The HOKA Mafate X launch

To launch the new HOKA Mafate X - the ultimate trail running shoe - we bought the mountains to Manhattan, giving the best trail runners a chance to put the latest shoe through its paces, in the heart of NYC.

As runners stepped inside this 48-hour long, immersive experience we turned up the heat, transporting them, and the onlooking crowds, to the Joshua Tree desert. Surrounded by native flora with simulated wind and climate control, runners quickly took up the challenge via a treadmill buried in the rocky terrain. Layered desert sounds, including birdsong and breeze, transported them even deeper.
But the real immersion came from the tech: an infinite Unreal Engine digital backdrop, endlessly generating new scenery, moving at the same pace as the runner, ensuring no two runners ever ran the same trail. The faster you ran, the faster the desert blurred past. And as time passed, the light shifted too. Morning, noon and dusk, all rolling by in real-time.

Between runners, the installation became a 3D billboard, with Mafate X graphics and film of trail runners tackling ultra trails displayed in our real desert environment. The activation turned a busy city block into a head-turning reminder of HOKA’s innovation and trail heritage. Successfully reconnecting the brand with the elite ultra-running community, while sparking curiosity in a broader audience. By collapsing the distance between city and trail, the Mafate X Far Out Experience didn’t just launch a shoe, it launched the Mafate X mindset.