HOKA's Monster Hiker Is Anything But Classic
If any HOKA sneaker stands tall as a singular representative of the brand's current lifestyle offering, the HOKA Tor Ultra Lo might just do it. Here is a hiking shoe so good that it cannot be solely locked down as an outdoorsy proposition: the Tor Ultra Lo is for all walks of life, literally.
HOKA hit upon something magic when it unleashed the original Tor Ultra Lo shoe back in 2018 but it's been loathe to retread familiar terrain.
Even in the six years since its initial release, HOKA has only released the Tor Ultra Lo sneaker in its signature neutral colorways a handful of times, if that, forcing fans to cope with more outré, if still-stylish, colorways that don't quite hit the same.
That isn't to say that the newest HOKA Tor Ultra Lo colorway is bad, by any means.
Meet the "Oat Milk" and "Opal"-tinged Tor Ultra Lo, a handsome beige edition of HOKA's monster hiker that looks pretty darn good on its own merits. Pale greenish above and warm beige below, this is a darn good shoe.
It's likely to sell out pretty quickly when it launches on sites like Blue Button Shop and Feature Sneaker Boutique for $225 on June 7.
It's also not quite what the fans want, really.
Here's the thing: I've spoken with a handful of HOKA heads who want one thing and one thing only: all-black Tor Ultra Lo shoes.
They might accept other neutral makeups, like grey and or brown, but they really want an all-black Tor Ultra Lo.
There are great Tor Ultra Lo colorways still arriving on occasion, as I've said, and plenty in appreciably earthy makeups suitable for a Vibram-soled, GORE-TEX lined trail shoe.
There's even a sequel sneaker more frequently available in even more muted editions and various other likeminded HOKA shoes that wear neutral tones well.
But the heads want HOKA to reissue its signature adventure stomper in monochrome makeups. Even as the Tor Ultra Lo refuses to reiterate its classic makeups for nostalgia's sake, they clamor for the OG.
With a shoe that good-looking, though, can you blame 'em?
