---
title: "Hiking shoe brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the hiking shoe brands brands people buy. Share of Search among HOKA, Merrell, La Sportiva, Altra, Columbia, Salomon and KEEN, the hiking shoe brands Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-hiking-shoe-brands"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Hiking shoe brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?

Compare the hiking shoe brands brands people buy. Share of Search among HOKA, Merrell, La Sportiva, Altra, Columbia, Salomon and KEEN, the hiking shoe brands Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Hiking shoe brands
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Brands compared**: 7
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: HOKA, 64.9%

## Which brand is most popular in search among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand?

- 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%.
- 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.

## 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.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Merrell | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 |
| Salomon | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 3 of 4 |
| HOKA | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 |
| La Sportiva | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 |
| KEEN | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 |
| Columbia | 6th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 2 of 4 |
| Altra | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 |

## Every AI answer about hiking shoe brands

- Asked ChatGPT "Which hiking shoe brand should I buy in New Zealand?": 1. Merrell, 2. Salomon, 3. HOKA, 4. La Sportiva
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best hiking shoe brands in New Zealand?": 1. Salomon, 2. Merrell, 3. La Sportiva, 4. HOKA, 5. KEEN, 6. Columbia
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best hiking shoe brand in New Zealand for day walks?": 1. Merrell, 2. Salomon, 3. KEEN, 4. HOKA
- Searched Google, AI Overview "best walking shoes": 1. HOKA, 2. Merrell, 3. Columbia

Not named in any answer: Altra.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [HOKA vs Merrell: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/hoka-vs-merrell): 64.9% against 19.3% Share of Search.
- [HOKA vs La Sportiva: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/hoka-vs-la-sportiva): 64.9% against 7.2% Share of Search.
- [HOKA vs Altra: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/altra-vs-hoka): 64.9% against 4.9% Share of Search.
- [Merrell vs La Sportiva: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/la-sportiva-vs-merrell): 19.3% against 7.2% Share of Search.
- [Merrell vs Altra: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/altra-vs-merrell): 19.3% against 4.9% Share of Search.
- [La Sportiva vs Altra: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/altra-vs-la-sportiva): 7.2% against 4.9% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand hiking shoe brands in September 2026?

- 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.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | HOKA | 64.9% | 11.7K | -0.8% | HOKA |
| 2 | Merrell | 19.3% | 3.5K | +16.8% | Merrell |
| 3 | La Sportiva | 7.2% | 1.3K | -18.8% | La Sportiva |
| 4 | Altra | 4.9% | 880 | 0.0% | Altra |
| 5 | Columbia | 1.9% | 350 | -34.0% | Columbia |
| 6 | Salomon | 1.6% | 280 | +7.7% | Salomon |
| 7 | KEEN | 0.11% | 20 | -50.0% | KEEN |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | HOKA | 12.2K | 69.7% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Merrell | 3K | 16.9% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | La Sportiva | 1K | 5.7% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Altra | 720 | 4.1% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Columbia | 320 | 1.8% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Salomon | 260 | 1.5% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | KEEN | 40 | 0.23% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | HOKA | 16.6K | 71.9% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Merrell | 4K | 17.2% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | La Sportiva | 1K | 4.3% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Altra | 880 | 3.8% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Salomon | 300 | 1.3% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Columbia | 280 | 1.2% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | KEEN | 70 | 0.3% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | HOKA | 16.5K | 72.1% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Merrell | 3.4K | 15% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | La Sportiva | 1.3K | 5.7% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Altra | 880 | 3.9% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Columbia | 430 | 1.9% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Salomon | 300 | 1.3% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | KEEN | 40 | 0.18% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | HOKA | 14.6K | 69.6% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Merrell | 3.4K | 16.4% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | La Sportiva | 1.3K | 6.2% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Altra | 880 | 4.2% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Columbia | 430 | 2% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Salomon | 300 | 1.4% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | KEEN | 30 | 0.14% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | HOKA | 13.8K | 71.9% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Merrell | 2.9K | 15.3% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | La Sportiva | 1K | 5.2% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Altra | 720 | 3.7% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Columbia | 370 | 1.9% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Salomon | 330 | 1.7% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | KEEN | 30 | 0.16% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | HOKA | 12.1K | 67.7% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Merrell | 2.9K | 15.9% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | La Sportiva | 1.3K | 7.3% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Altra | 880 | 4.9% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Columbia | 370 | 2.1% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Salomon | 350 | 2% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | KEEN | 30 | 0.17% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | HOKA | 13.7K | 67.5% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Merrell | 3.5K | 17.5% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | La Sportiva | 1.3K | 6.4% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Altra | 880 | 4.3% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Columbia | 500 | 2.5% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Salomon | 330 | 1.6% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | KEEN | 50 | 0.25% | 7 |
| May 2026 | HOKA | 11.6K | 66.7% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Merrell | 2.7K | 15.8% | 2 |
| May 2026 | La Sportiva | 1.3K | 7.5% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Altra | 880 | 5.1% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Columbia | 530 | 3.1% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Salomon | 280 | 1.6% | 6 |
| May 2026 | KEEN | 30 | 0.17% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | HOKA | 11.6K | 66.6% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Merrell | 2.8K | 16.1% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | La Sportiva | 1.3K | 7.5% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Altra | 880 | 5.1% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Columbia | 530 | 3% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Salomon | 260 | 1.5% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | KEEN | 40 | 0.23% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | HOKA | 11.6K | 64.1% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Merrell | 3.5K | 19.3% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | La Sportiva | 1.3K | 7.2% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Altra | 880 | 4.8% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Columbia | 490 | 2.7% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Salomon | 280 | 1.5% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | KEEN | 50 | 0.28% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | HOKA | 11.8K | 65.2% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Merrell | 3K | 16.5% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | La Sportiva | 1.6K | 8.9% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Altra | 880 | 4.9% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Columbia | 530 | 2.9% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Salomon | 260 | 1.4% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | KEEN | 40 | 0.22% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | HOKA | 11.7K | 64.9% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Merrell | 3.5K | 19.3% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | La Sportiva | 1.3K | 7.2% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Altra | 880 | 4.9% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Columbia | 350 | 1.9% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Salomon | 280 | 1.6% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | KEEN | 20 | 0.11% | 7 |

## What is being compared

- **Altra**: Measured on the search term “altra nz”.
- **Columbia**: Measured on the search terms “columbia sportswear” and “columbia sportswear fleece”, summed into one figure.
- **HOKA**: Measured on the search terms “hoka”, “hoka bondi”, “hoka clifton”, “hoka clifton 9”, “hoka speedgoat” and “hoka speedgoat 6”, summed into one figure.
- **KEEN**: Measured on the search term “keen hiking boots nz”.
- **La Sportiva**: Measured on the search term “la sportiva”.
- **Merrell**: Measured on the search terms “merrell”, “merrell hydro moc”, “merrell moab”, “merrell outlet” and “merrell sandals”, summed into one figure.
- **Salomon**: Measured on the search terms “salomon hiking boots nz” and “salomon trail shoes nz”, summed into one figure.

- [Altra](/demand/nz/brands/altra)
- [Columbia](/demand/nz/brands/columbia)
- [HOKA](/demand/nz/brands/hoka)
- [KEEN](/demand/nz/brands/keen-footwear)
- [La Sportiva](/demand/nz/brands/la-sportiva)
- [Merrell](/demand/nz/brands/merrell)
- [Salomon](/demand/nz/brands/salomon)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand?

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.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Hiking shoe brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-hiking-shoe-brands

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-hiking-shoe-brands. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.