Hoka’s First-Ever Dress Shoe Is Curiously Technical (and Kind of Bizarre)

For the past few years, Hoka shoes have dominated UTMB, the world’s most prestigious trail race, traversing more than 100 miles through three separate countries. But it’s the brand’s first-ever dress shoe that will really test Hoka’s range.

Dubbed the Speed Loafer, the shoe shows Hoka pushing not only its own boundaries as a running-shoe brand but the categories of sneakers and loafers, to boot.

Hoka

The slip-on upper, fashioned from high-end leather, features a suede mudguard for an added dose of luxury and performance. Meanwhile, the center tassels boast an adjustable drawstring like something you might find on a pair of technical trail shoes.

Hoka

And though the Speed Loafer only comes in one blacked-out colorway, replete with tonal stitching, it’s most notable attribute is near impossible to miss.

Hoka

The bottom half of the shoe adopts both the mid- and outsole seen on the Speedgoat 5, one of the most revered trail shoes in Hoka’s entire 16-year oeuvre.

That means the Speed Loafer is even equipped with durable, high-performance Vibram Megagrip lugs, which feature on Hoka’s most rugged footwear models, including the current-gen Speedgoat released last summer.

Hoka

Heel turn

As unique as the Speed Loafer might appear at face value, however, it’s just the latest release in a cadre of new shoes blending elements from the worlds of performance and luxury.

New Balance, for example, recently made a Frankensteined penny loafer based off the 1906R and 860v2 models, while Adidas spent much of last year elevating the Samba with upscale materials, such as croc-embossed leather and golden aglets.

New Balance

In any case, the Speed Loafer represents Hoka’s boldest attempt yet to be seen as a contender beyond the road and trail. Time will tell if it’s wild enough to work.

The Speed Loafer goes on sale January 31 for the price of $185.

Hoka

Hoka Speed Loafer

• $185 at Hoka

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