Excellent
Among footwear brands, Hoka stands out for its extensive use of low-impact materials, but it has room to grow in circularity initiatives such as repair, resale, and recycling services. Under the guidance of its parent company, Deckers Brands, Hoka has made good progress toward replacing conventional materials with low-impact alternatives, reducing the carbon intensity of its products, and transparently reporting on its sustainability practices. Here’s the low-down on sustainability at Hoka.
This sustainability analysis evaluates both product- and brand-level initiatives to capture the full scope of Hoka’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact. Our research draws from the brand’s published sustainability data, third-party certifications (a cornerstone of our process), and correspondence with brand representatives. We have independently researched over seven Hoka products and counting, giving us a broad understanding of the brand’s use of low-impact materials, chemistry, and manufacturing practices
You can also explore our analyses of other outdoor brands, or use our advanced search to find products that align with your sustainability values.
Hoka’s transparency surrounding sustainability initiatives earns an “Excellent” rating. Its parent company, Deckers Brands, publishes a thorough annual impact report that explicitly mentions Hoka several times. The report contains extensive data on greenhouse gas emissions and material use across Deckers Brands (though it does not specifically describe Hoka’s statistics). Additionally, representatives at Hoka have also been highly responsive to Better Trail's inquiries about sustainability at the brand. Still, although the brand publishes a sustainability page on its website, it is far less comprehensive than those published by other brands.
At the product level, Hoka typically labels whether shoes contain recycled content or Leather Working Group-certified leather, but it does not label the PFAS content of its products (although all products are PFAS free).
Recycled materials have a smaller carbon footprint than their virgin alternatives, and many brands, including Hoka, are using them to reduce their products’ environmental impact. In 2024, Deckers Brands used approximately 55% recycled polyester in its footwear and packaging, up from 33% in 2023. The majority of its recycled polyester was sourced from plastic bottles and packaging waste. Compared to similar brands, Deckers uses a moderate amount of recycled polyester; several brands are quickly approaching using 100% recycled polyester in their products. Additionally, Deckers uses just under 2% recycled Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) and around 2% recycled rubber. Although this is a minimal amount, we hope to see the brand incorporate more in the future.
Unfortunately, Deckers does not report on Hoka’s use of recycled materials specifically, but the parent company noted in its 2024 impact report that Hoka significantly increased its use of recycled polyester that year. Still, we love that Deckers estimates that its use of recycled polyester reduced its footprint by nearly 21 million pounds of carbon dioxide in 2024. Hoka plans to use 55% recycled or renewable polyester by 2030, while Deckers plans to hit 65% by the same year. Deckers also intends to use 25% to 30% recycled or bio-based EVA, as well as recycled or bio-based midsole and outsole materials, by 2030. While Deckers is on track to meet these targets, we hope that both Hoka and Deckers will set higher targets for these low-impact materials in the future.
Unlike other brands we’ve researched, Hoka is not a Bluesign System Partner, nor does it use Bluesign-approved materials in its products. Bluesign-approved materials are subject to high standards for chemical safety and environmental responsibility throughout the supply chain. Because the Bluesign system is highly comprehensive, participation in the system has become an excellent way for brands to reduce the impact of textile manufacturing. Few footwear brands use Bluesign-approved materials in their shoes, but standout brands in this area, like Icebug, demonstrate that it is indeed possible.
Compared to other brands in the industry, Deckers was early to phase PFAS out of its products: It completed the process in 2020, five years before most brands in the industry. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were once used to waterproof outdoor gear. However, because of their environmental persistence and harmful health impacts, California and New York banned these so-called “forever chemicals” from being used in clothing in 2025. Deckers continually tests for 220 types of PFAS to ensure that its products remain PFAS free. Although all Hoka products are free from forever chemicals, Hoka does not label individual products with PFAS content.
Deckers Brands has made respectable progress toward sourcing certified, responsibly sourced natural fibers such as leather, cotton, and wool. With the exception of recycled leather, all of the leather it uses is a byproduct of the meat industry and sourced from Leather Working Group-certified suppliers. Additionally, in 2024, Deckers used 88% organic, certified responsible, or recycled cotton in its footwear. Responsible cotton is sourced from countries and locations not associated with forced labor (which accounts for most of Deckers' cotton use). Deckers uses very little organic or recycled cotton. By the end of 2025, Deckers plans to exclusively source cotton that meets these criteria.
Although Hoka uses very little wool in its footwear, all of the wool used by Deckers in 2024 was either repurposed or certified to the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). The RWS ensures that sheep are raised in accordance with high animal welfare standards and that the land they graze on is responsibly managed.
Deckers is also making efforts to use bio-based alternatives in its footwear. For example, just over 20% of the EVA it used in 2024 was made from a sugarcane base (rather than a petroleum base). It states that sugarcane and recycled EVA reduced total emissions by approximately 12,874 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024.
Deckers Brands uses the Higg Facility Social and Labor Module, the Social and Labor Convergence Program, the Fair Factories Clearinghouse, and accredited Better Work auditors to monitor conditions at its factories. It also partners with Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production and amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative to audit and accredit other factories across its supply chain. To meet our criteria, brands must use a third-party accreditation program that awards ratings or certifications indicating that a factory meets its standards for safe working conditions, fair wages, and reduced environmental impact. Deckers publishes a list of countries where its products are made, as well as a list of footwear factories, but does not disclose which factories participate in third-party responsible manufacturing accreditation programs such as Fair Trade, Fair Wear, or the Fair Labor Association. As a result, we are unsure of how many factories meet our responsible manufacturing criteria.
In 2024, Deckers reported that over 98% of footwear packaging across its brands was made from recycled or certified materials, of which around 98% was paper-based. Just under 70% of the packaging used was made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified recycled materials, with virgin FSC materials accounting for the second-most-used packaging material. The FSC ensures that virgin paper products are sourced from responsibly managed forests, while its FSC Recycled materials are made from 100% recycled paper (to avoid the need to harvest more trees). Compared to other outdoor brands, this is a large share of recycled and third-party certified packaging.
Although Deckers uses only a small amount of plastic packaging in its footwear products, the majority of plastic used in 2024 was virgin rather than recycled. Still, the company has made efforts to decrease total packaging across its products; in 2017, it used 1.25 pounds of packaging per pair of shoes, and in 2024, it used just 0.84 pounds per pair. In total, Hoka was responsible for just over 36% of footwear packaging weight used across Deckers Brands in 2024. All in all, we think Hoka is making excellent progress toward reducing the impact of its packaging through certified and recycled paper-based materials.
Unfortunately, Hoka does not offer repair services for any of its products. Its one-year limited warranty covers manufacturer defects, but does not cover normal wear and tear or accidental damage. Although only a handful of brands offer shoe repairs, smaller brands like Danner and Nnormal have made significant progress in this area. Repair services help you keep your gear in use and out of the landfill, making them a key component of circular business. In its 2024 impact report, Deckers Brands noted that it is exploring options for product refurbishment but has yet to provide any updates on the status of programs in the pipeline. We hope to see Hoka offer repair services in the future.
Unlike leading footwear brands in this area, like On, Nnormal, and Brooks, Hoka does not offer a resale platform or recycling services for its shoes. In 2024, Deckers Brands stated that it is exploring resale options for gently used products, but has yet to launch a program at any of its subsidiary brands. Hoka offers a 30-day guarantee, in which you can send back any product used for under 30 days for a full refund or exchange. Returned shoes deemed suitable for donation are donated to Soles4Souls, while FastFeetGrinded recycles those that are not.
Notably, On sells used shoes through its Onward program, and Brooks sells them through its Restart program. Nnormal and On both offer recycling services for select footwear, leading the way in circularity for Hoka and others to follow.
Like many outdoor brands, Deckers Brands began tracking its greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. Deckers incorporates Hoka’s emissions into its accounting, but does not publish data detailing Hoka’s share of its total emissions. In 2021, Deckers set a target to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions (from owned assets and purchased electricity) by 46% by 2030 compared to its 2019 baseline. Deckers also set a target to reduce its Scope 3, or supply chain, emissions by 58% per million dollars of gross profit by 2030. Its targets are verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative, which ensures that emissions-reduction targets are aligned with the Paris Agreement's warming thresholds.
Scope 3 emissions account for 99% of Decker’s total emissions, making them the group’s most important emissions scope to reduce. Notably, Deckers set an economic-intensity goal, not an absolute-reduction goal, for its Scope 3 emissions. Absolute reduction goals decouple emissions from business growth (and are what we consider the gold standard). We hope to see Deckers set a goal like this in the future, as its current target allows carbon emissions to increase while emissions per million dollars of profit decrease.
In 2019, Deckers reported emitting 866,204 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). In 2024, it reported emitting 1,082,699 tCO2e, an increase of roughly 25% from its baseline measurement. This total emissions statistic is comparable to REI's 2024 emissions, which totalled roughly 1.1 million tCO2e. Still, Deckers reported a 45% decrease in emissions per unit of revenue between 2019 and 2024 (despite total emissions increasing), and a 17% reduction in megajoules of energy needed to produce each pair of shoes. To reduce its emissions, Deckers is increasing its use of recycled, repurposed, and bio-based materials, conducting environmental monitoring with supply chain partners, integrating low-impact manufacturing methods, and working to make longer-lasting products. All in all, we appreciate Deckers’ transparent reporting of its emissions, but hope to see a reduction in absolute emissions in the future.
Hoka’s annual impact report is produced by its parent company, Deckers Brands. The report is thorough and provides ample information on Hoka’s sustainability initiatives and goals, including low-impact packaging, material sourcing, and carbon footprint tracking. It also includes data describing waste, responsible chemistry, and water use. We appreciate that the report includes information about Hoka’s operations, specifically, which is often not the case when a parent company produces a report about its constituent brands.
Still, Hoka’s emissions and material data are lumped together with Deckers’ other brands (Ugg, Sanuk, and Teva), making it difficult to measure Hoka’s impact. All in all, we think Deckers’ report is transparent and data driven, and, compared to other parent companies' reports, it is one of the most comprehensive we’ve read.
Hoka contributes to Achilles International, a global organization that improves access to athletic programs for people with disabilities. It also donates to Runners for Public Lands, the Voice in Sport Foundation (which focuses on women in sports), and a variety of other organizations focused on outdoor access and conservation. Deckers has also donated to organizations supporting areas affected by natural disasters, including Morocco’s earthquake relief efforts, Maui’s fire recovery, and Doctors Without Borders in Gaza and Israel. Notably, neither Deckers nor Hoka is a member of the Outdoor Industry Association Climate Action Corps, a group working to bring the industry together to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
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The world of sustainability can be murky, but Better Trail is here to help bring clarity. We’ve exhaustively researched thousands of outdoor gear products, communicated with brands, and created a detailed and rigorous ratings system to bring it all together for you. At the pinnacle is Better Trail Certified.
Better Trail Certified products score 4 out of 5 or higher in our sustainability ratings and generally meet around 80% or more of our criteria. While it’s true that no product is 100% sustainable—all take resources to create and arrive at your doorstep—these products are industry leaders and among the most sustainable on the market.
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