We’re excited to share an interview we conducted with Wai Tsui from HIKING PATROL.
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR THE ENGLISH VERSION.
A: Hello! Who are you?
W: Hi, my name is Wai Tsui, and I live in Oslo, Norway. I’m the curator and founder of Hiking Patrol.
A: What is Hiking Patrol?
W: Hiking Patrol was founded in 2019 and is a curated digital platform centered on striking the perfect balance between lifestyle and outdoor exploration.
As a brand and multidisciplinary creative agency, we collaborate with other brands to develop products while focusing on creating socially engaging brand content and experiences.
A: How did you get into the footwear and fashion industry?
W: I used to work at a retail company called Sole Service.
During my time there, I was responsible for selling apparel and footwear. After that, I transitioned into the role of Brand Manager in the lifestyle segment, overseeing brands such as Carhartt-WIP, New Balance, and PUMA Sportstyle. Later, I took the leap into the fashion industry.
A: The recently released KEEN x Hiking Patrol Jaspers are inspired by two species of frogs, the Cuban tree frog and the phantasmal poison dart frog....that’s a great source of inspiration—frogs never slip, they have great traction, and they can jump.... How did you come up with that idea?
W: I believe that the harmony between the concept of working with nature has always been at the core of Hiking Patrol.
Our focus has always been on elements intertwined with nature. When I spoke with KEEN about this, I discovered their initiative called “KEEN Effect,” through which they donate a portion of their sales to various causes.
Since all the projects I’m involved in deal with elements of nature, we decided to take up the theme of nature. That’s why we decided to support rainforest conservation through the KEEN Effect, and the color schemes of the designs were inspired by the Cuban tree frog and the phantasmal poison dart frog.
A: The Jasper was introduced in 2008. When did you first encounter this model?
W: My first experience with KEEN was during my time in Japan between 2010 and 2011. That’s when I was introduced to the KEEN UNEEK. I first learned about the Jasper model through magazines like GoOut and Popeye, where I frequently saw pictures of it.
A: How did Hiking Patrol evolve from an Instagram channel into a brand?
W: Turning my Instagram account into a brand required a lot of patience and the ability to connect with the right people and brands to start meaningful conversations.
KEEN is a prime example of a brand that believes in the value of Hiking Patrol. I’m incredibly grateful for their support since the beginning of our journey.
The relationship we’ve cultivated is truly exceptional. I want to encourage other influencers to follow a similar path. Even if they aren’t pursuing a brand-focused approach, collaborations like this underscore the growing recognition of our community and its importance within the outdoor and lifestyle industries.
A: When do you think the Gorpcore or “Function in Fashion” trends first emerged?
W: I believe the concept of Gorpcore already existed before it was recognized by the mainstream. In Japan, for example, there has always been a form of Gorpcore, even if it wasn’t explicitly labeled as such.
A notable aspect of the outdoor trend there is its consistency and enduring strength. This is because it’s not viewed merely as a fleeting fashion trend.
Personally, I’ve never been a fan of the term itself. I’ve always viewed it as a passing fad. This sentiment is reflected in our Instagram curation approach, where we try to avoid overemphasizing content associated with Gorpcore.
I believe the term itself is gradually losing relevance. What we’re seeing instead is a robust and enduring outdoor lifestyle trend that shows no signs of slowing down. I even expect its growth and influence to continue to increase in the future.
A: Do you remember your first pair of sneakers, and what shoes are you wearing right now?
W: adidas Superstar 35th Anniversary Adicolor. And these days, I’m wearing my collaborations, including the KEEN x Hiking Patrol Jasper.
A: What was the last pair of shoes you bought for yourself?
W: I don’t buy shoes anymore, but the last time I bought a pair was recently—the all-white KEEN UNEEKs in Japan. I always have two pairs of those: one to wear and one as a backup.
A: Which brand do you think is unfairly flying under the radar?
W: My own brand—it’s launching in Fall/Winter 2024. More info to come later.
A: Is there a trend in the sneaker or fashion scene that you miss, or that you’re glad has gone away?
W: Buffalo shoes. Not a fan of them.
A: Do you have a ritual when unboxing a new pair of shoes?
W: Not really—I actually throw the box away because I don’t have any more space, hehe.
A: Which release are you looking forward to?
W: My own… the KEEN x Hiking Patrol.
A: Thanks so much for the interview!
W: You’re welcome!
_______________________
ENGLISH VERSION:
A: Who are you? Can you briefly introduce yourself?
W: Hey, my name is Wai Tsui, and I’m based in Oslo, Norway. I’m the curator and founder of Hiking Patrol.
A: What is HIKING PATROL?
W: Founded in 2019, Hiking Patrol is a curated digital platform centered on striking the perfect balance between lifestyle and outdoor exploration. As a brand and multidisciplinary creative agency, we collaborate with other brands to develop products while prioritizing the creation of socially engaging brand content and experiences.
A: How did you get into the footwear and fashion business?
W: I used to work at a retail store called Sole Service. During my time there, I was responsible for overseeing sales of both clothing and footwear. After that, I transitioned to the role of brand manager in the lifestyle segment, overseeing brands such as Carhartt-WIP, New Balance, and PUMA Sportstyle. Later, I ventured into the fashion industry.
A: The KEEN x Hiking Patrol Jaspers are inspired by two types of frogs, the Cuban Tree Frog and the Phantasmal Poison Frog....First of all, that’s a great source of inspiration—frogs never slip, they have great traction, and they can jump...how did you come up with that?
W: I believe the harmony between the concept of collaborating with nature has always been ingrained in the essence of Hiking Patrol. Our focus has consistently revolved around elements intertwined with nature.
When I discussed this with KEEN, I learned about their initiative called the “KEEN Effect,” through which they donate a portion of sales to various causes.
Since all the projects I’m involved in are connected to elements of nature, we decided to embrace the nature theme. Therefore, we chose to support rainforest conservation through the KEEN Effect, and the color schemes of the designs draw inspiration from the Cuban tree frog and the phantasmal poison frog.
A: The Jasper debuted in 2008—when did you first encounter that model?
W: My first experience with KEEN was during my time in Japan between 2010 and 2011. It was during this period that I was introduced to the KEEN UNEEK. As for the Jasper model, I became familiar with it through magazines like GoOut and Popeye, where I frequently came across images of the product.
A: How did you transition from Instagram to a brand?
W: Turning my Instagram account into a brand required a lot of patience and the ability to connect with the right people and brands to start meaningful conversations. KEEN stands out as a prime example of a brand that believes in the value of Hiking Patrol.
I’m incredibly grateful for their support since the very beginning of our journey. The relationship we’ve built is truly exceptional. I hope to inspire other accounts to follow a similar path.
Even if they aren’t pursuing a brand-focused approach, collaborations like these underscore the growing recognition of our community and its significance within the outdoor and lifestyle industries.
A: In your view, when would you say the “gorpcore” or “functional fashion” trend first emerged?
W: I believe the concept of gorpcore existed even before it gained mainstream recognition. If we look at Japan, for example, a form of gorpcore has always been present, even though it might not have been explicitly labeled as such.
One notable aspect of the outdoor trend there is its consistency and enduring strength. This can be attributed to the fact that it’s not viewed merely as a fleeting fashion trend.
Personally, I’ve never been a proponent of or felt inclined to use the term “gorpcore”; I’ve always perceived it as a passing fad.
This sentiment is reflected in our Instagram curation approach, where we aim to avoid placing excessive emphasis on content associated with gorpcore. I believe the term itself is gradually losing its relevance.
Instead, what we’re seeing is a robust and consistent outdoor lifestyle trend that shows no signs of waning. In fact, I anticipate that its growth and influence will continue to expand in the future.
A: Do you remember your first pair of sneakers, and what shoes are you wearing right now?
W: Adidas Superstar 35th Anniversary Adicolor. And these days I’m wearing my collaborations, including the KEEN x Hiking Patrol Jaspers.
A: Which pair of shoes did you last buy for yourself?
W: I don’t buy shoes anymore, but the last time I bought a pair was recently—the all-white KEEN UNEEK in Japan. I always have two pairs to wear and one in stock.
A: Which brand do you think is unfairly under the radar?
W: My own brand, launching for Fall/Winter 2024. More info will follow later.
A: Is there a trend in the sneaker or fashion scene that you miss or are glad to see gone?
W: Buffalo shoes. Not a fan of them.
A: Do you have any rituals, for example when unpacking a new pair of shoes?
W: Actually, I don’t—I throw the box away because I don’t have any more space, hehe.
A: Which release are you looking forward to right now?
W: My own release for the KEEN x Hiking Patrol.
A: Thank you very much for your time!
W: You’re welcome!
Photos via KEEN / Hiking Patrol
