I Plan To Buy HOKA Shoes After Exploring Their Website
A User Experience Review of HOKA US Website and M-site
I thought HOKA Only Offers Running Shoes
Growing up, all I knew was all shoes were meant to be used for all exercise — I had no idea that every sport has specific shoe specs. But now, as an educated gymgoer, I’m giving full consideration when choosing shoes to shop for. I will prioritize shoe stability over colors — even though I avoid striking colors. When it comes to finding one through online platforms, I need to filter them based on stability and cushion, whether it’s soft or hard. For strength training shoes, my top-of-minds were always Dropset by Adidas and Metcon by Nike. I am satisfied with those brands, so I rarely search for another brand.
My first encounter with HOKA shoes was several years ago when my little sister asked my Mom to buy one. I’ve never considered buying it since I thought they specialized in running shoes. Almost all of my running friends use this brand. Little did I know, they also offer shoes for gym and training, walking, and hiking. I’m also interested in starting my running journey, so I explored their website. In the US, HOKA doesn’t have a mobile app yet. For that reason, I only checked their website on desktop and mobile.
Pop-ups That Are Still Acceptable
Nobody likes pop-ups, especially those annoying ones that cannot be closed unless we take action as prompted. However, I think HOKA did a great job, as theirs are not disturbing. The first pop-up is for location and language setting, which is totally understandable and very consumer-focused. There is also one small horizontal pop-up regarding cookies policies and preferences, which disappeared when I clicked “visit site” — not a problem at all.
After entering the site, the screen was blocked with a pop-up for account sign-up with shipping promotion. This might bother some people, but I didn’t think it was because I would love to sign up for promotions. The last pop-up is located in the lower right corner, which is not really noticeable, and we can still scroll down without getting rid of it.
Homepage That Is Mobile-First, But Not Really Desktop-Friendly
I first checked their website on my laptop in the middle of doing other school assignments. On the desktop site, I found that many of their layouts are too big and their banners are unclickable. As shown in the GIF above, the arrow to the right is not working. It bothers me somehow. They need to fix it; otherwise, people like me might just turn away.
On the other side, the UX on its mobile website version is smoother. All buttons are working perfectly, and the interface is better. I’m not a coding guru, but I think they use the mobile-first approach without giving special attention to the desktop version. I agree with the decision to choose that approach since people use mobile more frequently these days. However, it’s better to accommodate a decent user journey to the minority so that we’re not losing them.
Shoe Finder That Is A Life Saver
I was scanning the menu bar when I noticed something different from other similar sites: a section called Shoe Finder. As I said in the beginning, it is crucial for me to get the right shoe specs based on my activity. However, it’s sometimes hard to choose the right one from the many items they offer. I think Shoe Finder is a helpful tool for finding specific shoes based on our needs.
Compared to traditional filters, Shoe Finder is more accurate as the questions are specific to the nature of our activity. For example, they ask which kind of training I do, whether it’s HIIT, Cardio, or Strength/Lifting after I pick gym/fitness as my activity. They provided some suitable shoe selections after I filled out the preference survey. I love how they keep the questions and choices limited, so I don’t have to spend time choosing.
AI That Is Increasing User Experience
Another exciting feature on their website is Try On and View in 3D. Both only work on the mobile version; a QR code to the mobile website will be shown if we click them on the desktop. Unfortunately, the Try On feature is not working on my phone — I'm not sure what the issue was, but it said that they cannot open my camera.
I was pretty impressed with the View in 3D version because it was smooth and easy to understand. The virtual shoe was shown in high definition, which is very helpful in taking a closer look at the materials. I think we can also use it as a guide to measure the right size for our feet. I’m not sure it is doable because I haven’t tried it, but it would be great if it were possible.
Overall Review: A Great Website That Has Many Opportunities For Improvement
Based on my experience, I think HOKA US has done a good job of providing a decent user experience through their website. The design is clean, the layout is simple and familiar, the structure is logical, and the homepage tells their story and purpose. I also think that they are successfully achieving one of their business objectives because turned out I was appealed to buy one of their shoes, LOL!
However, there is still room for improvements to enhance it, including fixing the Try On feature and the coding for the desktop version. Some additional sections that might be useful are guidance for taking care of the shoes, choosing the right specs, and picking suitable materials based on our needs and preferences. If they add these features, the user experience will be tremendously better and impact their main objective: to get the customers to buy.
Have you checked their website? What do you think? Please share your opinions as well in the comment section!
Stay connected,
Annisa
