HOKA’s Nutty Trail Loafer Didn't Need Bright Orange Suede To Be Wild — And Yet
The Speed Loafer is HOKA’s wildest shoe to date. It’s a mishmash of contrasting footwear styles (formal loafer on the top, the sole from a hi-tech trail running shoe on the bottom) the type of which we hadn’t seen from HOKA before.
Launched at the beginning of this year (and unveiled exclusively by Highsnobiety) the all-black hybrid leather loafer was already a daring shoe. “It definitely took some [time to] win folks over,” admitted Travis Wiseman, director of lifestyle product at HOKA, to Highsnobiety about the loafer.
But now, HOKA has upped the ante. The second release of the HOKA Speed Loafer sees the shoe’s all-black design replaced by a more striking color choice.
Starting with a deep red heel and ending with intense orange toe, the Speed Loafer’s sole unit now has a gradient finish. The shoe's suede mudguard is dressed in a matching orange while the leather upper (and its adjustable tassels) are rendered dark grey.
Bye bye monochrome trail loafers, HOKA’s introducing the sneaker-loafer to its signature gaudy color preferences.
This newest color combination is available exclusively on Nepenthes New York from May 23, available online from 9 a.m. and at 12 p.m. in-store.
Plus, on the HOKA website sign-ups are open for first dibs on the sneaker, retailing at $185. You’ll find the shoe in an aptly named category on HOKA’s website, titled Statement Shoes. Chunky leather loafers with a trail running, Vibram Megagrip outsole in a rich orange colorway? Yeah, that's a shoe making a statement.
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