This Is, In Form and Function, The Marni-est Hoka
Fashion has always had a thing for funny shoes. Marni, in particular, has long leaned into the vaguely clown-sized sneaker through puffed-up shapes like the Pablo and Big Foot that inflate the foot for the sake of proportional intrigue. HOKA, meanwhile, has spent years making similarly oversized footwear with a completely different purpose: the preservation of one’s joints. Put the two together and it’s the practical Big Shoe-aissance, where your thicc sneakers save your ankles and your pride.
The second Marni HOKA collaboration, launching November 12, takes the latter’s in-line Clifton 11 silhouette and gives it the full designer treatment. The Clifton 11 is a particularly smart choice of a sneaker to riff on, too, as it’s one of HOKA’s daily drivers, whereas sneakers like the Bondi B3LS, from the Marni first collaboration, lean more situational. Basically put, these Cliftons are as much for running errands as they are running marathons.
And the Clifton Marni looks…very Marni. As in, the Italian luxury label known for its wacky-art-teacher oeuvre is very visible in the custom plaid sockliner and three pairs of laces encouraging maximum customization. The classic extra-thick HOKA sole complements the tonal uppers and accompanying stripped-back details, giving the domestic dad shoes a touch of luxe.
So, the Clifton Marni is essentially the product of an exercise in making an ostensibly anti-trend shoe geared toward orthopedic comfort look cool. But cool in the eccentric Marni way, with flashy patterns and colors that could be seen as clash-y, like the vibrant traffic cone-orange colorway. The result is a shoe that looks good, feels good, and can handle business to boot.
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