Hoka One One, known for its innovative and bold performance footwear designed for athletes, has partnered with fabric developer Polartec to create an inclusive collection of high-performing shirts for male and female athletes participating in a range of activities and conditions. The move comes as Hoka recently broke into the apparel space after years of carving out a footwear niche.
Hoka said it relied on extensive consumer feedback to design its first apparel collection of running and fitness staples. With nearly 4,000 surveyed responses, Hoka found consumers wanted apparel that was at the same time high-performing and accommodating of every type of athlete, from walkers and runners to fitness-seekers and outdoor adventurers of all levels.
For the initial collection, Hoka turned to Polartec as its premium next-to-skin solutions provider, notably choosing Polartec Power Dry for the premium performance apparel due to its lightweight feel and sweat-wicking, fast-drying properties.
As Polartec’s most advanced next-to-skin moisture management fabric, Power Dry has a bi-component knit that maintains high breathability, while pulling moisture away from the body and transferring it to the outer surface for rapid evaporation during activity, keeping the user dry and comfortable at all times for the life of the garment.
As the collection uses two versions of Polartec Power Dry across nine hybrid designs for men’s and women’s performance shirts, consumers should quickly see and feel why Hoka chose the fabric, the company said. Each shirt is designed to be extra light, has distinguished visual interest and drapes comfortably over the skin. In addition, each shirt is made primarily of recycled content and treated with Polygiene for permanent odor resistance.
Hoka’s collection featuring Polartec debuted in March.