“More Drama Baby” - this is what the new partnership between HOKA and Hidden Characters promises: Together with the Asian-American streetwear label from Chicago, HOKA is launching a new interpretation of the latest hiking-meets-street-style shoe, the Tor Summit.

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Hidden Characters has built a tight online community through transparent open-source practices in its creative designs.

A significant part of the product portfolio encourages its wearers to personally adapt the products or in some cases even makes it necessary, which promotes interaction between brands and their customers.

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In this way, the wearers not only represent the brand, but are themselves part of the bigger picture. The Tor Summit makeover is intended to focus on the concept of creative freedom and the ability to act.

Artists from the fields of music, fashion and beyond are presented and a bridge is built between style and harsh outdoor aesthetics.

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With its silhouette inspired by the Alps, the HOKA Tor Summit pays homage to the classic hiking boot.

The new interpretation of HOKA and Hidden Characters retains the characteristic HOKA damping but expands it in an artful, dramatic and atmospheric way.

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Here, the contrasting black and white upper meets an ice-blue outsole — an allusion to the history of sneaker culture in Chicago, the home of Hidden Characters.

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The Tor Summit Hidden Characters takes up the outdoor design of the HOKA Tor family and reinterprets it for city streets.

The new door also features performance-meets-style design elements such as premium nubuk leather, Vibram Megagrip outsole, zigzag seams and metal eyelets.

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“On the 15th anniversary of HOKA, we are focusing on sports shoe consumers with our growing, performance-oriented shoe range, as well as lifestyle consumers, whom we address in a new and exciting way,” says Travis Wiseman, Director of Lifestyle Product at HOKA.

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“Especially in the lifestyle sector, brand partnerships are an important cornerstone of our growth strategy to make HOKA better known in the lifestyle, fashion and streetwear community.

The partnership with Hidden Characters does just that — it reinterprets one of our latest hiking styles and combines HOKA's performance-oriented innovations with style elements of street art & culture and community.”

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Hidden characters about working with HOKA:

“Hidden Characters is known for its clothing and community, but many people don't know that we not only design and produce our own clothes, but also our furnishings, furniture and sets.

Over the course of our ten years of existence, our team members have transformed themselves into versatile professionals — carpenters, athletes, tailors, painters and more — and have adapted to the different demands of everyday life.

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The durable and robust construction of the Tor Summit, which is underlined by the seamless rubber surround, allows unlimited creativity while providing the ultimate comfort that HOKA is known for all day long.

It is a shoe that helps us tackle these very different everyday situations.”

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The HOKA Tor Summit Hidden Characters is available from March 29th. Retailer list follows. Keep an eye on our Sneaker Releases.

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Photos via HOKA