No One Beats HOKA at Beautiful Off-Trail Hikers
HOKA's on a real sneaker rampage these days, underscoring the objective truth that today's best shoes are all in-line trail sneakers. The next HOKA masterpiece is the Mafate Three Two, a new entry into the consistently excellent Mafate sneaker line.
Admire the awe-inspiring weight of the HOKA Mafate Three Two, a lovely combination of existing Mafate pieces: you can see the Mafate Origins' upper atop the Mafate Speed 2's Vibram Megagrip outsole.
Two beautiful colorways blend technical upper and old-school functionality — charmingly classic paneled mesh upper above reliably thick sold — and are only made better by the pull-to-tighten laces, which only improve every shoe that wears 'em.
The HOKA Mafate Three Two hasn't actually been revealed by HOKA yet but trail shoe enthusiast @dirilievo dug up some pictures of the sneaker ahead of its release.
A rep for HOKA confirmed to Highsnobiety that the shoes leaked ahead of their October 27 release date and provided a press statement: "Pulled from the archives, we’ve merged our iconic Mafate Speed 2 and Mafate 3 to create a modernized mashup. Built on the Mafate Speed 2’s cushy bottom unit and topped with the original Mafate 3’s signature upper, this street-ready spinoff features a gusseted tongue and quick-lace system for easy on and off."
HOKA's Mafate trail-running shoes are less common than its Clifton and Bondi series of walking and road-running shoes, respectively, but they're no less excellent and possibly even more exciting, visually.
Compare the exquisite color interplay and impressive heft of the Mafate Speed 2 against the relatively straightforward functionality of the latest Clifton shoe to get a feel for what I mean.
Both sneakers are fabulously wearable in their unassuming beefiness but the Mafate is more of a chunkily retro silhouette while the Clifton reads as cutting-edge speedster.
The fact that all HOKA silhouettes are united in unvarnished wearability is key to understanding HOKA's crossover appeal. This is the same instant appreciation that makes the Restore TC slip-on as covetable as the Skyline Float-X.
All of these shoes' technical appeal is assured but the HOKA difference is that they all look so incredibly, effortlessly cool. The Mafate Three Two is no exception.
