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Running sport continues to grow in popularity – and therefore also the demand for functional and fashionable sportswear. Four young running brands successfully respond to this with innovative designs and a more responsible production method. From casual running looks for the city to technically advanced clothing for long distances: these brands offer high -quality solutions for a variety of needs. Behind the collections are experienced designers, including a winner of the prestigious Woolmark Prize.

Kuta distance L.ab

Kuta Distance L.ab was founded in November 2020 by the three friends, runners and like -minded creative people Viktor Maiorana, Olle Kling and Sebastian Sandblad, to fill a gap in the market for functional clothing and equipment. The brand describes itself as an innovation studio, which is a ‘new, influential alternative to the established, worldwide sportswear brands’.

The Swedish brand focuses on Running-Esentials, which are produced in a local, order-driven process. For this, the brand works together with a small supplier from Stockholm, with which it maintains close contact. This way, products can also be tested directly on site and possibly adjusted. With this approach, the brand wants to prevent overproduction and waste of material. Dust residues are used for clothing hangers and repairs.

In addition to its own creations, the brand with the L.ab approach also offers customers the opportunity to introduce their personal touch. Interested parties can report to Kuta with a product idea or a concept and are involved in the entire process. Fabric residues are also used here.

The SS25 range of the brand includes pants and t-shirts in different lengths and styles, jackets and accessories such as a hat and a traditional compass.

Soar Running

Behind the Soar Running brand is the designer and runner Tim Soar, who can look back on a 40-year career in fashion, music, product and graphic design. He also made a name for himself in London and produced soundtracks for the shows of fashion houses such as Prada, Miu Miu and Yves Saint Laurent. This connection with the fashion world led to the eponymous, experimental label Tim Soar in 2005. For this, the designer was distinguished for two consecutive seasons with the Newgen Award of the fashion association British Fashion Council.

In 2015 he started Soar Running with the aim of redefining running clothing, because the existing range ‘did not fit, shifts and the materials were uncomfortable and of poor quality’. That is why he developed a ‘new way of sportswear’, in which ‘the craftsmanship of clothing was combined with the development of brand new, own fabrics and careful product tests with real runners’.

This includes pieces such as the racing vest, a sleeveless running sweater from ‘Space3D’ mesh, which has become a bestseller of the brand due to the breathability and fit. The light polyester elastaneus mixture is produced in Italy from recycled fabrics. The 3D tissue structure quickly removes sweat and the glued seams ensure wearing comfort.

Soar is represented worldwide in 35 point-of-sales in cities such as Stockholm, Mexico City and Hong Kong, which usually specialized in running sport. The brand is represented in the hometown of London with a location, where the head office and a showroom are housed at the same time. Consumers can also shop on the spot, which is ‘practical’ for the brand especially at events such as the London marathon. In addition to a look at the SOAR collection, the location also serves as a community meeting place for running events, talks and exhibitions.

Unna

John-Ruben Holtback, the founder of the Unna brand, also has a background in fashion. The Swedish designer started his own label L’Homme Rouge in 2013, which won the International Woolmark Prize four years later.

In 2022 he started the Running brand Unna, for which he is supported by the brother and another co -founder, who is responsible for the graphic design as an art director. However, the majority – from the Creative Direction to Marketing and Production – is in the hands of Holtback.

After years in the fashion and creative sector, he turned the passion for running and movement ‘into a brand that combines performance with culture, humor and joy of life,’ says Holtback.

The aim of the brand is therefore not to break new records with the big runs in the world, but to promote a balance between well -being, positive energy and a more inclusive approach to movement. The design is therefore on the intersection of running clothing and everyday clothing. Retro-silhouettes meet functional materials and thoughtful details.

Alex Zono

Alex Zono founded the brand of the same name in Cape Town in 2022 to ‘celebrate the romance of running’. The runner and independent designer creates sentimental pieces that focus on runners and spectators. Zono is inspired by the athletes themselves, for example how the clothing wears or is adjusted.

Because the models are rather loose and the style follows a do-it-yourself approach, the brand is a good alternative to hobby runners who do not need performance clothing.

From the original idea of ​​creating running clothing, a larger story has emerged that Zono offers its own freedom, the brand founder explains. He focuses on smaller, seasonal -dependent collections, which are launched in the form of product drops. Instead of the fashion seasons, he oriented himself more on the running calendar and plans the latest release at the next major competition.

“It is not our goal to produce too much, but to ensure that all runners have access and it is not an overly hyped article,” Zono explains. Production and customer needs play a role in distribution. There must always be time between the releases to catch your breath.