HOKA vs Salomon:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, HOKA had more branded searches than Salomon among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand. HOKA had about 11,700 branded searches, while Salomon had 280. HOKA made up 64.9% of all hiking shoe brand searches we track, and Salomon accounted for 1.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about hiking shoe brands, HOKA appeared in all four answers and Salomon in three. Salomon was mentioned before HOKA in three out of four answers.
Who do people search for more?
HOKA, about 42 searches for every 1 for Salomon
Who does AI mention more?
HOKA, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Salomon, named ahead of HOKA in 3 of 4 answers
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Top hiking shoe brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, HOKA appeared in all four answers. Salomon was mentioned in three out of four: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Salomon was listed before HOKA in three out of four answers.
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.
Is HOKA or Salomon more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for HOKA and Salomon 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, Salomon. 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% |
How has the HOKA and Salomon comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- HOKA was ahead of Salomon in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HOKA’s share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand moved from 69.7% to 64.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.2K to 11.7K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Salomon’s share of searches among hiking shoe brands in New Zealand moved from 1.5% to 1.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 260 to 280.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand hiking shoe brands in September 2026?
0 changes
Neither HOKA nor Salomon moved beyond provider rounding among hiking shoe brands in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
8 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using HOKA’s and Salomon’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among hiking shoe brands
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