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Hoka and On open flagships just steps from the boutiques that built their Boston following.
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On women’s “Cloud 6” model comes in a rainbow of hues. / Photo by Karin Dailey
Boston is already a sneaker city—we’re home to New Balance, Reebok, and Converse, not to mention host of one of the world’s most prestigious marathons. So when national performance brands Hoka and On recently unveiled new storefronts on Newbury Street—just a stone’s throw from smaller indie retailers that already carry their shoes—it raised a few eyebrows. Does this city really need more sneakers? And perhaps more important: What happens when a big brand moves in next door to its own stockist?
For the footwear companies, the strategy is largely win-win. Opening their own stores, according to Nailya Ordabayeva, a marketing professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, allows them to shape everything from merchandising to pricing to the overall customer experience—without competing for attention alongside other labels. Hoka’s brand stores, for instance, are designed to “serve as a beacon for the Hoka experience,” says Nick Mancini, the company’s senior director of retail for North America, bringing its performance focus and community-driven approach to life.
On’s storefront opened in April. / Photo courtesy of On
On an upscale shopping street like Newbury, it’s also about perception. A branded storefront signals a certain level of status, positioning sneakers as not just functional but aspirational. Think of it as a giant ad: “Visibility in a physical store is one of the greatest ways to create awareness,” Ordabayeva says. Case in point: On intentionally opened its Hub store just days before the Boston Marathon, when hundreds of thousands of people were converging on the Back Bay. “[It was] an incredibly meaningful milestone for us,” Dan Schade, the brand’s general manager of the Americas, said in a statement.
For the independent retailers that helped build those brands locally, the impact is more nuanced. While there may be some short-term overlap at boutiques like Trend—which carries a wide selection of On sneakers at two locations just steps from the brand’s new storefront—and Marathon Sports, which carries both On and Hoka at its nearby Boylston Street location, local retail experts believe the effect should even out over time. (Neither Trend nor Marathon Sports responded to requests for comment.) After all, brand stores offer depth and a fully immersive experience, while multibrand retailers provide all-important variety. “We see it as a net positive,” says Whitney Gallivan, head of retail leasing at Boston Realty Advisors, noting that brand stores help increase overall foot traffic and elevate the retail ecosystem on Newbury Street.
Hoka’s new store is a place to check out new gear while connecting with brand ambassadors, says Nick Mancini, Hoka’s senior director of retail for North America. / Photo courtesy of Hoka
And right now, the street is only getting stronger, Gallivan says, pointing to low vacancy rates, an influx of new brands, and a surge in food and beverage concepts that are driving consistent foot traffic. As more companies chase that demand, the line between partner and competitor may blur—but on Newbury, the overall effect is momentum.
First published in the print edition of the June 2026 issue, with the headline,“Foot Traffic.”
