Founded in 2013, mysterious Chicago-based streetwear brand Hidden Characters has just hit a huge milestone: its first-ever sneaker collaboration with a major footwear company. Together with HOKA, Hidden Characters presents its take on the Tor Summit.
The HOKA Tor Summit is an Alpine-inspired silhouette that is geared for hiking trails yet designed with a city-ready aesthetic. Hidden Characters gives the silhouette a makeover inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, dressing it in black nubuck, white on the rubber mudguard and midsole, and a hit of light blue on the Vibram Megagrip outsole. The H.C. thunderbolts logo appears on the left tongue, opposite the HOKA’s bird logo on the right tongue. Co-branding is also applied to the purple insoles.
Hidden Characters shares the deeper meaning behind the collaboration below:
“On the surface, the Hidden Characters Tor Summit is inspired by the grand masquerades of old musicals, the wonder brought to life on stage, the suspension of disbelief. But truthfully, at its core, this collaboration commemorates the often-overlooked souls laboring from the shadow realm, behind the scenes. Our first shoe is a rare dedication to the blue-collar phantoms orchestrating magic from beyond the spotlight & curtains. This is for those hidden characters. <3
With our small camp here at H.C, we all wear a lot of masks and play multiple roles everyday just to keep the lights— candles on. That’s why the Tor Summit is our preferred everyday shoe: gully enough to keep up with our wizards in the wood-shop and cozy enough for our botanical scientists.”
To celebrate the launch, Hidden Characters will be hosting a special event at their Matters of the Heart community space in Chicago on Saturday, March 23rd from 4pm to 8pm, located at 630 W Webster Ave. Like the shoe, the event will be masquerade-themed, featuring live string performances, costume crafting, wardrobe fittings, and more. Attendees will also have the opportunity to have a bespoke masquerade mask personalized and molded to fit their face, and also check out pieces from the latest Hidden Characters apparel collection.
The Hidden Characters x HOKA Tor Summit will launch via Chicago-only raffle on the Hidden Characters website. Entries will be accepted until 10:17pm CT on Wednesday, March 20th. Winners must pick up their purchase at the special event at Matters of the Heart on Saturday, March 23rd. All pairs acquired from M.o.t.H. will come with special packaging.
Following their in-store launch, Hidden Characters will be releasing a limited amount of pairs on their website on March 24th at their usual Brick Squad release time (10:17pm Chicago time). A global release will follow on HOKA.com and at select retailers on March 29th.
Hidden Characters x HOKA Tor Summit
Release Date: March 23, 2024 (Matters of the Heart)
Release Date: March 24, 2024 (Hidden Characters)
Release Date: March 29, 2024 (Global)
