”

–Beth Dreher