HOKA ONE ONE'S COLORADO BEGINNINGS LEAD TO A DECKER BUY-OUT

Back out in the HOKA's this morning for a 4 mile jog around the Warren County, TN Civic Center trail.  The weather certainly cooperated with morning temperatures the low 70's with fog and clouds.

Ok, so if you've read my previous blogs, you know my serious running for exercise began in 1984, a year after my last child was born.  I had a big work load at home, a part-time job, and was finishing a 4 year college degree.  Did I mention, I was also overweight and always tired? Running and aerobics changed the overweight and tired part.

I identified my favorite fitting running shoe brands early on as BROOK'S, and NIKE and haven't deterred from that discovery or added other brands since establishing what was best for me. And, in the past I've only gone to NIKE if a pair of BROOK'S were not available.

Astonishingly, the HOKA's are fast finding a place in my permanent collection. New running brands don't easily happen. The market is highly competitive and the technology to make a great running shoe is very expensive to fund.

 In the beginning....this is their story.  

INRTODUCING THE HOKA ONE ONE STORY  

From foundlings with Salomon to securing a Decker buy-out in 2013, two top, ultra-level mountain runner fellows and a pair of shoes entered the competitive shoe market world-wide running community. Well, that was about 5 years ago and the shock waves are reverberating throughout road races across the United States and Europe.  HOKA's valuted onto the scene and have continued to thrive by gaining runner respect and therefore becoming an established brand in the running community.

Of course, two exceptional guys and a pair of new shoes weren't alone in the quest to capture the maximalist  running shoe market.  Certainly there are many who helped along the way.  And, certainly the most important quality in the process is committment to excellence and belief in the product.  HOKA, now produced under the DECKER brand companies, holds to the highest standards in product development, and customer support.

Company mission and values have to be and are the foundation of any great and lasting company.  That foundation and the belief in the product are changing the running shoe market to offer runners, joggers, and walker shoes designed to promote health and well being.

I'm delighted to be wearing HOKA's and in my efforts to stay healthy while also giving my 2 cents worth in a product review which may help others do the same.  The linked words and phrases in this blog will take you to more information on HOKA's. I hope you check them out and enjoy reading  what's happening in the HOKA running shoe world!

There is more to this story and a few recommendations I have to offer in next week's blog.

Stay Tuned and Happy Running!

Vicki

WHAT'S A HOKA? FOLKS, THESE ARE THE REAL HOKA ONE ONE'S

FORMALLY PRESENTING AND WELCOMING:

HOKA ONE ONE

photo credit: vickilsullivan

MEET MY VERY OWN HOKA'S

These aren't my daughter's HOKA'S. These aren't my sister's HOKA'S.  There aren't YOUR HOKA'S.  These are MY VERY OWN HOKA'S!  CAN YOU TELL,  I LOVE THEM!

HOKA ONE ONE'S are taking flight in the USA!  How do I know that?  Here's the scoop on that.  

On Tuesday I flew from Virginia Beach, Virginia  to Nashville, Tennessee via Delta Airlines.  The flight out of Norfolk was delayed.  In fact, we boarded then were unboarded then reboarded; all tolled taking an hour and causing missed connections. The result being I spent several hours in Detroit International waiting on the next flight out.  That's wasn't so bad even though I was grumping every moment, (sorry folks). See, my 15th grandchild,  7th granddaughter, was just born and leaving wasn't so easy. Guess, I wanted to be back in my own place as soon as possible to be near 7 other fabulous, wonderful grandchildren to help ease the pain of leaving a three day old and her Mom following childbirth.  

My HOKA'S arrived in time to parade out along the pathway for July 4th festivities! THANKS HOKA! 

photo credit: vickilsullivan

LynnHaven Rd Trail

 For the flight, I packed my HOKA'S and chose my Brook's glycerin's to wear home.  So love choices! There, sitting at the gate waiting to board,  and about 30 minutes before boarding, appeared a demure, little woman with purple HOKA'S looking for a seat and selecting one at the other end of my row, she plopped herself right down. Sorry for the run-on sentence!  Her in her HOKA'S on one end and me in my BROOK'S on the other end.  Well, that's a matched set considering this blog, now isn't it? 

I think she was wearing the purple VANQUISH edition.  It was difficult to tell and I thought at first they must be a look-alike imitation of the HOKA.  I couldn't see the HOKA LOGO well until when after we landed in Nashville and she again appeared at the baggage area. I was determined to discover if they were the real deal so got close finally to again search for the logo.  It was there along with the cute loop on the shoe back! They were authentic HOKA'S only the logo is almost lost on the dark purple shoe color. 

THE GIST OF ALL THIS? (i.e.: lesson learned)

There is no shoe like a HOKA SHOE!  And, no imitation shoe can compare with any real, running shoe. HOKA engineer's it's shoes taking every opportunity to design them to benefit runners walkers, and joggers.  OPPORTUNITY - I've just been given, (shoes provided for blogging about HOKA), the opportunity to speak for HOKA and will be writing several blogs to introduce them to my readers.  

My first recommendation?  Look for the real HOKA shoes.  There is no substitution for a HOKA and imitations can't possibly provide the balance, integrity, and support required for running the distance safely!  

STAY TUNED AND HAVE FUN OUT THERE! 

Yours Truly,

Vicki

BROOK'S MEN'S GLYCERIN 12'S ON SALE!

My son-in-law just found these Glycerin 12's on sale at a great price - says  Brooks' is his choice of running shoe. And, I'm very happy so see him running in style and comfort!  

Happy Birthday on July 4th Sean! 

And, thanks  again Brook's!  

photo credit: vickilsullivan

REVOLUTIONIZE YOUR HEALTH - THE HEALTHY WAY

doTerra

HOKA'S - WHAT THE HECK IS A HOKA?

"HOKA's? What the heck is a HOKA?"  That's what I thought but didn't say when I first heard of them.  OK! This is HOKA.   HOKA how to video! This is so much fun!

My daughter's HOKA's - Mine are on their way.  Over the top!  WOWS!

RUNNING BENEFITS- WHY DO IT? IT'S BODACIOUS!

Magnolia virginiana - 

Common Name: Sweet Bay Magnolia

Soon after beginning running, many runner's will agree, they learn discovery along the way in the form of a beautiful flower, the angle of this or that against the sky, the foggy mist covering and sweet presence of a red bird just alighting somewhere along the path goes far into benefiting the whole experience.  

This morning I discovered gracious little blue flowers along the roadside,  the beauty of carefully tended lawns and gardens, and finally saw the Sweet Bay Magnolia had blossomed into  it's summer display. It was a most welcome sight and fragrance after having just passed a stinky, dead groundhog a few blocks previous. 

Yes, there are always those yucky whatever's along the way to bring runners' back to the realities of life.  Beyond the physical health benefits of running and the very real pleasures within which the experience makes possible; runner's soon realize running depicts life in all it's aspects. The exercise is demanding but along the way little helps arrive to ease and distract from muscles tired and tried with the work of moving forward up hills and down. 

It's all worth it though. I run because every mile won is worth the effort regardless of the stinkies along the way.  : ) +

: )+ Running Help: Select a point in front and run to it.  Then select the next and run to it.  Etc.

ITS NATIONAL RUNNING DAY!

SUN"S UP! GET OUT THERE AND ENJOY THE DAY! 

logo courtesy of runningday.org