Hoka’s New Hiking Shoe Has a Feature I’ve Never Seen on the Trails Before

With its innovative heel counter, the Anacapa 2 Freedom works like a slip-on that goes on and off in seconds.

Published July 2, 2024

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Updated July 5, 2024

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In light of so much innovation in footwear over the last several decades, the act of tying (and untying) laces seems archaic … but not for lack of trying.

Companies like Boa have used nylon wires and mechanical dials to try and change the way people put on their shoes, while many brands skip the laces altogether (see the newly released Norda 003).

Here’s the thing: though slip-ons speed up the process, they leave little room for wearers to adjust the fit —a problem in places like the outdoors where conditions change or you might want to wear socks of variable thickness.

With its new Anacapa 2 Freedom hiking shoe, Hoka trailblazes its own path with an innovative heel counter that makes it quicker and easier to put on a pair of shoes without sacrificing the option to tailor in the fit halfway through a hike or expedition.

Hoka Anacapa 2 Freedom

$155 at Hoka

Anacapa 2 Freedom

One of the most versatile lines in the entire Hoka ecosystem, the Anacapa straddles that line between hiking and running without overcommitting to one camp or the other.

It comes in a few different variants, including one with a Gore-Tex liner and another, called the “Breeze,” that prioritizes breathability over waterproofness.

The new Freedom is perhaps the most accessible Anacapa of the bunch. Like the others, it features a nubuck-leather upper and Vibram Megagrip outsole to take on rugged terrain. But it uniquely features a TPU heel counter that pops in and out for quick entry that effectively converts the shoe into a slip-on.

hoka anacapa 2 freedom hiking shoe — Though it works as a slip-on, the Hoka Anacapa 2 Freedom still has laces to adjust the fit mid-hike.

Meanwhile, the shoe’s stretch-gusset construction and integrated tongue help slide things along, while laces preserve the ability to microadjust the fit based on sock thickness or conditions that swell users’ feet.

Though this is the first time I’ve ever seen a brand employ this kind of heel counter on a hiking shoe, the Anacapa 2 Freedom does call to mind FlyEase — a technology Nike licenses from the brand Kizik to make shoes for wearers with disabilities that make tying laces an impossible task.

nike go flyease shoe — Nike FlyEase technology.

Though Hoka doesn’t explicitly frame the Anacapa 2 Freedom as a shoe for people with disabilities, it’s not hard to see the slip-on functionality appealing to those who struggle with traditional laces.

Availability and pricing

The Anacapa 2 Freedom is available now for a price of $155 — the same price as the Breeze but $25 cheaper than the GTX version. The men’s version comes in three colors at launch: tan, blue and black.