Oh, patents! HOKA (4) - Midsole design.

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Like the brand name HOKA, the 2017 Arahi running shoes also have a Maori name. Arahi in the Maori language of New Zealand means “to lead” or “to guide”, consonant with “pathfinder”. Additionally, the 2017 HOKA One One* Arahi midsole is a patented design. 

The US design patent USD790174, titled Footwear midsole was awarded on June 27, 2017, to Kyle Pulli (US), and assigned to Deckers Outdoor Corporation in California. As a reminder, a US design patent covers the ornamental properties of an invention, or what the object looks like. In contrast, a US utility patent covers the functional properties of the design, or how an invention works and/or is manufactured (USPTO – MPEP).

The below patent Figure 1 depicts a front perspective view of the patented design, together with an image of a marketed 2017 HOKA One One Arahi women’s running shoe. The broken lines on the drawing indicate those parts of the design that are excluded from patent protection. 

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*Note - Originally, the brand name HOKA, meaning "to fly" in Maori, was called HOKA One One - "to fly over the earth", pronounced "Oh-nay, Oh-nay", a term which means "earth" in Maori. Thus, some of the early models are prefixed with the original brand name HOKA One One. 

 

References

Deckers (website)

https://www.deckers.com/

HOKA (website)

https://www.hoka.com/en/us/

USPTO MPEP – Chapt. 1502-01 – Distinction between design and utility patent.

https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s1502.html

Oh, patents! HOKA (3) - Midsole design.

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The HOKA Speedgoat 6 trail-running shoe also features a patented midsole. The US design patent, USD992249, titled Footwear midsole, was awarded on July 18, 2023, to three inventors: Matthew James Head (US), Tom Matic (GB) and Tom Weightman(GB). The patent is assigned to Deckers Outdoor Corporation, in California.

Below the patent Figure 3 depicts a side elevation view of the patented design. Broken lines at the junction of the midsole and upper indicate the portions of the design that are unclaimed in the patent. As a reminder, a US design patent covers the ornamental properties of an invention, or what the object looks like. In contrast, a US utility patent covers the functional aspects of an invention, or how an invention works and/or is manufactured (USPTO – MPEP).

The image of a HOKA Speedgoat 6 GTX sports shoe is also included below, showing a marketed embodiment of the patented midsole design.

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Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fastest goat?

Reference
HOKA (website)
https://www.hoka.com/en/us/

USPTO MPEP – Chapt. 1502-01 – Distinction between design and utility patent.

https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s1502.html

Oh, patents! HOKA (2) - Midsole design.

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Midsoles are at the heart of HOKA footwear innovation. Embedded with varying support structures, HOKA midsoles provide foam cushioning and variable curves, carefully calculated to harness more or less propulsion, depending on the user’s purposes (e.g., running, jogging or walking).

The US design patent, USD790175S, titled Footwear midsole, was awarded on June 27th, 2017, to Kyle Pulli, and assigned to Deckers Outdoor Corporation, the company that acquired HOKA in 2013. As a reminder, a US design patent covers the ornamental properties of an invention, or what the invention looks like. In contrast, a US utility patent covers the functional properties of an invention, or how an invention works and/or is manufactured (USPTO – MPEP).

The patent Figure 1 below depicts a front perspective view of the midsole design. The broken lines on the drawing indicate those parts of the design that are excluded from patent protection. The image of a 2017 HOKA One One* Gaviota women’s shoe, depicting a marketed embodiment of the patented midsole design, is also included below. 

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*Note - Originally, the brand name HOKA, meaning "to fly" in Maori, was called HOKA One One - "to fly over the earth", pronounced "Oh-nay, Oh-nay", a term which means "earth" in Maori. Thus, some of the early models are prefixed with the original brand name HOKA One One. 

References

Deckers (website)

https://deckers.com/

HOKA (website)
https://www.hoka.com/en/us/
USPTO MPEP – Chapt. 1502-01 – Distinction between design and utility patent.
https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s1502.html

Oh, patents! HOKA (1)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann  

The term HOKA, meaning “to fly”" in the Maori language of New Zealand, depicts the silhouette of a bird soaring through the brand name “O”. The brand name HOKA is consonant with the founders’ desire to design footwear that would properly cushion trail running, while providing propulsion for speed that would be as effortless and exhilarating as downhill skiing. A sport all too familiar to both founders, born and raised in the French Alps, having nurtured a life-long love of the outdoors, skiing in particular. Thus, according to Jean-Luc Diard, one of the co-founders, HOKA footwear was designed XXXL (i.e., both extra, extra, extra light, and extra, extra, extra large) to harness the required patented performances enabling users to "fly over the earth" running, jogging or walking.

HOKA was founded in Annecy (France) in 2009, gaining almost immediate traction within the sports community. Deckers, the American, multinational, shoe and apparel company then acquired HOKA in 2013, transforming HOKA into a very popular international, multi-million-dollar business.

Propulsion and cushioning in HOKA footwear for running, jogging or walking, is a patented invention. The US utility patent, US12022912B2, titled Footwear with stabilizing sole, was awarded on July 2nd, 2024, to Jean-Luc Diard, (FR); Stephen Liu, (CN); Vincent Bouillard, (FR) and Christophe Aubonnet, (FR). The patent is assigned to Deckers Outdoor Corporation in Goleta, California.

The patent recites stabilizing footwear with inventive cushioning and suspension to harness the problem of shock absorption when the user’s body impacts the ground. The force of impact for each foot striking the ground is 5 times the user’s weight, with the highest impact at the heel area. When properly channeled and cushioned, the force of impact also serves to propulse the body forward. Thus, the invention footwear cleverly addresses the forces of impact and propulsion in the design of HOKA soles.

Figure 1, extracted from the patent, depicts a right side view of the HOKA invention footwear 20, comprising a sole 22 with a midsole 24 and an outsole 26. The outsole 26 has a bottom surface 112, in contact with the ground 34. The midsole 24, which provides cushioning, extends from a heel portion 30 to a toe portion 36. The midsole 24 has three thicknesses: T1 at the heel 30 portion, measuring 3.5 to 4.5 cm; T2 at midfoot 38, measuring 4 to 6 cm; and T3, measuring 3 to 5 cm at the forefoot 40 of the footwear. The midsole 24 also has a certain height from the ground 34 at the heel portion and another height from the ground 34 at the toe portion 36, so that the midsole curves down from the heel portion 30 to the midfoot 38, and then curves up from the midfoot 38 to the toe portion 36. Both midsole curves are part of what is designated Metarocker™ technology for HOKA marketing, designed to assist in propelling the body forward with each stride.

A strap 110 is positioned above the heel portion 30 that the user can grab to adjust the footwear. A wider stabilizing portion 44 beneath the rear portion 86 of the midsole 24, extends beyond the midsole 24 to provide balance and stability on various uneven surfaces, such as on trails. The side 98 of the vamp 96 has tabs 102 with loops, and tabs 106 with holes, to enable threading of laces. A tongue 54 forms part of the upper 28, connected to the sole.

To further propel the body forward various carbon fiber or metal supports are embedded in the sole, depending on the model. Figure 76 depicts one embodiment of the Metarocker™ sole support 446. This support 446 comprises a first support member 448 with an upper part 452 and a lower part 456; and a second support member 450 with a support part 458 and a lower part 460. The support is designed to flex and release with each stride, to enhance propulsion.

The abstract of the invention is included below, together with an image of one the many HOKA footwear models, specifically the Speedgoat 6 GTX for women.

A footwear component that includes a sole including a recessed area and a support member positioned in the recessed area, where the support member includes a main support, a front support that extends at least partially over a front end of the main support, and a rear support that extends at least partially below a rear end of the main support. A cushion member is positioned between the front support and the main support or the rear support and the main support, where the cushion member is configured to control movement of the front support or the rear support. [Abstract US12022912B2]

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* Note - Originally, the brand name HOKA, meaning "to fly" in Maori, was called HOKA One One - "to fly over the earth", pronounced "Oh-nay, Oh-nay", a term which means "earth" in Maori. Thus, you will find that some of the early models are prefixed with the original brand name HOKA One One. 

References

Deckers Brands

https://www.deckers.com/

HOKA (website)

https://www.hoka.com/en/us

HOKA (Aug, 21, 2024) Humans of Hoka. Interview with the founders Nicolas Mermoud and JL Diard. Hoka.com
https://www.hoka.com/en/us/blog-post/?id=humans-of-hoka-the-founders