International high-performance footwear and apparel brand HOKA ONE ONE® unveiled the refreshed upgrade of its Global Brand Experience Center in Shanghai Xintiandi on July 30. To mark this renewal, brand ambassador Hou Minghao graced the venue, joining HOKA to witness this milestone and ignite a new chapter of brand vitality.
The comprehensive upgrade encompasses spatial aesthetics, product scenario curation, technological experiences and community ecosystem. Rooted in its professional athletic DNA, HOKA brings high-performance expertise forged on mountain trails and race courses to urban streets, integrating technical gear into everyday outfits and diverse lifestyle scenarios. From wilderness exploration to urban self-expression, HOKA continues to build deeper, broader connections between professional sports and metropolitan lifestyles. Through revitalized experiences, the brand addresses consumers’ diverse demands for performance, aesthetics and self-expression.
Evolved from the Wild, Embarking on a New Frontier
The revamped HOKA Global Brand Experience Center boasts a brand-new visual design language. Sunlight streams through the windows, and the open, transparent layout delivers unobstructed sightlines. Lush greenery and natural textures run throughout the venue, with light and shadow flowing across timber, stone and metallic surfaces, resonating with the vibrant rhythm of summer. The store evolves into a breathable, vibrant social hub within the city.
The reimagined three-floor space creates a clearer carrier for the brand’s narrative of vitality. Upon entering the brand origin zone, visitors trace HOKA’s wilderness-rooted story: from the brand’s inception, its legacy at the UTMB Mont-Blanc Ultra-Trail, to its expanding lineup of domestic events across China. Revisiting HOKA’s trail-running origins, the space unfolds the brand’s journey of accompanying runners to traverse mountain terrain and surpass personal limits — the very source of its primordial vitality. This untamed energy from the wild seamlessly extends into cities, turning the HOKA Global Brand Experience Center into a gathering hub for runners.
Tech-Driven Innovation, Elevated Experiences
HOKA LAB — stands as a core highlight of this experience refresh and a tangible embodiment of technology empowerment. Supported by seven sets of top-tier professional testing equipment, alongside research data collected from over 30,000 runners, HOKA LAB translates professional sports science into accessible services for all runners.
New multi-dimensional assessments have been introduced, including ankle flexibility tests, Thomas tests and multi-angle lower-limb stability evaluations. Tiered fitness assessments are available for beginner, intermediate and elite runners, covering gait analysis, sports injury prevention, physical function evaluation and personalized training recommendations. HOKA supports more runners to pursue injury-free running and achieve longer, farther and more sustainable running goals.
The community ecosystem also embraces a more open and approachable identity as a meeting place for runners to connect, communicate and set off on new journeys. Products power every run, while the community links every runner. HOKA consistently values profound connections with its running community. Series events including 'Zhou Mo Mei Wan' and 'Yi Qi Ye Wai' run year-round, weaving into runners’ diverse lifestyles. From city streets to mountain trails, runners unite out of shared passion and bond through running.
“Born from runners, dedicated to runners, returning to runners.” HOKA continuously strengthens emotional ties with its community, transforming runners from participants into co-creators and jointly nurturing the brand’s enduring vitality.
Beyond immersive experiences and community building, HOKA’s refresh extends to its services. Centered on people and runners, HOKA introduces the all-new HOKA Flight Crew service system. Three in-store specialists, each excelling in distinct fields, act like co-pilots. They provide tailored support covering gear consultation, styling and community running training. Their professional expertise, personal strengths and genuine passion deliver one-on-one guidance for runners:
Performance Gear Co-Pilot: Well-versed in product technologies and applicable scenarios, offering gear recommendations aligned with training habits, fitness stages and personal goals.
Style Co-Pilot: Attuned to prevailing trends, helping runners seamlessly incorporate high-performance gear into commuter and streetwear looks.
Community Run Co-Pilot: Connects sports enthusiasts, recommends suitable community events and inspires more people to discover their unique running journeys.
A daily Flight Crew roster is displayed in-store to ensure every runner’s needs are met. This marks not merely a service upgrade, but another manifestation of HOKA’s people-first philosophy — turning professionalism into tangible companionship.
From finding the perfect pair of shoes and discovering fresh styling ideas to meeting like-minded partners, HOKA Flight Crew shifts in-store service from product introductions to genuine human connections. It transforms the brand experience from one-way exhibition to two-way interaction, establishing the HOKA Global Brand Experience Center as an urban base empowering runners to explore greater possibilities in sports and life.
Boundless Performance, Pioneer Spirit Takes Center Stage
At the grand opening of the renewed HOKA Global Brand Experience Center, newly announced brand ambassador Hou Minghao made his debut appearance. Dressed in the exclusive T-shirt designed for the venue, paired with MAFATE SPEED 2 in the new ALABASTER / RIVER ROCK GREY colourway, he embodied the seamless fusion of HOKA’s rugged performance and outdoor aesthetics with a pioneering, exploratory spirit.
Multiple photo spots dedicated to the brand ambassador are set up inside the center. A large portrait of Hou Minghao adorns the stairwell corner, while his autographs are featured on mirrors in the community zone and changing rooms, forming brand-new interactive check-in areas. Visitors can also join the Renewal Energy Bottle interactive activity to unlock exclusive limited perks themed around Hou Minghao.
New Beginnings, Harmonious Coexistence
Since its launch in May 2025, the HOKA Global Brand Experience Center has accelerated its footprint across China’s offline market. New locations have opened in Beijing, Chengdu and Shenzhen, completing the “Four-City Expansion” layout and forming an experience network covering key metropolitan hubs.
The revamp of HOKA’s Global Brand Experience Center at Shanghai Xintiandi represents far more than spatial renovation — it signifies an upgrade of brand storytelling and customer services. The three-floor space unites high-performance gear, science-backed services and urban lifestyle, bridging professionalism with trendiness and connecting products with runners.
HOKA invites all runners to join the community. Through diverse community events that expand the boundaries of active lifestyles, visitors can tap into the power of nature through immersive experiences and discover their own unique athletic expression.
