Marni Puts Its Plaid Stamp on Hoka’s Clifton 11

Round two of the Marni x Hoka partnership swaps a bold Bondi for one of the brand's bestsellers, in three colorways, with a plaid sockliner hidden inside. It lands Nov. 12.

Marni has a way of making sensible things look slightly mischievous, and now it has turned that talent on one of Hoka’s bestselling running shoes. The Marni x Hoka Clifton 11 is the pair’s second collaboration, and it goes on sale Nov. 12 for $275.

The shoe comes in three colorways, named simply “Orange,” “White” and “Black.” The silhouette is the Clifton 11, Hoka’s signature cushioned runner, so the starting point is already a crowd favorite. Marni’s job was to give it a personality.

What’s actually on the shoe

Under the styling, the specs stay faithful to Hoka. You get an engineered mesh upper, a compression-molded EVA foam midsole, the brand’s MetaRocker geometry and the rearfoot-focused Active Foot Frame. Nothing about the running DNA has been watered down for the sake of a good photograph.

The Marni touches are small and well placed. Inside is a custom plaid sockliner, the kind of detail only you know about until you slip a shoe off. A metal lace dubrae adds a bit of hardware, and there are reflective details for early starts and late finishes. On opposite sides of the shoe sit 3D-printed silicone logos, one for Marni and one for Hoka, like two names on the same door.

It’s a restrained approach, and it suits the Clifton. The shape is already familiar, so the changes read as wit rather than a costume.

How round two differs from round one

The first collaboration arrived in April 2025 and used a different canvas: the Bondi B3LS, which belongs to Deckers Brands, Hoka’s parent company. That version’s calling card was its upper, bold and eye-catching, made from subtly rubberized, lightly padded polyester. It was a shoe you noticed from across the street.

The Clifton Marni is quieter in its materials and more of a slow reveal. The mesh upper keeps things closer to a classic runner, while the personality shows up in the plaid lining, the metalwork and the logo placement. Same partners, new mood. One round was loud and graphic. This one invites a second look.

Choosing the Clifton also says something. This is one of Hoka’s bestselling sneakers, so Marni is working with a shoe that plenty of people already wear to run, to commute and to stand in line for coffee.

A campaign built around daily life

To launch the shoe, the two companies have introduced a campaign called “Every Day Is a Marathon.” It celebrates the “movement that shapes everyday life,” following people from early starts through days in offices, studios and city streets. The idea pairs Hoka’s focus on comfort, performance and movement with Marni’s creative approach to personal style.

Thomas Cykana, Hoka’s senior director of global collaborations and partnerships, said in a statement that the company is “eager to keep momentum strong” with Marni. He also had kind words for the Italian house: “We adore Marni’s whimsical and irreverent stance within the contemporary luxury landscape and appreciate the sophisticated way in which Meryll [Rogge, creative director of Marni,] has pushed the brand forward while leaning into the label’s most signature cues.” Then came the line that frames the whole project: “Together, we explore a world where the marathon of life is celebrated in a way that only Hoka and Marni can.”

“Whimsical and irreverent” is a fair description of the Marni attitude, and a plaid sockliner is a nice small proof of it.

Where and when

The Clifton Marni launches Nov. 12 at Marni.com and in Marni stores globally. Hoka.com and select global retailers follow on Nov. 13, so there are two chances to get a pair, and the Marni channels get the first go.

The timing is comfortable for Hoka. Deckers Brands reported last month that the brand’s net sales in the second quarter reached $677.2 million, up 6.8 percent from $634.1 million a year earlier. Across the whole company, net sales rose 3.5 percent to $1.48 billion for the quarter, and net income climbed 16.8 percent to $313.1 million. A second collaboration with a fashion house arrives while the brand is in good shape.

For anyone who missed the Bondi round, or who wanted the same attitude in a more everyday shoe, the Clifton Marni is the easier fit. The three colorways give you some choice, and the plaid stays hidden unless you decide to show it.

Via Footwear News