Hoka appoints senior director of apparel, footwear design

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Jul 1, 2021

Deckers Brands-owned running shoe label Hoka One One announced on Wednesday new senior directors in footwear design and apparel, as part of its commitment to expand into the apparel space. 

With 20 years of experience in apparel, Evie Moe will join the brand as its first senior director of apparel. Most recently, she served as the vice president of design at Cotopaxi, where she led the team designing sustainably-minded apparel and packs. Prior to Cotopaxi, she held a variety of roles at New Balance, including leading the global design team for its men's and women's performance and lifestyle apparel categories. Moe has also worked as a designer at Lucy Activewear and Perry Ellis International. 

Likewise, to strengthen the Hoka footwear team, Matt Rask has been hired as the senior director of footwear design. Previously, he served as senior creative director for the running and outdoor divisions at Under Armour, lead designer at Smith Optics, and senior designer at Nike. Rask was also the owner and principal of Jackelope Studios, where he developed creative and design solutions for Patagonia, Black Diamond, Nike, Oakley, Keen and Anon.

"In our first decade as a brand, Hoka footwear – and more recently, Hoka apparel – has already made us reimagine what products can do, how they can look, and most importantly, how they can perform and feel. The challenge for Hoka going forward is: now that we've already changed the game, how do we continue to innovate, push the envelope, and provide groundbreaking solutions for athletes?" said Gretchen Weimer, vice president of product at Hoka. 

"Evie and Matt are both uniquely suited to meet this challenge, and to lead Hoka into its next chapter. They both bring a wealth of experience and a track record of creative, innovative problem-solving that will make them tremendous assets to our mission of empowering all athletes to fly. We are thrilled to add them to the team."

Hoka’s apparel division launched in March 2020 and has since been dedicated to producing premium performance athletic and lifestyle wear to support athletes, from race to recovery. The apparel and accessory line has also been produced in line with Hoka’s environmental commitments. 

Known for its high-performance running shoes, Hoka One One has become a consistent bright spot in the Deckers portfolio. In fact, in the first quarter ended March 31, 2021, the company’s sales growth was once again driven by the Hoka One One running shoe brand, which posted revenues of $177.5 million, an increase of 74.2 percent compared to the prior-year period.