Veja introduced the Harpie in 2026 as its first true trail running shoe, marking the brand's entry into dedicated off-road footwear.
I first noticed Veja around 2008, when sneakers felt like the centre of everything. My friends had them. I kept seeing that V everywhere. Veja looked good, but it also had a different story to tell about how shoes were made.
I understood the appeal. I was young, though, and they cost more than I could spend on a pair of sneakers. So I liked them from a distance.
That distance stuck. Even when I worked in fashion and had plenty of sneakers myself, I never owned a pair of Veja. Almost everyone around me had at some point. I hadn’t even tried one on.
In 2015, I came back to running seriously. Soon after, trail running. I wanted forests, mountains and long days outside. My shoes changed with me. From sneakers to running shoes, then trail running shoes ( I’m basically wearing trail running shoes all the time now)
Veja took a similar route, but a few steps behind. The Condor brought the brand into running in 2019. The Condor 3 Off Road took it onto mixed terrain in 2025. Then, in 2026, came the Harpie: a true trail running shoe.
Impressions of Klattermusen,
Rachel Entrekein and the Story Trail Running Needed,
The Curious Case of Emory Atterberry
Veja had to make its way through the entire section of the sports to get into me.
For nearly two decades, I’d watched the brand from distance. Even working in fashion, I never felt the need to put it on mine. We finally met when the path Veja was following crossed the one I’d been running for years.
I’m 36, I own my very first pair of Veja, it feels that it’s the right time. And yeah, they’re already covered in mud.
