HOKA does Collabs

Matt Walsh on his Trailmix Substack dives into the fashion aspiration of HOKA:

However, Hoka has specifically been partnering with up to 6 brands per year recently to enter the lifestyle market.

It’s an interesting move by HOKA for sure and I’ll add two things:

• The foray into fashion for HOKA can not just be seen in the various collabs but also the strategic retail placements. Here in the US HOKA shoes are sold at some of the most renowned fashion retailers, and for a reasonably new sports brand that’s not riding on the nostalgia bandwagon like the hype around the Air Force Ones or the forever enduring appreciation of Converse shoes this is quite an accomplishment.
• The second thing to mention is outdoor brands are having a moment, again. La Sportiva did a collab with Zegma. The North Face did one with Gucci. There are several others doing similar stuff. Outdoor fashion is the big thing on the runway right now.