Talk about happy feet: Just in time for summer, Alex Proba, a Portland-based artist known for her colourful murals, swimming pools, homegoods and more, has partnered with running shoe company Hoka on a joyful collection of footwear.
The collab, which brings four new palettes to shoes in Hoka’s range, aims to bring a bit of fun to a daily ritual as basic as tying your shoes.
Proba established her Brooklyn and Portland-based firm StudioProba in 2013. The German-born artist caught the design world’s eye with her bold, Memphis-y murals, swimming pools and sculptures, as well as cheerful home accessories like rugs, textiles, and furniture.
‘I had an eye on Alex's work for quite some time,’ says Thomas Cykana, Hoka’s director of collaborations who previously helmed a partnership with Marni. ‘What really separates her, and really makes her a perfect fit for Hoka, is that her work isn’t just about form, but also function.’
Proba gleefully accepted the challenge when Cykana reached out in late 2023. ‘I loved the opportunity to work with a company that shares the same ethos as me. There’s community in running, and happiness and joy. The whole spirit of Hoka with [their motto] "fly human fly" felt like a perfect fit,’ says Proba.
Working with Hoka’s product team, Prona translated her jubilant aesthetic to three shoes in Hoka’s range, including the Oro Primo, a recovery shoe; Speedgoat 6, a trail running shoe; and the Kawana Mid, a gym and training shoe. Splashed with hues like hot pink, orange and lavender, the footwear was meant to evoke movement and play.
‘These are probably the littlest sculptures I've done. I am usually putting my art on big mural walls, now I’m putting it on these tiny little shoes,’ says Proba.
Proba designs, like rugs and homewares, tend to feature highly-textured surfaces, so the design team needed to figure out how to translate those details without compromising performance (A furry trail shoe, for instance, would not be ideal). So the artist played with quilting and materiality to bring her vibe to the shoes, even including a cheetah-print faux ponyhair on the Oro Primo mules.
Even the most minimal shoe by Proba standards, the white Kawana Mids, hides a fun secret: the insoles are colourful. ‘It's not like you see it when you wear it, but you see it when you put it on. And that’s part of the experience too,’ Proba says.
Most of all, the shoes are meant to be worn. ‘If you're running on a trail why wouldn't you want to have shoes that are super colourful and fun? And why wouldn't you want to have an art piece that can get dirty?’ the artist says.
‘They're not things to be put on a pedestal behind a glass box,’ adds Cykana.
And even if crushing the Leadville Trail 100-mile race isn’t on your summer bucket list, that’s fine too. ‘Maybe running isn't your soul and core identity,’ Cykana says. ‘But there’s a universe in which Hoka really fits and has the opportunity to advance what your day looks like’ – hopefully with these kicks, it will look a whole lot brighter.
You can shop Hoka x Proba at hoka.com starting 27 June.
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