In countless online trend galleries on how to wear “dad sneakers” or “ugly sneakers,” one shot stands out: Model Bella Hadid wearing a wide, shoulder-padded-blazer-and-mini-skirt suit set paired with chunky cream Balenciaga Triple S sneakers and sheer black stockings.
Seeing Hadid’s outfit, I can’t help but recall the 1988 film Working Girl. In the establishing scenes of the rom-com, Melanie Griffith wears a business suit, sheer black nylon stockings, and white running sneakers during her commute on the Staten Island ferry to Manhattan. Once sitting at her desk, she changes into pumps, assimilating back into an acceptable secretary uniform.
If fashion is cyclical and a mirror to the culture of our time, what does the latest mashup of luxury-designer-sneakers-meets-sportswear (sometimes replacing high heels) mean?
Designers love challenging traditional fashion no-nos as much as they love borrowing inspiration from niche subcultures. Phoebe Philo was famously devoted to pairing adidas trainers with tailored monochrome separates, and her Celine slip-on sneakers (debuting circa 2012 and an undeniable lookalike of skater-beloved Vans) made the laceless model an essential item of the effortless French chic uniform. We can thank Balenciaga for the current 1990s nostalgic footwear muse: “dad” sneakers, with their exaggerated platform soles and layers of busy pattern pieces. One of my favorite descriptions of the dad sneaker is by Man Repeller founder Leandra Medine, who described the soles as resembling “the anatomy of a pterodactyl.”
But why chunky jogging sneakers, and why now? Maybe because modern feminists seek footwear that is comfortable, anti-delicate, and in the words of many trend reports, “ugly.” Maybe because dorky sneakers were the signature casual uniform of tech’s visionary founder role models (think Steve Jobs).
Or maybe it’s because of one unstoppable force running parallel to this sneaker trend: the athleisure movement. You know, nice sneakers and leggings made for recreation, but not necessarily high-output performance. Maybe it’s because the Millennial consumer expects their products to do more — a van that is also a home; a phone that also does, well, everything; clothing and footwear that can be worn commuting from one task to another in our super-busy, on-the-go, productivity-driven lives. Think the hustle of “Working Girl,” just without having to change your shoes.
One brand stands out at this current intersection of athleisure and performance: HOKA ONE ONE.
HOKA ONE ONE’s bouncy, maximalist running shoes gained momentum in the early 2010s by rebelling against the other extreme of the time: minimalist, barefoot running sneakers. HOKA’s shock-absorbent sneakers earned a cult following among athletes across the spectrum, from ultramarathon runners to casual joggers who wanted more stability and forgiving joint support. HOKA ONE ONE was acquired by Deckers Outdoor Corporation in 2012, empowering resources into a hungry market of upward growth.
In addition to being sold at more tech-focused outdoor retailers like REI and Backcountry.com, HOKA ONE ONE can be found at tastemaker retailers such as Need Supply and Opening Ceremony. Shape Magazine anointed HOKA ONE ONE in a trend gallery of “11 Chunky “Dad Sneakers” That Will Actually Look Cute On You” as an attainable version of the designer trend. Balenciaga’s Triple-S model is $995. HOKA ONE ONE’s Bondi model is $130.
During the past few years, HOKA ONE ONE has attracted collaborations with two notable brands on the apex of style-meets-recreation: Engineered Garments and Outdoor Voices.
“All HOKA product, even collabs, are built to perform. We take the same design elements and collaborate with influential partners who we feel would provide an interesting perspective to our classic HOKA silhouettes,” replied Gretchen Weimer, Vice President of Product at HOKA ONE ONE via email.
“With Engineered Garments, we found a high-fashion and streetwear brand whose customers appreciate highly-functional, comfortable footwear. It so happens that our footwear, which is designed to withstand some of the toughest endurance events in the world, is very comfortable in other settings too,” Weimer replied of the collab which included the Tor Ultra Low hiking shoe.
In the case of Outdoor Voices, an activewear brand on meteoric growth that boasts former J.Crew CEO Mickey Drexler as chairman of the board, HOKA ONE ONE’s best-selling Clifton shoe is given a splash of fresh color-blocking, a signature of Outdoor Voice’s matching top-and-bottom kits.
“It suits serious runners (Cliftons have carried runners to sub-2:20 marathons), fitness enthusiasts, walkers, and people who simply stand on their feet often,” Weimer explained. “Outdoor Voices approached us because their founder, Ty Haney, was a fan of the shoes. They made a natural partner because, like HOKA, they are seeking to empower all kinds of people to experience activity and the outdoors in whatever way best suits them.”
In other words, the HOKA ONE ONE x Outdoor Voices Clifton collab shoes are equipped to run as far as you want to take them — the distance and destination are up to you.
There lies the paradigm shift that Outdoor Voices has championed so well and the philosophy that puts HOKA ONE ONE in the right place at the right time. Is the product technically sound? Yes, absolutely. But you don’t have to look like a traditional athlete or use an Outdoor Voices x HOKA ONE ONE head-to-toe kit for a vomit-inducing marathon to partake in it. This feels like a key difference from the traditional marketing model of labels that sponsor professional ball-sports athletes. There’s nothing wrong with having larger-than-life idols (we all bow down to Serena Williams), but there’s also something refreshing about brands that are judgment-free about your fitness goals.
“People are becoming more recreational in their daily lives and having versatile, athletic footwear allows for a walk to lunch or a quick game of knockout after work. It’s been cool to see how much variety in activity our community engages in, and how they take our OV Clifton to places we never thought before,” writes Ty Haney, Founder and CEO of Outdoor Voices.
Millennials wholly embrace blurring lines between traditional identity labels that defined throwback high school movies (the artist, the jock, the popular girl) or in the case of “Working Girl,” the insiders and the outsiders of Manhattan. (Filmmakers have said in interviews that the sneakers worn by Griffith’s character were a symbol of her status in Manhattan’s hierarchy). Their clothing identities are similarly fluid, easily toggling and interweaving high-end designer with Target, streetwear with outdoor apparel. Personal identity is a constant evolution. Sure, why not pair a tailored dress with sneakers?
Case in point: LA-based photographer Stefanie Vinsel pairs her HOKA ONE ONE sneakers with a vintage suit she found at a thrift store. Look familiar? By email, she explained that this outfit came to her intuitively, inspired by the bright color palette of her HOKA ONE ONE x Outdoor Voices Clifton sneakers. “We came to a conclusion that we’d name the shoot ‘I Jog To Work!’ with the power suits, the power females and their power running shoes, all in contrasting primary colors,” Vinsel says.
Vinsel says she used to feel that her Instagram should be an online photography portfolio and any content (say, her first kickboxing class) that didn’t contribute to that title would harm her career. That changed when she discovered Outdoor Voices.
“I love that [Outdoor Voices takes] the pressure off of being this picture-perfect athlete and emphasizes the need to just get out there, be yourself and start #doingthings. And with that, they pull fashion and creativity into the mix.” Vinsel writes. “[It] made me open up to finally embracing my athletic side! It’s okay to be whatever you want to be and wear whatever you want to wear. Last year I was into floral dresses and cowboy boots, this year I’m into bright colors, power suits, and sneakers.”
Both Outdoor Voices’ and HOKA ONE ONE’s Instagram profiles feature diversity in body type, race, ability, and environment. From dancing in a living room to dancing in a studio, walking with a stroller to running in the snow, customers interpret the products in ways both aspirational and attainable.
“We have an operational principle of “Human, not Superhuman,” Haney says of Outdoor Voices’ core values. “We are anti ‘harder, better, faster, stronger’ and all about encouraging your personal best, whatever that means for you.”
If there was ever a remake of “Working Girl” today, the character of Tess McGill (then played by Griffith) wouldn’t change out of her sneakers at work. Instead, she might dress like Vinsel does with her HOKA ONE ONE sneakers, proudly owning that she can hold her identity contradictions and evolutions simultaneously: driven yet leisurely; self-assured confidence yet still figuring it out. Today we’re told to choose a career that follows our passions, and the binary of work and fun — and the clothes you wear for both — washes away in grey space.
“HOKAs are the best,” Vinsel confirms. “I feel like a powerful woman in them.”
XX Rhea Cortado