Running Supply #79
On Marathon Sports’ massive rebrand, SATISFY x adidas is looming, and there’s a new Raide Research gem, and everything else that came out this past week.
On Marathon Sports’ massive rebrand, SATISFY x adidas is looming, and there’s a new Raide Research gem, and everything else that came out this past week.
Quick Hits and Good Reads
Rachel Entrekin smoked the Cocodona 250 in a record setting time in her Norda 055s, Terignota shorts, and a party shirt. Read more The Sweat Lookbook.
Notably, the top finishers of Cocodona were title sponsor-less and were not fully tatted up. Extremely cool though it probably isn’t great for their bottom line. Nice seeing someone finish that doesn’t look like a brand billboard wearing a Hawaiian shirt. The spirit of trail is alive and well.
Mario decried the over-optimization of running. It kills the soul of the sport. Luckily, we peons in the sub-elite don’t need to do that. I don’t have a career on the line so can stay up late writing this newsletter and sacrifice some HRV.
ICYMI
Last week: SATISFY CEO Antoine Auvinet stepped down after just two years, Brooks posted the strongest quarter in its 112-year history with +23% global growth, and I wrote about why Instagram text-over-image aggregator accounts are running out of borrowed time.
Running Supply #78
I’ve only just finished cleaning out The Rec Room, my Boston Marathon popup with writer Lee Glandorf, Running Wylder owner Katherine Douglas, and Currently Running’s creative founder Nash Howe. I am incredibly behind on interviews but I have upcoming: artist extroardinaire Zach Litoff, creative Nur Abbas of
A Lost Voice Behind the Scenes
I missed this from Fast Women, and I’m sorry that I did.
Parker Morse, a passionate runner, writer and, died unexpectedly on May 4th at 52. I just saw Amby Burfoots post about him. “Parker was an unsung hero behind the scenes,” quoted Amby from Jack Fleming, the BAA CEO. He designed many of the Runner’s World web pages and managed their Olympic launch. He created the “Runner’s World Daily” page which was the the Lets Run home page before Lets Run. Mario noted that he helped him out in 2005. He wrote for World Athletics and covered the Olympics. He was part of the Boston Marathon broadcast team, running point in the spotter’s room.
I didn’t know him, but I admire everything he’s done, and how he seemed to enable other people to do their best.
A Second SATISFY X adidas Circles The Internet
Initially I noted this collab from Paris Fashion Week, where some photos popped up online.
But what does this mean?! Fanboys on Instagram are in a tizzy.
It means they’re making a play for more mainstream reach. In the past SATISFY partnered with Salomon, Norda, HOKA, Crocs, Post Archive Faction, and Oakley with global launches. They have a bit more name recognition since those early collabs, and I expect this adidas collab will be less of a limited run. There will be at least a MothTech adidas tee, probably a separate Auralite tee, and definitely some footwear. We’ll find out more next week.
With the brands that partner with adidas, like Song for the Mute, or Hermanos Koumori, it means a big team, big marketing budget, and global reach. Adidas got Hermanos in more doors than they could themselves. With SATISFY aiming to 10x, they’ll need to reach a broader audience, and this is all part of the equation. Also, the punchout distressed logo looks cool.
Silver Foil Surfer
I’m shocked that there isn’t a ™ thrown next to Silver Foil, or SpaceFoil™ (this is now my term, sorry SATISFY). Some of the most interesting material changes put out that I’ve seen from the brand. Metallic foil coating applied to their Justice fabric, MothTech, and their vest that I featured previously. It’s made to reflect heat for desert wear, which is a cool concept I’ve not yet seen in the running world. Metallic coatings are used on sunglasses, sunshields in cars, roofing, and the fire protective suits you see scientist wear when they are around lava. I’m still eagerly awaiting the SpaceLace™ .
Marathon Sports Has A Fresh Rebrand
The 50 year old company is now owned by Fleet Feet, but seemingly led their own rebrand under the leadership of Ben Cooke. I appreciate that they also worked with a local design agency, Upstatement, who have done a number of branding, website, and mobile app projects for businesses around the country (see the Harvard Business Review). Their style leans heavily on editorial design and has worked with Etsy, Nike, RPI, and for Mayor Wu’s campaign here in Boston.
“There was a gap between where we were going and how we showed up. There still is, but the rebrand gave us tools to show up more disciplined and cohesive. We want to be Marathon Sports, not anyone else. However contemporary run culture isn't just retail and road races. We are doing so much more. We are building worlds for runners or at least we aspire to.”
They’re aspiring to be more than a store: the goal with their rebrand was to actually reflect Marathon Sports as a standalone brand in and of itself. Not dissimilar from the way many of the Third and Fourth Wave Running Stores have established strong international brands for themselves.
I spoke with some of the team at their Marathon Sports x Asics store on Newbury street they set up for the Boston Marathon. They were pretty tapped into the new brands coming out, but sought to balance the new stuff with what would actually sell. Bandit, to my surprise, was one of their top apparel sellers. They are still committed to shoe fittings, new runners, walkers, and everyone else getting out for a run. I love that they’ve refreshed what they look like and instead of trying to define some new identity that they aren’t, are repackaging what they do well.
The logo itself is genius. It forms an M, and has vestiges of the time dots of the hour and minute places from a digital timer. It also shows a runner breaking the tape, referencing their original logo from 1975. It’s simple enough to throw on a sock, hat, or bumper sticker. It also loses some of the clip-art camp of their OG logo, which has its own charm.
Betting Big On Themselves
Upstatement isn’t cheap. This was a big investment by Marathon Sports into their brand. It comes at the right time though. There’s a new wave of Gen-Z and Millennial runners out there that are finding running for the first time. They want to feel connected to a brand, especially one with local presence. They’re trying to appeal to a younger, more brand-savvy audience that has a higher expectation from brands. Meanwhile, Marathon hasn’t completely broken away from what they usually do, and aren’t alienating their existing customers.
Full write-up on the Marathon Sports blog here and I have a brief interview with Ben Cooke as well with some more insights coming.
Why Is There A Uniqlo Track Team
I did a double take initially. Apparently it’s not all that unique in Japan. There are plenty of corporate sponsored pro Ekiden teams. I sent it to a a friend and was kindly guided to the Japanese corporate teams like Honda. In Japan, this is called the jitsugyodan sport system. It’s functionally the Corporate Challenge, except you’re functionally a pro athlete with a very chill office job. If this was an option out of college, I would have fully optimized my career to land something like this. Professional coaching, time off, a doctor on staff, and a salary. Plus performance bonuses.
Their kit is designed with Uniqlo’s AIRism materials and looks pretty run of the mill…but honestly good company to run for compared to a Honda unless the bonuses are cars.
S/O Lee Glandorf for sending this my way. Full details on the team here.
Sued for Spikes?
I was surprised to see the headline that a former Puma sprinter sued the brand claiming carbon plated spikes caused her injuries. That is going to be a hard one to prove. The last time anything similar happened, it was a class-action lawsuit for Vibram FiveFingers when everyone was getting stress fractures after reading Born To Run and decided they should run 30mpw in 4mm of Vibram rubber. Go figure. Story at the New York Times.
Recent and Upcoming News
New stores for Distance and District Vision
District Vision just opened up their flagship store in LA and it’s what you might expect from the mindful minimal brand. Clean, wood interior, clearly Japanese aesthetic.
Distance, originally starting in Paris, just expanded to Tokyo. They’re now on 6 countries!
District Vision x PAF Run It Back on Sunglasses
This translucent “lichen” pair really speak to me. The scalloped edges of the clear lens remind me of chipped shale or scalloped shells rather than something sharp, unnatural, or aggressive. $370 a piece for each frame style. The scalloped version is unlike anything I’ve seen and photographs incredibly well. Don’t block all that much sun, but stylish on a cloudy day.
Raide Launched Their Trail Vest
The alpine gear company and darling running belt brand has been working hard on a trail vest. Plenty of races require them, and their goal is to design the best gear they can for athletes. Everything created by Raide has stemmed from a problem experienced by the engineer founder, Kyle Siegel. Something refreshing from our recent (and upcoming) interview that stuck with me below. In my opinion, there’s way too much stuff being put out with 0 substance or differentiation beyond brand. That’s not only wasteful but boring. Things need to have a perspective, they need to have a style. And by style, Kyle noted it was less about what it looked like but how it was meant to be used. The way you run up mountain, or ski down has a style. Everything Raide puts out reflects a specific opinion about how it’s meant to be used.
I came at the company truly believing the world doesn't need more shit. And if I'm going to put more shit into the world, it needs to be different and add to someone's life in a positive way that no other product is doing. It doesn't need to do that for everyone, but it needs to do that for someone.
Kyle not only wanted the vest to not bounce, which is pretty much an accepted downside of vests, but he also wanted it to look good and function for a very specific use case. It’s made of a Dyneema mesh for abrasion resistance, and stretchy outer later that the vest fasteners are attached to. When you tighten the vest, it also tightens the bottles, meaning less bounce. It also means you don’t need foam behind the flasks.
The unique approach here is that its compartmentalized and bottle focused, rather than tuned for a water bladder. It’s compartments are made to store your poles securely, 3L of water, and an ice axe if you need it. It also looks actually good when carrying cargo. The vest is built for going long rather than super optimized for race transitions. But it’s great for racing because it’s about half the weight and has high capacity.
The Cocodona FKT, Norda 055, and New Cap
The Cocodona 250 was just won by Norda athlete, Rachel Entrekin in a record setting time. I have little to add about this accomplishment, but one thing I learned from Born to Run is that the “physiological advantage” that men have over short distances disappears over ultra distance. I’m not a science guy but Rachel dominated the field winning by well over an hour in Norda’s new 055. The 055 has a more aggressive lug, and above the ankle knit bootie design. I originally outlined the details from my TRE roundup.
Norda also is dropping their new “Luster” cap tomorrow, a trim ripstop trail cap. God knows I don’t need a new hat, but I’ll wear it. I love this lilac purple one.
SOAR Goes Faux Naturale
SOAR has experimented with silk blends before in their singlets, but recently added a linen blend shell top to their ProtoLab collection. I really appreciate that they have this. It’s experimental stuff in small batches, that often doesn’t come back. It probably barely makes money. But they’re trying out new thigns whether its in the name of fashion or performance. Calling it linen is forgiving: it’s made of 44% polyamide, 27% modal, 22% elastane, and 7% linen. It barely passes muster as a “natural” fiber, but I imagine that still imbues some airy-ness of linen without adversely affecting performance. Once wet, linen stays damp, as I have unfortunately learned at summer weddings. Either way, cool that they keep playing with materials normally reserved for fashion.
Rytme Moon Tights Are Actually Cut for Women
Rytme designed the shorts around body curves to be more flattering: bonded side pockets are set back and higher to be behind hip curves rather than on top of them, no center crotch seam (this seems obvious, and yet it’s on plenty of tights for men and women…). The fabric they used is a bit less stretchy and more supportive made from a Italian polyamide and elastane blend. At $125 they’re not cheap, but they’re one of the few pocketed half tights designed specifically for women. At this point that feels like mid-market.
Kaleg Transitional Drop
I don’t have a ton of into as I couldn’t find these on their website yet, but Kaleg from South Korea called this their SS26 “Transitional Wear” collection. It loos like there’s some printed athleisure adjacent tops and bottoms. More stuff to wear to a workout class than run in. I’d be happy to see them break out a sportstyle or techwear line similar to Veilance.
This wasn’t part of it, but I’m a sucker for this snap button western shirt they did. Nice job venting the yokes on the front and back, and a high crop for running rather than long shirttails to tuck in. Pearlized buttons would’ve made it.
For Later
Check out my bit on 3rd and 4th wave running stores, which features a list of the best running stores in the world. Indie Running Stores
If you’re looking to shop for any of this cool gear, check out my running store finder which let’s you filter by brand to see the nearest store.
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I want running brands here in the US to adopt the Uniqlo model and build a team of sub elites who also work in house. Put ‘em up in a house in Flag, worse case you get a great long term employee, best case you get a serious contender!
Anytime I see Raide: I DONT NEED IT
Mainly bc I just ordered the new Janji shorts with the integrated “belt”.