Run run run
A quick share of some running brands that are bringing a fashion forward approach to tech wear and brand building.
Been a little while - Hi!
I’ve gotten back into running over the last few months - a mix of helping my 9 year old build her fitness with family runs and pretending that I can keep up with my younger colleagues in the office Run Club - so thought I would share a few running related brands that are bringing a fashion forward approach to tech wear and brand building.
Bandit Running out of Brooklyn are a creatively lead brand who balance making clothes with building community as well as sharing the behind the scenes in their newsletters etc. They often feature articles from their Design Director on how she plans the next season, community building initiatives some of their stockists are undertaking as well as stories from their running community events.
District Vision started out breaking the hold of older established brands like Oakley had over the sports glasses category but have also developed fashion forward performance wear to support their core offering. The brand is a blend of challenger thinking and the founders’ philosophies of supporting mindful athletes - the brand runs a mindful athlete program which includes mindfulness courses and yogic training sessions to complement the glasses and running wear.
Soar from London are focussed heavily on the technical side of their garments but have also built a legion of fans through their collaborations with artists, extensive range of gear and tech garments as well as their customisation programs. They’re also famous for their events around the London Marathon and other races on the UK running calendar.
Satisfy have made an infamous name for themselves through their blend of highly technical fabrics and luxury brand pricing. They have a very punk rock attitude in their brand and approach everything with a fashion brand lens not a sports nerd one. Their shorts are legendary and highly coveted but also regularly pilloried for their eye-watering prices. That said I’m personally in love with their clever approach to aesthetics and tech – the “moth eaten” vintage band shirt look of their running shirts and tanks is genius – as well as some of their earlier films focussed on punk rock and metal heroes sharing their love of running.
Also take a look at this article from the Financial Times for a great wrap up of the “running scene” from a UK perspective.
In Australia it seems that Run Clubs are the new dating apps…
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3 other things
This guy converted his Volvo to run on plastic waste
Kelly Slater launches Freaks of Nature
An interesting take on hard seltzer from a US market perspective