HOKA Manhattan: Mountain Running for City Runners
Hoka’s Mafate X Far Out Experience brings the thrill of trail running right to the heart of New York City, offering city runners an immersive simulation designed to mimic the rugged landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park. This innovative activation showcases hoka’s latest X trail running shoe, aiming to inspire movement and community engagement. this isn’t just a product launch; it’s a full-sensory experience, co-created with Jellyfish and DE-YAN, designed to connect with consumers in a memorable way. News Directory 3 provides further details on this unique experiential marketing strategy. With plans to expand to Los Angeles, Chicago, and London, find out how Hoka is redefining the urban running experience and building on the success of its “Far Out” campaign. Discover what’s next for runners.
hoka Brings Immersive Trail Running Experience to New York City
Updated May 28, 2025
Hoka is transporting the essence of mountain trails to urban New York with its Mafate X Far Out Experience. This immersive simulation,which opened Wednesday,invites city dwellers to discover the joy of trail running. The experience showcases Hoka’s latest X trail running shoe within a dynamic environment reminiscent of joshua Tree National Park.
Allie Tsavdarides, Hoka’s VP of Marketing for North America, emphasized the importance of bringing the trails to an urban setting in a way that resonates with the product launch. The trail running experience, a collaboration with Jellyfish and DE-YAN, aims to create memorable connections with consumers. While currently exclusive to New York City, Hoka plans to invest in similar experiential marketing initiatives in Los Angeles, Chicago, and London.
Even though the Mafate X is designed for experienced runners, the activation seeks to introduce the Hoka brand to a broader audience. the experiential marketing strategy is part of Hoka’s broader “Far Out” campaign and builds upon the FlyLab activation series that launched in 2024 at events like the Olympic Marathon Trials and Ultra Trail Mont Blanc.
Tsavdarides said, “Our mission is to inspire people to experience the joy of movement and the power of community. we are committed to finding new ways to bring that mission to life by creating activations that give people a taste of what it feels like to be out on the trail or the road, moving with purpose and feeling part of something greater.”
the Mafate X Far Out Experience is open to the public May 28 and 29 at Flatiron North Plaza. The Hoka shoes brand, founded in 2009 and acquired by Decker Brands in 2013, has seen significant growth, with net sales increasing by 23.6% to $2.2 billion in the fiscal year ending March 31.
“This is something that we want to understand: the idea of broader consumer experiences, trying some new, fun ideas, and being a bit more disruptive in some of our marketing investments,” Tsavdarides said.
What’s next
Tsavdarides plans to monitor consumer sentiment both on-site and on social media to gauge the success of the “Far out” experience. These insights will inform Hoka’s future experiential marketing efforts in other key markets.