HOKA's Versatile Kawana 2 Sneaker Is Spring Break for Your Feet
Just in time for spring strolls, HOKA is releasing a new iteration of its versatile Kawana sneaker by way of the Kawana 2 shoe. It’s a sleeker take on the original Kawana sneaker, first released in 2022, and if you’re into a chunky dad shoe enjoyer — even if you never hit the track — this is the one.
The Kawana 2 shoe is an updated and far more stylish version of its popular forebear, with a new foam sole fitted with HOKA's signature beveled heel. They look really nice, largely thanks to the streamlined design and appreciably neutral versatile colorways.
HOKA is launching the Kawana 2 in all-black, black on white, rosy sandstone, and wheatish colorways that'll do it all. They legitimately look great and reiterate that this is an all-purpose sneaker.
That's the point of the Kawana 2, which HOKA is promoting as a shoe that can be worn all-day or for running errands, for brief walks or long jogs.
So named for California's most beautiful stretch of pure sand, the Kawana successor is as comfortable as any Spring Break destination. But it also sports detailing on the bottom of all the soles and the rubber toe that gives the shoe a bit of a trail sneaker vibe from a certain angle, reiterating its multifaceted utility.
Once a shoe brand known mostly to marathoners, HOKA gained popularity slowly but surely with casual runners and sneakerheads alike.
Now, its sneakers are popular around the globe. Even Gen Z latched onto the look of the dadcore-ish running shoe, helping turn it into an almost $2 billion brand in 2023.
“We've always focused on creating shoes that are functional and comfortable — two things that cater both runners and those looking for a day-to-day shoe, so it was only a matter of time,” Travis Wiseman, HOKA’s Director of Lifestyle Product told Highsnobiety last year.
This new Kawana 2 sneaker, launching on HOKA's website and stores from February 15, falls in line with that evolution, as it maintains the structural integrity of an orthopedic running shoe that runners endorse and podiatrists co-sign but with a sleeker, street-worthy design in the vein of other HOKA crossover shoes.
It still looks like a HOKA running shoe, don’t get me wrong, but it's not as chunky or quite as technical-looking as other HOKA models, lowering the barrier for entry for anyone still on the fence about whether or not they want to walk on air. You do, by the way.
