HOKA Hits Full Speed in Shanghai
HOKA recently launched its Mach 7 through a two-stage city experience in Shanghai - with a branded van as its centerpiece.
First came a street teaser (Mar 7-8): a branded “Mach 7 speed car” touring lifestyle streets like Wukang Road and Julu Road, creating photo moments and distributing invitation envelopes for an upcoming run event.
The second phase (Mar 14-15) moved to Yongyuan Road along Suzhou Creek with community running activities — including a “race the car” Mach Express run, 7–10km routes, exclusive merch rewards, and same-day delivery for runners purchasing the shoe.
HOKA is tapping into China’s rapidly expanding running culture:
• 7M+ runners participated in organized road races across China in 2024
• Nearly 750 road races were held nationwide
• Beijing Marathon receive 180,000+ applications for limited spots
• China's “marathon economy” generated ~RMB16.8B ($2B+) in 2025
Against that backdrop, brands are increasingly launching shoes through community experiences rather than traditional campaigns ...as a way of diving deeper into what is now a large community of committed runners.