True story: I fell in love with the outdoors after moving to Chicago. It wasn’t until I bought my first real pair of boots and ventured on hikes that ribboned the city that I knew the true joys of everyday adventure. My love of hiking has since taken me around the world.
When it comes to gear, I’m a big believer in investing in gear you can use on adventures near, far and everywhere in between. And as a city dweller who loves to explore in urban and remote nature, I also seek out products that can cross over between town and trail. Before any gear purchase big or small, I ask myself if it’ll stand up to the three Ts: Trail, Town and Travel.
If it’s a shoe, will it feel comfortable on my lunchtime walks and provide enough support on weekend hikes?
If it’s a backpack, will it work on a commute to work and on a journey through the airport?
If it’s a rain jacket, will it keep me dry in the city and at a campsite in the backcountry?
Because there’s something to be said for gear that can go with you—wherever you go.
Luckily, REI Co-op also believes that the best gear can go anywhere. The co-op has teamed up with beloved outdoor brands HOKA and Cotopaxi for a second time to collaborate on new co-branded versions of their versatile best-sellers: the Cotopaxi Kapai 3L Hip Pack – Del Día and the Anacapa Breeze Low Hiking Shoes. No strangers to the three Ts themselves, HOKA and Cotopaxi are both well known for producing pieces in stylish bright colors with trail-tested comfort and functionality.
The collaborative Kapai 3L Hip Pack and the Anacapa Breeze are no exception, promising performance on a wide range of adventures, from local outings to epic journeys. The shoes and pack both embody the brands’ shared missions of minimizing impact on the planet while inspiring outdoor adventure for all.
In 2021, the brands launched their first collaboration with versions of the Cotopaxi Batac 16L – Del Día and HOKA Torrent 2 Trail-Running Shoes. The gear showcased Cotopaxi’s vibrant, one-of-a-kind colorways and HOKA’s agile, versatile design with co-branded logo accents. This year’s partnership—offered as a limited release available at all REI Co-op locations and REI.com—seeks to continue inspiring anybody and everybody to come together outdoors to do good for themselves and for their communities, whether on a walk around the neighborhood or a day on the trail circuit.
“Our brands are like-minded in the way we engage the outdoor community—and that starts with a humanistic approach,” says Hy Rosario, director of product: outdoor and kids’ footwear at HOKA. “Cotopaxi’s tagline ‘Do Good’ and HOKA’s tagline ‘Fly Human Fly’ both center around the humanistic part of being outdoors. I love that both brands believe in the importance of human connection in the outdoors.”
Anacapa Breeze Low Hiking Shoes
The ultra-breathable, lightweight and comfortable Anacapa Breeze is loved by mountain towners and city dwellers alike. Ideal for warm-climate hiking and travel days full of long walks, the Breeze swaps the original Anacapa GTX waterproof GORE-TEX upper for an engineered air mesh, adding a ton of ventilation.
And they look sharp, too. The collab version of the hiking shoe sports a new mixed-panel colorway showcasing HOKA’s core brand colors.
“Our customers look for products that will not only perform on the trail but also look good on their feet,” says Rosario. “The way we styled and colored this shoe in collaboration with Cotopaxi lends itself to much more versatile usage.”
But aesthetics don’t come at the expense of performance. Lightweight leather uppers combined with the HOKA signature compression-molded EVA foam midsole make these shoes super flexible and supportive. The Vibram Megagrip outsole with 5-millimeter lugs promises strong traction on a variety of terrain.
Rosario says sustainability was also a big focus for HOKA designers as they considered everything from materials to build. The shoe features recycled thread in the collars, mesh and laces, and was manufactured using an “engineered knit” process that aims to be more sustainable. The process forgoes the traditional die-cut sue manufacturing process by using a continual weave design that leaves little to no waste once the shoe’s complete. The leather used in the upper is certified by the Leather Working Group, a third-party body that audits and evaluates the environmental impact and supply chain transparency of raw leather and leather goods.
“We always design HOKA products through a performance-first lens, and the Cotopaxi collab Anacapa Breeze is no exception to that rule,” says Rosario. “This shoe also perfectly encapsulates the idea of performance and style meeting in the middle.”
Kapai Hip Pack – Del Día
Hip packs arguably belong everywhere—on the trail, around the city, on days spent traveling and maybe even at the office (I mean, they are a perfect place to stash snacks).
So longtime Cotopaxi fans and newcomers will both love the HOKA x Cotopaxi version of the Kapai 3L Hip Pack for its versatility, comfort and sustainable design. Just like our own fingerprints, every Cotopaxi Kapai colorway differs slightly. That’s because each pack is made using high-quality factory leftovers and scrap materials that would’ve otherwise gone to a landfill.
The latest Kapai features unique colors inspired by the HOKA brand, and an extra-wide hipbelt and padded and contoured back panel give the pack a comfortable fit at the waistline. Functional features like a top grab handle and a padded sleeve for storing sunnies cater to travelers and outdoor adventurers. Perfect for a day running errands or a day hike on your favorite local trail, the Kapai 3L Hip Pack can carry up to 3 Liters of necessaries (in other words: snacks).
“A lot of products we work on can seamlessly translate from use in an urban area out to an adventure on the trail—they work both ways,” says Rawmin Ehyai, equipment design director at Cotopaxi. “In town, it’s common to wear the Kapai as a cross-body sling or, if you want to be more active with it, you can wear it around your waist like a fanny pack while hiking.”
Like their respective original versions, the HOKA x Cotopaxi Anacapa Breeze Low hiking shoe and Kapai 3L Hip Pack are designed to show up ready to work, whether you’re a weekend trail warrior or simply like a pop of color in your work wardrobe.
So go ahead, take yourself out for a highly visible spin with these products—and inspire others to join you as soon as they see how much fun you’re having. After all, you’re bound to be spotted wayyy down the trail when you’re sporting these vibrant pieces of gear in the wild—or even just in your own local park.