The French brand HOKA unveils an unexpected collaboration with the Italian luxury sports label Moncler. The two giants in their field have teamed up to bring us a stylishly reinterpreted Mafate Speed 2 silhouette.
HOKA means « Flying on earth » in Maori and this is what defines the shoes of this French brand born in Annecy. Created by Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas Mermoud, with the technical support of Christophe Aubonnet (an engineer who worked for 12 years at Salomon in the ski, running and hiking line), HOKA was sold in 2013 to the American shoe giant Deckers. The brand is now number 3 in France on the trail shoe market behind Salomon and Asics.
With this passion for technical footwear, the collaboration with luxury brand MONCLER may seem surprising. However, Gretchen Weimer, HOKA’s global vice president of product said of the project, « Our brands share an obvious passion for design and high-quality performance apparel, so we approached the partnership organically. From the beginning, the enthusiasm around the project from each team was undeniable, which shows in the final design. »
The silhouette was a natural choice for the Mafate Speed 2, which sports an original look for a technical shoe. It was redesigned to feature iconic styling elements from both brands. Dressed in a combination of white and silver grey, the rugged sneaker is also adorned with reflective inserts and tri-color details, such as the laces and heel pull, as well as the iconic Moncler patch on the tongue. To complete the look, Italian branding appears in a monogram style on the band adjacent to the thick, comfortable white midsole. Designed for peak performance, the shoe benefits from a black and white Vibram Megagrip outsole. A HOKA on the side of the toe box and a striking Moncler branding on the insole complete the design.
The Moncler x Hoka Mafate Speed 2 is now available at Moncler House of Genius stores (a series of pop-up stores in Paris, Milan and Tokyo) and select Moncler stores worldwide. It will then be available on December 1st on hoka.com.
