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Innovation comes out of necessity, and in 2008, shoe connoisseurs and running enthusiasts Nico Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard needed a shoe that would make the descent faster, without compromising comfort. Able to ride running trails and exercise with ease, the duo created HOKA, a dynamic and complex running shoe brand.
Originally designed for trail runners, HOKA has an ideal shoe for marathon runners, casual runners, and more. And this bubbling interest is why HOKA occupies such a vital position among athletes. But in a world where sneaker tastes have evolved to encompass more ambitious brands and silhouettes, HOKA has discovered another position to fly, at the feet of those who need to combine their personal fashion tastes with their fitness routines.
At the heart of HOKA are comfort and performance – two guiding principles that show how the combination of practicality and eye-catching looks can work. Travis Wiseman, HOKA’s director of lifestyle products since 2022, has led the logo through collaborations with notable names in luxury fashion, streetwear and design, with dazzling results.
The Mafate prototype evolved in 2009 and HOKA has just unveiled the most recent redesign of an original logo, the Mafate Three2. The shoe owes its calling to its combination of Mafate Speed 2 and Mafate 3, and is designed to satisfy logo loyalists while also being appealing. the next generation of HOKA users.
In anticipation of the new Mafate Three2, Complex recently sat down with Mermoud and Wiseman to learn about the importance of HOKA’s heritage, how the logo is evolving with the times, and their shared love of creativity.
We tried to solve gravity, [to] get other people to use technology to help them navigate the downhill trails. Not like hikers or even classic runners, but almost like surfing, biking or skiing. That’s why we believe in a very soft, oversized midsole. And that will not only give you cushioning, but also stability, surprise filtration, but also give you back the power when you hit the trails.
[But when] I moved to America, I got a lot of feedback from brokers and traders saying, “It’s very nice, it’s very innovative. The feeling is incredible, but it shouldn’t be limited to the trail and the descent. “It’s been a crazy adventure to go from those prototypes designed here in the Alps to embracing the road market [and] the triathlon market.
She is Mafate. Es the mother and father of all HOKA shoes. This refers to Zurich and the Reunion Islands, where I raced and raced in 2008. For me, it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is 7,000 feet deep and comprises many extinct volcanoes. We were looking to create a shoe [that] would work incredibly well on all of those terrains, [including] lava, dirt, rocks, trails, everything. This is where we did some of our first tests in 2009. There we got our first big podium in ultra. Surely this shoe is legendary.
I know the consumers, and especially a lot of the enthusiasts at your magazine, they need to know a lot about the products, the history [and] all the roots. And I think what’s special about the HOKA product is that it goes above and beyond. Life: It works. It’s a proven technology. I hope that the other people who notice the product, who notice the way of life and the brand, I hope that will make them need someday. . . travel to use the products on the site because it’s an amazing experience. .
The mission of our logo, from day one, has been to make as many people fly as possible and widen the circle, grow as a team, grow as a family. What does this mean if we need more humans to fly?When they’re running, spending more time in the air, less time on the ground, that’s what each and every runner is looking to achieve. More time in the air, less time on the ground. From a biomechanical and physical point of view. , [is] a smoother landing and a faster, more dynamic take-off. And it’s in your body, it’s in your feet. The day you fly is the day when everything falls into place and you feel incredibly comfortable and calm. And that’s what we need.
We need other people to enjoy a way of life where you get away from everything, where you have freedom, where you have adrenaline, where you can pass faster. And [where they] can also share that with their friends [and] with the community. That’s where I think the generation joins the way of life. You fly in your head no matter what, no matter where you are. What’s super exciting about HOKA in 2023 is that most of the shoes scream happiness and joy of running.
I joined HOKA [around] early 2022. I was at a point in my career [where] I wanted to try something new. From day one, my task has been to try to expand a sustainable strategy around lifestyle. [It’s] about staying true to all the origins and elements that Nico and the team founded this logo on, but just finding a new way to recontextualize it through the lens of the way of life and look for a younger, more modern trend. . affected consumer.
Nico and the team are known for touching up and shaving foam, breaking pieces in mix, gluing pieces in mix to create new concepts and shapes. It’s the same procedure [to] create Mafate Three2. We knew we wanted to do anything like that. of a mashup, however, it took a lot of exploration to [find] the right mix of other diminishing sets rather than the stems that we can use to recontextualize the current product.
We can simply [perhaps believe] that each and every HOKA shoe starts with the rear unit. It is the height of the battery that provides this cushioning. The meta rocker that makes you slide in your footsteps. And aesthetically, the chunky shoe definitely gets more of a while. So, thanks to what we have done, this product has been able to adapt from a trend perspective.
We’re looking to blur the lines between service and style. Everything we do will be rooted in service – that’s precisely what the logo is known for. But the way we handle colors and materials, that’s where we need to put it in a more stylistic context. If you take a look at the color flows, how they’re decreasing, you’ll see the full range of things that are more muted and dull, and things that are more toned. It’s certainly more of a nod to heritage. .
Everything we do depends on where the logo is located. It indicates where we are going. So I’d also like to congratulate Nico for creating cool and compelling stuff right from the start. It motivates us and energizes us, and it definitely gives us the area to explore and experience. I think that mentality of just getting your hands dirty [and] looking at other things, that’s definitely anything that we prescribe as a product team. You just have to see what all the odds are while still being very unwavering and original as to the origin of the logo.
Shoes are a form of self-expression. It’s just a window into your interests, into what you like. If [someone likes] old-fashioned and some other sneaker-related stuff, you get a smart attitude from the ecosystem surrounding sneaker culture and what they can potentially like, from an attitude toward sneakers. music, games and fashion. Array [are] like a window into people’s personalities.
Brands like Bodega and Brain Dead, we partner with other people because there’s a biological connection. From a product standpoint, I think it’s vital as the category grows that we continue to show the logo from another perspective. Hopara by Brain Dead and Tors by Bodega stayed true to the original silhouettes, but we discovered other fabrics and colors to integrate those two projects into the streetwear space. Many consumers know us as a running and trail logo, but we are also a lifestyle logo. We’ll see more really great collaborations from us later in the year.
It was really great to see not only the evolution of the lifestyle, but also the continued focus on functionality. A few weeks ago we just celebrated the UTMB, which is the largest trail running event in the world. And the winner of the [men’s race was] a HOKA athlete [Jim Walmsley]. So just to see the other categories, and how they look and how they’re both on the same path. There’s that non-unusual thread that, as we continue to push and innovate from a functionality perspective, also influences lifestyle. I think it’s really cool to be part of an ecosystem where one and both details of the logo feed into each other.
I think growing up in the sneaker world, you definitely saw the direction some brands were taking, which was great. But I think now, just looking at so many other brands and so many other options, it opens up space for brands like ours. I think the customer is willing to try new things and look for something new and fresh. And I think that’s part of the explanation for why we’ve had some success: the customer is probably more open-minded than ever.
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