Tapte millioner etter Hoka-brudd

I 2024, the Norwegian sports retail firm Olympia Sport found itself abruptly removed from the list of authorized Hoka sneaker distributors. Truls Aabol, co-founder of Olympia Sport, recounted how the company had been supplying the popular running shoes for the past decade. Beate Lund, Olympia Sport's chief operating officer, spoke of the shock of losing such a significant portion of their revenue, which had been dominated by Hoka sales.

Aabol stated that despite the challenge, the store had managed to maintain profitability for several years, allowing them to weather the transition relatively smoothly. However, the abrupt removal left them scrambling to secure alternative suppliers, with local school shoe vendors stepping in to keep their shelves stocked. This shift resulted in cost savings of five million kroner annually.

The company downsized from 14 permanent staff to eight, partly cutting their cycling department. Aabol expressed regret over having to let go of employees who had hoped to continue working for the company. For years, Olympia Sport's shoe lineup was nearly synonymous with Hoka, and many customers still expected to find Hoka sneakers in the store.

However, they found themselves selling other brands instead. While the loss of Hoka was undoubtedly a major setback, Aabol emphasized that it didn't diminish their overall competitiveness. This period of recovery has been crucial for Olympia Sport, as they continue to navigate the challenges of relying heavily on a single brand.

Aabol stressed the importance of not putting all their eggs in one basket moving forward. Run, a Hamar-based company owned by Carl Jørgen Nordberg and Elling Balhald, now holds the rights to import Hoka sneakers into Norway. Nordberg explained to E24 that Olympia Sport repeatedly failed to meet their pre-order quantities of Hoka sneakers, leading to the termination of their contract.

Aabol disagreed with this assessment, believing Olympia Sport had valid reasons for canceling the orders. Run has been importing Hoka sneakers to Norway since 2011, and their 2025 financial report shows a 17% increase in revenue to 775 million kroner, with nearly all of the growth coming from Sweden, where they also serve as an agent for Hoka.

The company's 2025 annual results included a net profit of 100 million kroner, totaling 375 million kroner in profits over the past four years for Nordberg and Balhald.