Hiking shoe brands in New Zealand:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, HOKA was the most searched hiking shoe brand in New Zealand, accounting for 64.9% of all searches among the seven brands we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, HOKA and Merrell showed up in every answer. Merrell was recommended most often, coming first in two out of four responses.
HOKAShare of searches 64.9%Mentioned in 4 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
MerrellShare of searches 19.3%Mentioned in 4 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st- La SportivaShare of searches 7.2%Mentioned in 2 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
AltraShare of searches 4.9%Mentioned in 0 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
ColumbiaShare of searches 1.9%Mentioned in 2 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
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Top hiking shoe brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, HOKA and Merrell appeared every time. Merrell was recommended most often, coming first in two out of four answers. Salomon was second, and HOKA was third. Altra, which ranked fourth in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- HOKA4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Merrell4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Salomon3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers- La Sportiva2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Columbia2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
KEEN2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers- Altra0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about hiking shoe brands
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which hiking shoe brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best hiking shoe brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best hiking shoe brand in New Zealand for day walks?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best hiking shoes”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best walking shoes”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Which hiking shoe brands do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each hiking shoe brand by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven hiking shoe brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for HOKA, Merrell, La Sportiva, Altra. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | HOKA | Merrell | La Sportiva | Altra | Columbia | Salomon | KEEN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 69.7% | 16.9% | 5.7% | 4.1% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.23% |
| Nov 2025 | 71.9% | 17.2% | 4.3% | 3.8% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 0.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 72.1% | 15% | 5.7% | 3.9% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 0.18% |
| Jan 2026 | 69.6% | 16.4% | 6.2% | 4.2% | 2% | 1.4% | 0.14% |
| Feb 2026 | 71.9% | 15.3% | 5.2% | 3.7% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 0.16% |
| Mar 2026 | 67.7% | 15.9% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 2.1% | 2% | 0.17% |
| Apr 2026 | 67.5% | 17.5% | 6.4% | 4.3% | 2.5% | 1.6% | 0.25% |
| May 2026 | 66.7% | 15.8% | 7.5% | 5.1% | 3.1% | 1.6% | 0.17% |
| Jun 2026 | 66.6% | 16.1% | 7.5% | 5.1% | 3% | 1.5% | 0.23% |
| Jul 2026 | 64.1% | 19.3% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 2.7% | 1.5% | 0.28% |
| Aug 2026 | 65.2% | 16.5% | 8.9% | 4.9% | 2.9% | 1.4% | 0.22% |
| Sep 2026 | 64.9% | 19.3% | 7.2% | 4.9% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 0.11% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 64.9% | 11.7K | -0.76% | -0.2 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 19.3% | 3.5K | +16.8% | +2.8 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 7.2% | 1.3K | -18.8% | -1.6 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 4.9% | 880 | 0% | 0 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 1.9% | 350 | -34% | -1 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 1.6% | 280 | +7.7% | +0.1 points | |
| 7, held 7th | 0.11% | 20 | -50% | -0.1 points |
1.
HOKA64.9%
Held 1st. 11.7K estimated branded searches, -0.76% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.
2.
Merrell19.3%
Held 2nd. 3.5K estimated branded searches, +16.8% vs prior month. Share +2.8 points.
7.2%
Held 3rd. 1.3K estimated branded searches, -18.8% vs prior month. Share -1.6 points.
4.
Altra4.9%
Held 4th. 880 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
5.
Columbia1.9%
Held 5th. 350 estimated branded searches, -34% vs prior month. Share -1 points.
6.
Salomon1.6%
Held 6th. 280 estimated branded searches, +7.7% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
7.
KEEN0.11%
Held 7th. 20 estimated branded searches, -50% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand?
7 brands
In September 2026, HOKA was the most searched among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand, with an estimated 11.7K branded searches, 64.9% of all searches for the seven we track. Merrell is in 2nd place, 45.6 percentage points behind at 19.3%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOKA | 69.7% → 64.9% | 72.1%Dec 2025 | 64.1%Jul 2026 | 1st |
| Merrell | 16.9% → 19.3% | 19.3%Jul 2026 | 15%Dec 2025 | 2nd |
| La Sportiva | 5.7% → 7.2% | 8.9%Aug 2026 | 4.3%Nov 2025 | 3rd |
| Altra | 4.1% → 4.9% | 5.1%May 2026 | 3.7%Feb 2026 | 4th |
| Columbia | 1.8% → 1.9% | 3.1%May 2026 | 1.2%Nov 2025 | 5th |
| Salomon | 1.5% → 1.6% | 2%Mar 2026 | 1.3%Nov 2025 | 6th |
| KEEN | 0.23% → 0.11% | 0.3%Nov 2025 | 0.11%Sep 2026 | 7th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HOKA’s share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand decreased from 69.7% to 64.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Merrell’s share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand increased from 16.9% to 19.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, La Sportiva’s share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand increased from 5.7% to 7.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Altra’s share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand increased from 4.1% to 4.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HOKA’s share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand peaked at 72.1% in December 2025 and was lowest at 64.1% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Merrell’s share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand peaked at 19.3% in July 2026 and was lowest at 15% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, La Sportiva’s share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand peaked at 8.9% in August 2026 and was lowest at 4.3% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Altra’s share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand peaked at 5.1% in May 2026 and was lowest at 3.7% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Columbia’s share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand peaked at 3.1% in May 2026 and was lowest at 1.2% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Columbia, Salomon and KEEN held steady: their share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand hiking shoe brands in September 2026?
5 changes
In September 2026, Merrell gained share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand, from 16.5% to 19.3%.
In September 2026, La Sportiva lost share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand, from 8.9% to 7.2%.
In September 2026, Columbia lost share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand, from 2.9% to 1.9%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Altra in New Zealand rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 720 to 880 in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for KEEN in New Zealand fell 50% over 12 measured months, from 40 to 20 in September 2026.
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