In southeast France, situated within towering Alpine peaks in the low valley ground created by the River Arve, hums the town of Chamonix. With all the classic appeal of a European mountain village, Chamonix isn't a place you'd say is difficult to describe. It's got chalet-style architecture, classic Savoyarde fare like fondue and tartiflette, glitzy hotels, and gondolas that quickly send visitors from town to the heights above. Chamonix has its claims to fame too—the town hosted the first Winter Olympics in 1924 and it was here that mountain climbing originated as a sport with the 1786 climb of Mont Blanc by Michel-Gabriel Paccard.
More recently, one of the day's most notable outdoor footwear companies emerged from the region: Hoka. Hoka's Haute-Savoie origins are easy to miss amidst the avalanche of mainstream popularity—the "Our Story" page on Hoka's website makes no mention of them—but probe deep enough and it becomes clear that the spirit the company was founded on—a commitment to mountain running, and doing things differently—a spirit that could perhaps only bloom in a place like Chamonix, is what's led to and what remains key to Hoka's current success.