When Milanese avant-garde meets Californian technical expertise, the result is a hybrid, sculptural, almost manifest sneaker. With the Bondi B3LS, Marni and HOKA sign an unexpected collaboration, as functional as it is wildly desirable.
At first glance, Marni and HOKA didn't seem destined to meet. One, the enfant terrible of Italian fashion, cultivates elegant chaos, dissonant patterns and unclassifiable shapes. The other, adored by ultrarunners and podiatric comfort enthusiasts, excels in the science of cushioning and support. Yet it is precisely in this opposition that a new beauty is born: that of a sneaker that embraces its eccentricity while guaranteeing an uncompromising walking experience.
The Bondi B3LS, released on April 3 on the Marni website (and from the 4th at HOKA and selected retailers), embodies this fusion of the improbable. Marni injects its maximalist DNA into a silhouette designed for long distances. The result is a shoe that attracts all eyes, but is fundamentally designed to move forward.
The Bondi B3LS is no newcomer. Introduced in 2023 as a more urban reinterpretation of HOKA's famous Bondi, it quickly won over a mixed clientele - from runners to creative nomads. But in the hands of Marni, this sneaker takes aesthetics to a whole new level.
The design incorporates a polyester upper enhanced by a partial rubber treatment, giving the model a very contemporary matte sheen. The discreet padding offers enveloping comfort, without weighing down the already robust silhouette. True to HOKA's philosophy, the oversized sole remains intact, but is here adorned with a very assertive monochrome finish.
The two brands' logos coexist discreetly but with authority: HOKA on the tongue, Marni on the back yoke. Added to this is a trio of lace sets - flat, round tone-on-tone or multicolored ribbons - for refined personalization.
Marni is known for its colorful storytelling. For this capsule collection, the Italian house is no exception, offering four intense monochrome hues: Poinciana, an incandescent red with arty accents; Bracken, a deep, almost mineral brown; Tourmaline, a dense blue with technological charm; Straw, a soft, luminous straw yellow.
Each shade is conceived as a statement, an extension of the wearer's personality. The matte, non-flashy tones accentuate the shoe's sculptural dimension and allow for an infinite number of combinations, from utilitarian pants to couture trench coats.
What's striking, beyond the object, is the audacity of this collaboration. At a time when alliances between sports brands and luxury houses are becoming commonplace, Marni and HOKA avoid the trap of simple logo plating. This is a real dialogue, a creative osmosis.
HOKA brings its biomechanical know-how and its love of topographical challenges; Marni, its ability to bend codes, to reenchant the ordinary through detail and contrast. The fruit of this encounter goes beyond fashion: it is part of an artistic gesture, in which the sneaker becomes a manifesto, a tool for movement but also for self-expression.
This collaboration is part of a wider dynamic at Marni. For several seasons now, the house headed by Francesco Risso has been exploring the shifting territories between fashion, music, scenography and now performance. After immersive shows and collections conceived as emotional scores, this foray into the world of technical footwear continues a clear desire to get off the beaten track.
For HOKA, this project marks a confident entry into the fashion-forward field, without denying its roots. For the American brand, whose oversize soles have long been mocked before being adored, it's a form of consecration: that of having seduced beyond the field, to the asphalt of fashion capitals.
