If you’re a HOKA fan who relies on the brand’s max-cushion trail runners in the backcountry, then you may want a closer look at its latest release.
HOKA just became the latest outdoor brand to bring RECCO reflectors to one of its products, adding a potentially lifesaving feature to trail shoes used in some of the world’s most brutal races.
Invented in the mid-1980s primarily to help search-and-rescue (SAR) teams locate avalanche victims, RECCO is a reflective material that serves as a mirror for radio signals. Despite RECCO’s relatively long pedigree, it’s only in recent years that many large outdoor brands have started incorporating the material into their gear.
By adding RECCO to the Mafate X, which HOKA said was designed for “long haul adventures,” the brand calls this new version of the shoe the Mafate X Hike. At $250, the RECCO-upgraded model costs just $25 more than the regular Mafate X ($225).
“By integrating RECCO technology, HOKA joins a growing global network of industry leaders dedicated to making adventurers more searchable outdoors,” Fredrik Steinwall, CEO at RECCO, said in a press release.
Mafate X Hike: Details
According to HOKA, the Mafate X is designed for longer trail outings, allowing the wearer to be searchable in remote wilderness. Unlike the normal Mafate X, this version offers a neoprene collar and burrito tongue. That adds some extra protection and secures the foot from any debris while on the move, the brand said.
Marketing photos for the shoe show a pair of hikers scrambling up a rocky, exposed mountain in the middle of the wilderness. That’s likely to illustrate the context in which a pair of RECCO shoes could actually be useful.
Outside of avalanches, the purpose of RECCO would be to help SAR teams find lost hikers who aren’t easily visible from the air. So, if you fall unconscious into a rocky area that blocks helicopter searches, then RECCO could potentially save your life.
According to RECCO, its reflectors are used by more than 900 ski patrols and mountain rescue organizations in 32 countries. To see a full list of RECCO-equipped gear, check out the company’s website.
Since then, brands such as Patagonia, Arc’teryx, Decathlon, and SCARPA have followed suit.
A Note on RECCO
To be clear, RECCO is mostly considered a complement to other rescue tools — not a failsafe for getting rescued if you get lost and injured in the backcountry. If you’re worried about safety, it’s best to use RECCO in conjunction with an SOS communications device or a backcountry beacon.
That’s because the RECCO reflector is just a strip of foam that bounces back radar signals sent out by a detector. The goal is searchability, not communication or navigation, so there’s no battery, activation, or maintenance. It’s also worth noting that RECCO only works when SAR or rescue teams have a specialized radar detector.
That being said, the more garments a person is wearing with RECCO, the better their chances of being found by SAR teams in an emergency. As more brands embrace the use of RECCO in their products, that’s now becoming much easier.
In 2020, for example, FORLOH became the first hunting brand to use RECCO in its apparel. Just last year, GearJunkie Editor Will Brendza reviewed the SCARPA Moraine, the first lightweight hiking boot to add the material.
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