This Hoka Trail Shoe Has a Detail Only Some Runners Might Notice

What’s more, the Stinson Evo, with its dramatic TPU overlays on top of a mesh upper, was ugly as sin — a quality that might be the reason Hoka actually decided to revive the silhouette for 2024.

So-called “ugly shoes” are in, and they have been for a while. Dave Powers, the former CEO of Hoka’s parent company, Deckers Brands, famously embraced the term.

“I don’t mind the ugly moniker,” Powers told Bloomberg in 2022. “It basically says you’re different. You’re owning something distinct. It’s a little off, but there’s something interesting about it.”

A faithful reissue

The new Stinson Evo is a faithful rerelease of the original, TPU overlays and all. Hoka built the shoe to the same overall geometry and even included some of the more thoughtful details, including a microfiber toe cap and speed-lacing system (also present on newer models like the Transport Chukka GTX).

In a nod to the past, the heel reads “Hoka One One” — a detail sure to tug at the heartstrings of any early Hoka adopter. (The brand officially dropped One One from its name in 2021.)