Hoka and Beams give the Bondi 7 a Japanese garden-inspired update for their first official collaboration
Available in Turtledove / Tidal Foam and Chestnut / Black Bean colorways
$175, launching August 7-8 at Beams in Japan, followed by a global release on August 14, 2026
Hoka is still coming strong with its collaborations. Another Bondi has landed, and this time it comes with a rake. The Bondi 7 Beams arrives in two neutral colorways and retains the construction of Hoka’s maximal-cushion road shoe.
Created as part of Beams’ 50th-anniversary celebrations, the Japanese retailer has pulled the shoe out of its usual lane and dropped it into the language of the Japanese Zen garden, all raked stone, muted earth, and quiet texture.
For anyone who has spent time down the Japanese menswear rabbit hole, Beams needs little introduction. The company opened in 1976 as a tiny 40-square-meter shop in Harajuku, importing American West Coast goods for a Tokyo audience hungry for the look. What started as a single storefront selling college-campus clothing grew into one of Japan’s most influential retail operations, with dozens of sub-labels, covering everything from tailoring to outdoor gear to streetwear.
Along the way, Beams became a collaboration machine. The buyers and in-house designers built a reputation for taking established products and running them through a distinctly Japanese filter. The list of partners over the years is long: Arc’teryx, Birkenstock, Vans, New Balance, and plenty more.
The base is the Bondi 7, Hoka’s plushest road trainer, kept structurally intact so the cushioning and geometry stay true to the original. What Beams changed is everything on the surface. The inspiration comes from the karesansui, the dry rock gardens found at Japanese temples, and the wabi-sabi philosophy of finding beauty in the imperfect and the weathered.
That idea plays out across two neutral colorways: one in earthy brown, the other in a creamy off-white. Both are treated with a tonal camouflage that runs across the mesh upper, the midsole, and the overlays, giving the whole shoe a stone-like, sun-bleached quality rather than a single flat color.
Look closer, and the details do the heavy lifting. The toe overlays carry a combed pattern drawn from hōkime, the raked gravel lines that garden keepers drag across the stones. Suede heel counters add a richer texture at the back, punctuated by reflective accents for a bit of function after dark. Textured mesh, quiet stitching, and layered overlays round out the palette.
The partnership began after the two teams connected at a Hoka showroom in Paris. Beams had already supported and stocked the brand for several seasons, while the Bondi 7 had developed a following in Japan beyond running. Its broad shape, soft cushioning and straightforward mesh upper made it popular among people who spend long hours standing in stores, studios and other creative workplaces.
The collaboration is a logical extension of what these two have done before. Earlier team-ups leaned on the chunkier Bondi B3 LS, including a 2024 release tied to Nepenthes that swapped in khaki green and deep purple.
The rollout starts in Japan and widens from there. Pre-sales open on August 7 at Beams Harajuku and Beams BOY Harajuku. A day later, on August 8, the shoe launches at the remaining Beams stores and the Beams online shop.
Everyone outside Japan gets their shot on August 14, when the collaboration goes global through Hoka and select retailers.
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Alfredo is a runner, writer, creative director, and cultural analyst based in Berlin. After years as a casual runner, his move to Berlin transformed his running into a vital practice for mental health and a source of tranquility during cold, early morning runs. His interest in clothes comes from uniforms and sportswear, combined with a love for innovation and research—which might explain why he meticulously charts his winter running gear.
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