Before supermodels started wearing HOKA shoes and the brand started attracting big-name fashion collaborators, the Stinson EVO was HOKAs premiere trail running shoe. And it would have a big impact on the outdoor footwear scene.
One gleaming review of the Stinson EVO from a runner in 2013 includes an anecdote where ultramarathon running legend Scott Jurek surprised a group of runners by announcing that HOKA is the future of ultrarunning running shoes.
At that time, HOKA was the new brand on the scene having only been founded in 2009 and Jurek’s prediction has proven correct. HOKA has grown to become a leading running shoe brand and, in 2022, it broke the billion-dollar mark in sales.
Okay, the history lesson is over. Back to the Stinson EVO.
The HOKA Stinson EVO hasn’t been seen since the early 2010s, replaced by more innovative but equally big and bulky running shoes. Now, it has quietly made its return.
Confirming some early rumblings online, the HOKA Stinson EVO OG has quietly launched at Australian retailers UP THERE and Above The Clouds for $215 (that’s $45 more than they originally retailed for in 2012, however, a price increase was always to be expected — we’re living in an era of rapidly rising sneaker prices).
The shoe comes in the original ‘Cosmic Grey’ colorway with white lines curving along the upper and orange detailing on the sole. And, even though super chunky sneakers have become commonplace since 2012, they still look remarkably big.
While the maximalist, high-stack EVA midsole and hi-abrasion lightweight rubber sole will put in a good shift on a mountain trail, the shoe is no longer a groundbreaking running shoe. Twelve years after its initial release, it is returning to be a comfortable daily shoe for fashionable folk who love an oversized silhouette.
The sneaker shows how (albeit accidentally) fashion-forward HOKA was in its early years. While reviews of the Stinson Evo waxed lyrical about the shoe’s performance they also commented on how they are unfashionable, big clown shoes. Those same clown shoes are now returning and stocked in some of the coolest fashion boutiques.