HOKA stands today as one of the defining names in both trail performance and city lifestyle footwear.

From ultrarunners in Chamonix to creatives on the streets of Paris, the brand has built a rare bridge between function and expression.

We first encountered HOKA’s full scope during Paris Fashion Week – a showcase that revealed not only technical precision but also a surprising sense of playfulness and experimentation.

For a company of its scale, this openness to feedback and willingness to poke fun at itself felt refreshingly human.

During the UTMB in Chamonix, we sat down with Thomas Cykana, Senior Director of Global Collaborations & Partnerships at HOKA, to explore the many layers of the brand’s current evolution. The conversation drifted across the intersection of lifestyle and performance, the art of collaboration, the growing importance of creative direction and storytelling, and even the role of humor and humanity in building a modern sportswear identity.

What followed was an honest, spontaneous dialogue about how a performance brand can stay bold, emotional, and connected – on the trail, in the city, and everywhere in between.

See more insights below with imagery by Alexander Zabelin.