Excellent
Updated:
Jul 31, 2026Hoka is best known for its cushy running shoes and hiking boots, but the popular footwear brand is also making meaningful strides to reduce its environmental impact. Hoka stands out for its extensive use of low-impact materials, but has substantial 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. Unfortunately, like most brands in the industry, it has yet to reduce its absolute carbon footprint. Want to learn more? 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 describes Hoka’s sustainability highlights, although most of the data covers all of Deckers’ subsidiaries (which include Ugg, Teva, and others). The report includes extensive information on greenhouse gas emissions, materials, packaging, and other key sustainability topics. Hoka representatives have also been highly responsive to Better Trail's questions, helping us better understand the brand's sustainability efforts. Although the brand publishes a sustainability page on its website, it is far less comprehensive than those of many competing brands. At the product level, Hoka typically labels whether shoes contain recycled content or Leather Working Group-certified leather, but it does not indicate whether individual products are PFAS-free, even though the brand states that all of its footwear is free of intentionally added PFAS.
Recycled fabrics have a smaller carbon footprint than their virgin counterparts, and Hoka is using them to reduce the environmental impact of its footwear. In 2025, Hoka’s parent company, Deckers Brands, sourced approximately 56% recycled polyester across its footwear portfolio, a 43% increase from its 2019 baseline. Most of this recycled polyester came from plastic bottles, packaging, and post-industrial textile waste. By replacing virgin polyester with recycled alternatives, Deckers estimates it avoided more than 31 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions in 2025 while giving nearly 385 million plastic bottles a second life.
Compared to outdoor apparel brands, Deckers uses a moderate amount of recycled polyester. However, because the footwear industry generally lags behind apparel in adopting recycled materials, it stands out as a leader among its footwear peers. Hoka aims to use 55% recycled or renewable polyester by 2030, while Deckers has set a broader company-wide target of 65% recycled or renewable polyester across its footwear by the same year.
Deckers is also expanding its use of other recycled materials. In 2025, the company incorporated just under 2% recycled ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), about 1% recycled rubber, and 1% recycled nylon into its footwear. While these percentages remain relatively small, they represent meaningful progress toward Deckers' goal of sourcing 25% to 30% recycled or bio-based EVA, midsole, and outsole materials by 2030.
Hoka is not a Bluesign System Partner and does not use Bluesign-approved materials in the footwear we've researched. Bluesign-approved materials are manufactured according to rigorous standards for chemical safety and environmental responsibility throughout the supply chain. Although Bluesign is widely used in the apparel industry, adoption remains limited in footwear, with only a handful of brands, such as Icebug, incorporating Bluesign-approved materials into select products.
Instead, Deckers Brands manages chemicals through other initiatives. The company publishes a comprehensive Restricted Substances List detailing its policies. The company began its phase-out of PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, in 2017, auditing chemicals, materials, and packaging for PVC content until it ensured that most products and materials were free from this harmful chemical compound. It also phased out PFAS in 2020 (detailed below), and is making efforts to replace BPA, or bisphenol-A, with alternative, cleaner chemistries. However, the Bluesign system manages these chemicals, and many others, and we hope to see Hoka use these low-impact materials moving forward.
Compared to other brands in the industry, Hoka and its parent company, Deckers Brands, were early adopters of PFAS-free chemistry, completing their phase-out of intentionally added PFAS in 2020. This was roughly five years before many outdoor brands completed their transitions, positioning Hoka as a leader in this area. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were once widely used in waterproof and water-resistant outdoor gear because of their exceptional water- and dirt-repellent properties. However, concerns about their persistence in the environment and harmful health impacts led states such as California and New York to restrict intentionally added PFAS in certain apparel beginning in 2025, accelerating the outdoor industry's transition away from these chemicals. Deckers continually tests for 220 types of PFAS to ensure its products remain free of intentionally added PFAS.
Deckers Brands has made meaningful progress in sourcing certified, responsibly sourced natural fibers, including 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 that adhere to strict regulations on waste, water, and chemical use (although it does not specify which LWG certification tier suppliers hold). Leather is one of the company's most commonly used materials, and Deckers estimates that replacing conventional leather with LWG-certified alternatives avoided more than 72 million pounds of carbon emissions in 2025.
Additionally, in 2025, 60% of the cotton used in Deckers footwear was organic, recycled, or classified by the company as responsibly sourced, down from 88% in 2024. Responsible cotton, which accounts for most of this total, is sourced from countries and regions not associated with forced labor; however, only a small percentage of Deckers' cotton came from organic or recycled sources. Deckers aims to source 100% of its cotton from organic, recycled, or responsible sources by the end of 2025.
Deckers is also making a strong effort to incorporate bio-based ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) into its footwear, which is notable because EVA is the company's most-used material by weight. In 2025, nearly 25% of the EVA Deckers used was derived from sugarcane rather than conventional petroleum-based feedstocks. Sugarcane is a renewable resource that absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows, helping reduce the carbon footprint of bio-based EVA compared to conventional alternatives. Deckers estimates that its use of bio-based and recycled EVA avoided more than 37 million pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in 2025.
Although Hoka uses very little wool in its footwear, since 2023, all wool used by Deckers has either been repurposed or certified to the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). The RWS sets requirements for sheep welfare and responsible land management. Deckers' repurposed wool comes from wool-bearing scraps left over from cutting sheepskin for products like UGG boots, allowing the company to reuse material that might otherwise be discarded.
In 2025, Deckers Brands audited all of its Tier 1, or finished goods, factories through its internal audit program or third-party auditors using the Social and Labor Convergence Program. Approximately 73% of factories earned either a Champion or Excellent rating through Deckers' internal program. The company also works with Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) and amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), but these programs cover only about 2% of its factories.
While these efforts provide oversight into working conditions across Deckers' supply chain, they do not meet our responsible manufacturing criteria. We require brands to use third-party programs that regularly evaluate a meaningful share of their factories and provide ratings or certifications demonstrating compliance with standards for safe working conditions, fair labor practices, and environmental responsibility. Because Deckers primarily relies on its own audit program and only a small percentage of its factories participate in qualifying third-party programs, it does not meet our criteria. Deckers manufactures products in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, with materials sourced from a broader range of countries.
In 2025, Deckers reported that over 98% of footwear packaging across its brands was made from recycled or certified materials, most of which was paper-based. More than half was made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified recycled materials, while virgin FSC-certified materials accounted for around 30%. FSC certification ensures that virgin paper comes from responsibly managed forests, while FSC Recycled certification verifies the use of recycled fiber. Compared to other outdoor brands, Deckers uses a notably high percentage of recycled and third-party-certified packaging. However, while plastic makes up only a small portion of its footwear packaging, the vast majority used in 2025 was virgin rather than recycled.
Deckers has also made progress in reducing the overall amount of packaging it uses. In 2019, the company used just over one pound of packaging per pair of shoes; by 2025, that figure had fallen to 0.87 pounds. Over the same period, Deckers reduced the carbon footprint of its packaging by 42%. Overall, Hoka stands out for its use of recycled and certified paper-based packaging, as well as its efforts to reduce packaging volume and associated emissions.
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 footwear brands leading in this area, such as On, Keen, Nnormal, and Brooks, Hoka does not offer a resale platform or a consumer-facing recycling program for end-of-life shoes. However, the brand does have a system for keeping some returns out of landfills. Through Hoka's 30-day guarantee, customers can return products worn for less than 30 days for a full refund or exchange. Returned shoes suitable for donation are sent to Soles4Souls, while those that cannot be donated are recycled through FastFeetGrinded. In 2025, Deckers Brands also reported that Hoka was exploring resale options for gently used products but has yet to launch a program.
Other footwear brands demonstrate what's possible in this area. On sells used footwear through its Onward program, Brooks through Restart, and Keen through ReKeen. Nnormal offers a shoe recycling program, while On accepts unsellable footwear for recycling. These programs show that resale and recycling are feasible in the footwear industry, and we hope to see Hoka expand its circularity services in the future.
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 Deckers' total footprint, making them by far the most important source of emissions for the company to address. Notably, Deckers has set an economic-intensity target rather than an absolute reduction target for its Scope 3 emissions. Absolute reduction targets require total emissions to decline regardless of business growth, which is why we consider them the gold standard. By contrast, Deckers' current target allows its total emissions to increase as long as emissions per million dollars of gross profit decrease. We hope to see the company adopt an absolute Scope 3 reduction target in the future.
In 2019, Deckers reported emitting 866,983 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e). By 2025, that figure had risen to 1,093,064 tCO₂e, an increase of roughly 25% from its baseline (although still around one-fifth of VF Corporation's total emissions that year). At the same time, Deckers reduced its emissions intensity per million dollars of gross profit by 54% between 2019 and 2025 and decreased the carbon footprint per pair of shoes by around 4%. To further reduce its footprint and work toward its science-based targets, Deckers is increasing its use of recycled, repurposed, and bio-based materials, conducting environmental monitoring with supply chain partners, adopting lower-impact manufacturing methods, and working to make longer-lasting products. Overall, we appreciate Deckers' transparent emissions data, but its rising absolute emissions remain a significant area for improvement.
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 materials data are combined with those of Deckers’ other brands, including UGG, Sanuk, and Teva, making it difficult to assess Hoka’s impact specifically. Overall, we find Deckers’ annual impact report transparent and data-driven, and it stands out as one of the most comprehensive we’ve reviewed from a large parent company.
Deckers Brands and Hoka have participated in the United Nations Global Compact, the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, since 2016. Deckers also partners with Fashion for Good's Closing the Footwear Loop project, which explores ways to increase circularity in the footwear industry. In 2025, Deckers donated more than $6 million to nonprofit organizations focused on environmental initiatives, education, and supporting underserved communities. The company has also donated nearly 3 million pairs of shoes since 2006.
Hoka supports Achilles International, a global organization that expands access to athletic programs for people with disabilities. The brand also donates to Runners for Public Lands, the Voice in Sport Foundation, which supports women in sports, and other organizations focused on outdoor access and conservation. Deckers also provides support to communities affected by natural disasters. However, neither Deckers nor Hoka is a member of the Outdoor Industry Association Climate Action Corps, a coalition working to reduce the outdoor industry's carbon footprint and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
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