If there's one thing you notice straight away when looking at a pair of HOKA sneakers, it's that nine times out of ten they have a huge sole unit — but its new model takes things to new lengths.
While we have grown fond of the label's chunky silhouettes thanks to its looks, it's a feature that it first introduced for runners. The French brand's signature Meta-Rocker technology, a curved sole that reduces pressure on the wearer's foot, promotes a healthy running gait, provides a boost, along with plenty of other benefits, and this new silhouette is made specifically with trail runners in mind.
Based on one of HOKA's first sneaker models, the bottom of its sole features deep flex grooves in the outsole tread that enhance traction with each step while early-stage Meta-Rocker geometry and the cushioning that the enormous sole unit provides combine to offer an undeniably smooth ride on the roughest of trails.
Shop the HOKA U Mafate OG
Beyond the sole, there are more performance-minded details that will aid you in the great outdoors, such as the: ripstop upper, quick-lace system, and elastic lace keeper.
This is only the latest in HOKA's exploration of trail-ready footwear through its Mafate model. Last year saw the Mafate Speed 2 popped up on our radar, first thanks to its collaborative release with Moncler.
It's a shoe with similar outdoor-ready credentials boasting a Vibram Mega-Grip tread and Active Foot frame for support. However, we soon looked beyond all the technical specs and were most enamored with the shoe's colorway, specifically one with a light-colored base with bright pops of green and blue.
This time around, with the Mafate Og, it's the Triple S-esque bulkiness that has got us talking but, either way, HOKA's trail-ready footwear continues to get us excited.
