2 min readGod bless Hoka. The shoe company may have outdone itself with the introduction of its latest clomper—that must be seen to be believed—the Speed Loafer. Have you ever yearned to chase serious vert while dressed as a businessman? If so, your dreams may have come true. The Speed Loafer is basically a cross between a leather dress loafer and a gritty trail shoe built for performance.
This isn’t the brand’s first foray into hybrid footwear (and it’s apparently just the first in a series of unexpected hybrids on the way). Hoka has always had a foot in the fashion and sneakerhead realms, and the Tor Summit model, a traditional hiking boot meets modern trail sneaker mash-up, was perhaps its most experimental offering until now. But kicks fit for the boardroom? That’s uncharted territory.
When the sneaker-loafer was first pitched, “There was definitely a lot of excitement, but then also a lot of inquisitive frowns,” said Travis Wiseman, Hoka’s director of lifestyle product, in an interview with Highsnobiety.
“That some people were uncomfortable and other people were super excited was a sign that we were headed in the right direction,” he continued, “but it definitely took some [time to] win folks over.”
The shoe’s base is the Speedgoat 5’s midsole, a workhorse shoe designed for technical trails, and the outsole is made of Vibram’s traction-heavy Megagrip. But after addressing the loafer’s functionality, the designers allowed themselves to go completely off the trails, outfitting the shoe with a leather and suede upper, along with a leather sockliner, and a “speed tassel” flourish. The shoe, in its final product, is being marketed as a lifestyle shoe.
“We’re a trail running brand, that’s what we do day in and day out,” said Wiseman. “We’re always trying to find ways to blur the lines of style and performance in a way that feels authentic to us but also feels, at times, a bit disruptive.”
Disruptive, it certainly is. Not because it’s the first sneaker-loafer on the market—the Speed Loafer joins a bevy of distinctive hybrids in the space, like Junya Watanbe’s New Balance 1906L loafer, and Puma’s Nitefox loafer—but because it’s purportedly built to outperform its hybrid brethren. Wiseman and his team are banking on the shoe’s functionality as its defining characteristic and selling point.
“Having the heart of a Hoka [shoe] in the sole unit and then having that Vibram bottom, we’re not cheating the consumer on functionality,” Wiseman said. “The sole has all the bells and whistles the inline performance Speedgoat 5 does.”
The Speed Loafer will retail for $185 and will be available on January 31.
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, Like the Wind Magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
