Running shoe brand Hoka has been accused of failing to acknowledge the origin of its name, which was based on the Maori language and culture.

According to The Guardian, indigenous intellectual property experts in New Zealand believe the brand misappropriated the Maori language as it makes no mention of its name’s origin on its website.

The company took its name from the Maori word ‘hoka’, which means to fly. Its logo is a bird in flight, and its tagline says “Fly Human Fly”, which further represents the connection with the Maori language.

The brand did explain the origins of its name in the early days, but the information was removed from its website after Deckers Brands took ownership in 2012. 

“If they don’t want to associate themselves as being a Maori word – they need to stop using it,” Lynell Tuffery Huria, who is recognised as the first Maori patent attorney and is a leading expert on Indigenous intellectual property rights, told The Guardian.

“Why are you using that word if you’re not prepared to acknowledge its whakapapa [origin] and its history and to engage with the Indigenous people from which the word comes from?”

According to the expert, brands must follow a set of protocols, or tikanga, if they want to use the Maori words and concepts. Not observing tikanga risks undermining Maori culture, and puts brands at risk of being challenged, she added.

Karaitiana Taiuru, a leading intellectual property rights expert, said the brand mispronounced the word Hoka and some of its Maori-named shoe styles in several recent videos, which shows “a huge amount of disrespect”.

There is a very fine line between appropriation and appreciation of cultures, and the best way brands can honour Indigenous cultures is to consult with them, Taiuru elaborated.

In February, the brand opened its first New Zealand flagship store in Auckland, partnering with local distributor Accent Group.