Trending Sneakers for Summer 2023

“I live here in Miami, and I see people in Hokas in restaurants and bars,” Mr. Haines said. “It’s a comfort thing but also a form thing. People are wearing them because it’s stylish and trendy.”

It’s true that, as unlikely as it may have seemed a few years ago, Hokas are stylish and trendy. Their first fans were not sneakerheads, though. Hokas began their life in the French Alps, when three athletes and product developers, Nico Mermoud, Jean-Luc Diard and Christophe Aubonnet, collaborated on a trail-running sneaker that hit stores in 2010.

But Hoka would not be where it is today if only runners had embraced the bulbous sneaker. Mr. Doolan, who has been with the company for 13 years, attested to the growth in markets, agreeing that the company is, broadly speaking, reaching streetwear and fashion types as well as runners, older people or anyone who is injured or needs a reason to embrace comfort.