Finally, a Beautiful Comeback for HOKA's Gloriously Gaudy Trail Sneaker
HOKA sneakers might've taken over the world but a not-insignificant chunk of the population considers them the ugliest shoes imaginable. The HOKA Speedgoat 2 trail shoe will not change their mind.
The Speedgoat 2 was released in 2017 as part of HOKA's illustrious series of Speedgoat trail-running footwear, which has evolved to include over a half-dozen different styles of sneaker. When I say "illustrious," mind you, I mean in terms of reliability, not looks.
These things may be popular with actual athletes but HOKA's trail shoes are perhaps even more divisive than its conventional running sneakers. The Speedgoat line, especially, has long challenged more conservative tastes since its inception in 2015.
"I found these sneakers to be very ugly. I would say they are the ugliest pair of shoes I have ever tried in this price range," one Speedgoat 4 reviewer said in 2020.
Its most recent iteration, the Speedgoat 6, is no less contentious, though by now the feedback is primarily driven by its oddly graphic uppers.
"HOKA shoes have become incredibly ugly over the last two years," one commenter said. "It’s an entirely voluntary decision, with these gross splatter color ways being the main culprit."
By comparison, the HOKA Speedgoat 2 must look like a breath of fresh air.
Recalling the glorious gaudiness of the recently revived HOKA Mafate Speed 2, the reborn HOKA Speedgoat 2 wears outrageously loud colors like "HOKA Citrus" and "HOKA Blue," HOKA DNA clearly visible in their uncomplicated names.
Despite its powerful palette and beefy body, though, the Speedgoat 2 is hardly the wildest HOKA on the market. Its silhouette is rather tame in comparison to some of the newer (and truly massive) HOKA shapes that inform the sportswear brand's mainline offering, what with HOKA is turning out weirder stuff on basically a monthly basis nowadays.
Heck, you'll probably find a half-dozen dads picking up ultra-thick Bondi and Clifton walkers at the HOKA flagship store on any given afternoon, shapes that've proven so influential that big-box retailers are even getting in on the action.
What a difference seven years makers.
So, when HOKA finally brings back the Speedgoat 2 on March 1, 2025, the elegantly outré sneaker will fit in with the current state of sneakerdom quite well, demonstrating the prescience inherent to good design.
