Running stores have never been paragons of cutting-edge retail. But wander into Bandit’s oak-panelled shop in Manhattan’s West Village, and you may begin to think otherwise. Absent are the narrow benches sandwiched by stacks of shoe boxes and stuffed shelves of water bottles, backpacks and other sports miscellanea. Instead, shoppers are greeted by marble tables furnished with vintage athletics magazines and vases of wildflowers, and modernist leather armchairs where people actually sit and chat. The coffee counter is buzzing. Were it not for a handful of garments and the benches outside lined with lithe Lycra-wearers, one might forget it was a running retailer at all.
“We wanted the space to reflect us, and our community,” says Bandit co-founder Nick West of the tasteful space that makes the experience of trying on trainers at Dick’s Sporting Goods or Runners Need — a functional but generally uninspiring event — feel even more retired. Bandit is a place for people to “come and hang out”, he says.
Founded in 2020, Bandit is a leader within the premium, independent running gear space. This disruptive and increasingly influential sector includes design-led labels such as District Vision, Satisfy and Norda. Together they have collectively — and creatively — reimagined the aesthetic of running as one that is both edgy and sexy, paving the way for even newer upstarts like Unna and Subi.
With design-led kit now comes the need for design-led stores to sell them in. “If someone is used to investing in quality things and spending time in nice places, having to go into somewhere like JD Sports to buy your sports kit can be a jarring experience,” says Tom Daly, who formerly worked for Acne Studios and co-founded District Vision, a stylish sports sunglasses and clothing maker, in 2016.
There’s been a slew of mono- and multibrand store openings in the past 12 months. From Long Slow Distance, in Los Angeles (selling Soar) to Machina Libera in Indonesia (selling District Vision) and Interval in Edinburgh (Bandit, Tracksmith) — these stores offer a curated take in a space that riffs on a fashion boutique.
“We got an interior architect involved from the very beginning, which helped us think about materiality, the displays and lighting more than we might have done,” says Aidan Thomson, who opened Interval in Edinburgh last July. “When a customer is spending £70 or more on a pair of shorts, the environment needs to be equally as aspirational.”
Distance Athletics in Lyon was the first to realise the trend, but doors are opening left, right and centre. In San Francisco, there’s Running Wylder; in Manchester, there’s Voodoo; in Seoul, there’s MTL Shop; in Montpellier, there’s Solar; in Madrid, there’s Odda. And in London, there’s Runlimited, which offers gait analysis and an extensive selection of footwear in a space that has a parquet floor. Its mood borrows from Tracksmith, whose wood-bedecked stores are thoughtfully designed by Estelle Bailey-Babenzien — her portfolio includes J Crew and Noah.
District Vision was among the earliest to offer a modern, minimalist spin on running wear; wholesalers have always been an essential part of its strategy. “As a self-funded label, we needed wholesalers in order to make factory minimums,” says Max Vallot, the brand’s other co-founder. Internationally, District Vision’s kit has been stocked at Mr Porter, while its Japanese-made prescription sports sunglasses — an industry niche — are sold in opticians. But these specialty run stores are opening up new markets, directly targeting a tuned-in demographic. “We now have a huge following in Indonesia and Mexico City, which we would not have had it not been for the stores,” says Vallot.
He is a particular fan of Metta Running House (MRH) in Mexico City, which has on-site showers for a post-run refresh, coffee stations where customers can pull out a laptop to work, and a pizza counter that serves wine. Like Bandit, MRH is a hub for people who often show up sweaty, post-jog.
“These aren’t just retail spaces, they’re social spots and gathering spaces where people naturally connect over running,” says John-Ruben Holtback, founder of Stockholm based Unna. They’re important for emerging brands like his, which don’t have huge “budgets or bandwidth . . . Some retailers bring scale, others bring credibility.”
These stores are “an evolution of run club culture”, according to Willa Martire, co-founder of Norda. Katherine Douglas, founder of San Francisco’s Running Wylder, says these shops allow for discovery purchases, as well as functional ones. “Why can’t we discover a magazine, incense or a sweat-proof sunscreen — things that speak to other facets of our lifestyles?” she says.
These stores have also become destination spots for travelling marathon runners. “The Mexico City half marathon sold out in less than four hours,” says Alejandro Sandler, co-founder of Hermanos Koumori, a leading Mexican indie brand with a rock ’n’ roll aesthetic. It opened a permanent concept boutique six months ago, and 70 per cent of the store’s traffic is tourists, who are “increasingly appreciating Latin contemporary brands”. The company also wholesales to The Loop Running Supply in Austin, Texas.
For customers, having a local boutique prevents unexpected customs charges. In the past I’ve been stung with a £70 import bill on £100 worth of sale items.
That’s why, on a recent trip to New York, I visited Bandit four times. The first time, I tried on the brand’s entire collection to get a feel for sizing. Another day, I went back for a coffee; and on another, I met a friend. Later, I finished my long run at the store and rewarded myself with its signature drink — an espresso on ice topped with a can of coconut water. I bought socks and shorts, and later went back and bought my boyfriend a cap. I chatted to the staff about marathons, and was given recommendations for dinner.
The retail concept is fast evolving. District Vision is hunting for an LA postcode. More speciality stores are slated across Europe for the summer. And, earlier this month, Bandit opened in LA, right next door to Renegade Running, its first wholesale partner. It’s effectively a shop-in-shop — a two-door clubhouse for the coolest kit. Run, don’t walk.
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