In Tonal Motion With Marni & HOKA (EXCLUSIVE)
Marni and HOKA are finally ready to unleash their chunky, tonal sneaker collaboration.
Earlier this month, the brands officially revealed their debut collab, a gathering of bold, monochromatic BONDI B3LS sneakers. The vibrant shoes come in four colorways, including Poinciana (red), Bracken (charcoal), Tourmaline (blue), and Straw (beige).
Although drenched in different colors, Marni's HOKAs are pretty much the same (same model design, same ultra-chunky cushy soles, and same puffed-up uppers). Marni has even thrown in various shoelace sets, for those looking to break up the tone zone and personalize their pair.
But there's a method to Marni's madness. The official campaign pictures the vibrant shoes in motion, speaking to a deeper and longtime connection between fashion and performance.
With this in mind, HOKA and Marni make sense, down to their chosen shoe. The BONDI B3LS model launched in 2024 as HOKA's do-it-all sneaker designed for running, casual wear, and pretty much whatever the day brings.
"Collaborating with HOKA has been exhilarating—an exchange of energy where their technical mastery met Marni’s instinct for shape, color, and emotion," Francesco Risso, Marni creative director, tells Highsnobiety. "In this co-designed shoe, we have stripped the design of HOKA Bondi 3 down to its fundamental essence, then expanded this essence into space—giving way to a silhouette that is sophisticated yet exaggerated, minimalist and maximalist at once"
The BONDI B3LS is also a good example of HOKA's current state. Delivering the best running technology remains at the forefront of HOKA but its shoes, like other super runners, are also for the fashion bois.
The label's "dad shoes" have become more stylish in recent years, making them just as rotation-worthy as the trendy flat shoe. At the same time, the brand has landed fashion team-ups as disparate as those with the likes of Nicole McLaughlin, Reformation, and WTAPS.
Those trendy Ora Primo Mules? Junya Watanabe took them for a spin with chains.
"The partnership between HOKA and MARNI is rooted in celebrating the natural intersection of running and fashion," says Thomas Cykana, senior director of global collaborations and partnerships at HOKA.
In exploring this relationship between fashion and movement, luxury label Marni and running shoe brand HOKA become a solid duo with the perfect sneaker at the center of it all.
The Marni x HOKA BONDI B3LS sneakers will finally drop on April 3 via Marni. The $395 shoes will also release on HOKA's website and other stores on April 4.
