Running’s big fashion opportunity vertex protocol
If you’ve recently started running, the hardest part may have been deciding what kit to buy.
Options for running apparel are so plentiful that a cottage industry of online directories, Instagram mood boards and sub-Reddits have sprung up to help would-be joggers and marathoners make sense of it all.
Performance sneakers boasting carbon plates (a technical innovation in the shoe’s mid-sole designed to help energy return to the runner) or lightweight materials now come with sneakerhead-coded collaborations and colorways that sell out online. Boutiques, including Distance in Paris and Renegade in Oakland, California target fashion-conscious runners. Even Brooks, a brand traditionally focused on performance, recently announced it would launch its first lifestyle sneaker in March with the streetwear and sneaker collaboration pioneer Jeff Staple.
Fashion’s incursion into the running world comes as the sport’s popularity is surging. A record number of people participated in marathons last year. Participation in running clubs shot up 59% globally in 2024, according to the fitness app Strava. In major cities such as New York, the growth of run clubs have been fueled by urbanites looking for matchmaking opportunities beyond dating apps or IRL relationships outside of social media. The viral rise of run clubs, which exist for casual and professional runners alike, have helped turn running into a social activity where personal style is a bigger factor.