13 million French people regularly practice running according to the French Athletics Federation. They will certainly be even more soon, while in recent weeks, many confined to jogging to take advantage of the hour of daily exercise allowed. And if running remains a free activity, the running market in France is lucrative. Some figures: according to a study by Union Sport & Cycle (which brings together brands and points of sale in the sports and cycling sectors) for Running Heroes, a runner would spend an average of € 218 per year on equipment, including € 123 for shoes.
The emergence of brands combining racing and fashion
Several brands play on creativity to offer running clothes for those looking for elegance and distinction. " We sell a lot of Satisfy pieces, which apply skate and rock codes to racing outfits ," says one at Distance, a shop dedicated to practice, which sees many regular runners walk through the door in search of a distinctive look. The brand, launched in 2016 by Brice Partouche, formerly of the French jeans manufacturer April 77, was notably noticed by a sleeveless running t-shirt with holes (intended for ventilation) reminiscent of those made by moths. Made in Europe, the line has won over resellers such as Mr. Porter and SSENSE, on whose virtual stalls it mixes with designer brands.
Satisfy's "Moth eaten" t-shirt, with ventilation holes reminiscent of those made by moths. Satisfy
In the United States, another brand aims to mix fashion and running. District Vision was launched in 2015 with a line of eyewear dedicated to running made in Japan under the leadership of Max Vallot, a German who worked in marketing at Saint Laurent, and Tom Daly, a Briton who worked for the Swedish brand Acne Studios. After collaborations with Satisfy and Salomon, the brand now offers the "essential runner kit". On the menu ? Always glasses, full outfits and even online meditation courses dedicated to runners. “ 20 years ago, running was a solitary practice,” explains Tom Daly, himself a runner. A oday, people are proud to run and try to show the best of themselves in terms of performance, but also nutrition, sleep and even held: a basic shorts € 20 not enough for them, they want the best . " Made in the United States from innovative and eco-responsible materials, the brand's pieces are torn apart. District Vision has chosen scarcity. " We are very careful with our distribution network ," admits Max Vallot with a smile. After being revealed at Colette, it is now distributed to resellers like Mr. Porter.
Nike Gyakusou's Spring 2020 collection, created with Jun Takahashi from UNDERCOVER Nike
Collaborations between specialists and creators
As for the major sports brands, we are following the movement. Nike is a pioneer thanks to its collaboration with Jun Takahashi, Japanese designer of the brand UNDERCOVER and diligent runner. The GYAKUSOU line, for “running backwards”, has been tearing off for 10 years and has been adopted by runners and fashion fans looking for everyday comfort. More than shoes, it is the complete outfit of the runner which is proposed. Salomon, the French trail shoe specialist, has teamed up with cutting- edge running brands (District Vision and Satisfy) and fashion brands (Avnier, the brand of French rapper Orelsan, and And Wander) for exclusive shoes. Japanese giant Asics has hired the services of Bulgarian designer Kiko Kostadinov to revamp pairs originally intended for racing and worn on the podiums.