# They Refuse to Make Toy Shoes. | Inside HOKA's Culture Strategy

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/borderlands-trail-and-ultra-running-6921910/they-refuse-to-make-toy-shoes-inside-hoka-s-culture-strategy
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/borderlands-trail-and-ultra-running-6921910/they-refuse-to-make-toy-shoes-inside-hoka-s-culture-strategy.md
Podcast: [Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running](https://stenobird.com/podcast/borderlands-trail-and-ultra-running-6921910)
Published: 2026-07-13T16:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.borderlands.cc/recent-podcast-episodes/hoka
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/6b5965a2-7476-42ff-ad7a-8f0e9c5c3da1.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/borderlands-trail-and-ultra-running-6921910/episodes/they-refuse-to-make-toy-shoes-inside-hoka-s-culture-strategy
Duration seconds: 1796

## Resource

HOKA has become one of the few running brands to cross into culture without losing credibility with runners. If you're building a brand, launching new products, or wondering how companies grow without abandoning what made them special, this conversation is for you. Thomas Cykana and Travis Wiseman pull back the curtain on HOKA's collaboration strategy, why they refuse to make "toy shoes," and how fashion found HOKA before HOKA ever chased fashion. It's a conversation about culture, product, trust, and the surprisingly human decisions behind one of running's fastest-growing brands. Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review. If you’re new to Borderlands, start here . Topics / Timestamps 00:00 Resources / Links Borderlands.cc La French Trail Subwhatever Related Episodes Ultra Running isn't Just Running John Ruben, founder of Unna Presented by Kiprun . ---- Borderlands explores trail running through culture, media, and the forces shaping it. Watch on YouTube Read on Substack

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