Our latest featured partner is one of the fastest-growing brands in running, walking, fitness, and hiking. HOKA ONE ONE® first hit the scene with running shoes that featured maximum cushioning and a unique midsole "rocker" to sustain momentum from stride to stride. HOKA has since become synonymous with premium cushioning, allowing their brand to grow outside the running category. Turns out maximalist cushioned shoes have legs beyond running.

In Spring 2020, HOKA expanded into performance apparel. For the first time, they're offering a full line for running, fitness, hiking, or however you choose to work up a sweat. For the shirt collection, HOKA needed a lightweight fabric that could keep wearers comfortable and dry no matter the conditions. It's no surprise they chose Polartec® Power Dry® fabric for dry times that keep up with athletes of any speed.

HOKA is known for involving their customers in the development process, and the Spring 2020 collection was no different. The line was designed based on extensive consumer feedback. In 2018, HOKA sent out a survey and received nearly 4,000 responses. They found that consumers desired apparel that was simultaneously high-performing and accommodating of every type of athlete.

This inclusive approach, already a pillar of HOKA performance footwear, has been incorporated into the function of the new apparel line: runners, walkers, fitness-seekers, and outdoor adventurers of all levels will find their perfect fit in HOKA apparel.

Wendy Yang, President of HOKA ONE ONE, says the brand's mission "is to empower athletes of all types to feel like they can fly…" Well, you can't fly if you're weighed down by sweat. To solve this problem, HOKA used two versions of Polartec Power Dry in nine hybrid designs for men's and women's performance shirts in the new apparel line.

Our most advanced mechanical wicking next-to-skin fabric is not only fast-drying and lightweight, the two versions used by HOKA are made of at least 50% content from post-consumer recycled PET. Another great reason to feel good for choosing to fly dry with HOKA x Polartec.

Without further ado, here are the nine Power Dry Performance tops in HOKA ONE ONE's first ever athletic apparel line:

See the entire Men's and Women's Performance Shirt Collection

Aside from their superior mechanical wicking capabilities and recycled content, both versions of Power Dry were chosen because of how they look and feel on the body. These shirts are gossamer light, highly breathable, and Polygiene-treated for permanent odor resistance. This collection will continue to deliver for years to come thanks to Power Dry's bi-component knit construction, engineered to deliver unrivaled moisture management for the life of the garment.

Now you might be wondering: what the heck is mechanical wicking? So let's break out the electron microscope and show you exactly how this bi-component knit manages sweat as fast as you make it.

So how does it work? Moisture and high relative humidity next to the skin cause discomfort. Power Dry keeps the skin dry through three complementary mechanisms:

1. The fabric is highly breathable and does not restrict the movement of moisture vapor.
2. On the fabric's inner surface, hydrophilic fibers oriented towards the body create "touch points" that draw off the sweat, wicking it away from the skin to the fabric's outer layer.
3. Once on the outside of the fabric, fibers oriented across the body rapidly spread out sweat moisture to many times its original surface area for faster evaporation.

This mechanical wicking allows the fabric to dry at least 2 times faster than cotton and moves at least 30% more moisture away from the skin than single component fabrics.

HOKA is already hard at work designing their second line of athletic apparel, and Polartec will continue to be their source for category-defining fabric solutions. Keep an eye out in the fall for comfy performance gear featuring some of our advanced fleece platforms including Polartec® Power Grid™ and Polartec® Thermal Pro®.

We're proud to provide dreamers, innovators, and imagination-captivators with fabric technologies and design solutions for any need and any reason. HOKA is yet another example of Polartec's ability to lower the risk of trying something new. When brands add our century-long experience as knitters and the Science of Fabric to their own capacity for innovative design, a collection — like HOKA's first line of athletic apparel — can transcend category definition, allowing athletes to simplify how they dress for any activity.