Thoughts While Running...in Paris

PFW recap

We’re back!¹ Paris was awesome + I’m already scheming to go back in June on a combination of hopes, prayers + credit card points. It’s been a while Substack…apologies. I’ve been knee deep in a black hole of Pre-K / T-K / J-K (depending on the school + the last one is for real) essays, trying to get our son into a program next year. I’ve been making up for all the college essays I didn’t write, because I chose a university that had a 99.9% chance of accepting me so I wouldn’t have to write a million college application essays. Curious as to what motivates a 4 year old to learn? Bribery, but that’s apparently not an acceptable answer.

I started writing my PFW recap while it was fresh in my brain, in an Uber on the way to the airport while our driver played Celine Dion’s French album at an unnecessarily high volume for 7am (or any am, honestly). Another portion was written via the notes app on the flight back to SF, because the wifi was ‘down for maintenance’ which seemed like an appropriately French move for a Sunday travel day. The rest was finished at home, from the comfort of my couch, two cats at my side in a sleep deprived haze. Sleep? I don’t know her, especially when she’s 30,000 feet above ground. Apologies in advance as these thoughts are hardly organized.

TL:DR Paris fashion week was more my vibe, as expected. From the showroom experiences to the shopping to the food. We didn’t have a single bad meal (although I did have a couple not great matchas). I ran three out of the four mornings we were there and it was lovely. A bit cold, a little rainy and very, very dark. I don’t remember Paris being so dark. My first morning while I ran through the Jardin des Tuileries at 7am, an hour and a half before sunrise, I had the fleeting panic of whether or not it was safe. If I saw a woman doing the same in SF, running on her own in the dark of GGP I’d be concerned for her safety. I was not the only female running by herself that morning - is the fear of being raped strictly an American one?

it’s impossible to take photos of your run outfits when it’s dark + your husband is still sleeping. so instead, here’s the outfit i wore to breakfast after my last run in Paris. at left + right photos from my runs when it was very, very dark outside.

Running - both the noun + the verb - in Paris is a vibe. I didn’t attend any group runs, but I did attend a few parties. The Gnorda launch + the PYNRS SS campaign shoot and the two events could not have been more different from each other. A quick stop at Gnorda to see the product line up, the room so full of tall dudes dressed the part even Matt commented on it. It was very much the vibe you’d expect, one that left me feeling very short and very female. I almost didn’t go to the PYNRS event, however I’m glad we did - it was great to see Sid + the overall vibe was way more chill. Conceptually I found their event to be the most unique as well. They had taken over the boutique space of a friend of a friend - one Sid had met through his network because this is how PYNRS rolls. It’s a brand driven by community and it shines through in everything he does. Across the street was a small wine bar offering free drinks while we hung out, watching them do the photoshoot for their latest collection. Once finished, they had digital cameras so we could take our own photos. The best of the bunch they’re going to use, while also crediting (+ paying) the photographer. Unfortunately we weren’t able to hang around long enough to partake as we had to get to our dinner reservation. I forget everyone does everything so late in Paris.

far left : one of the few images i could squeeze in as i was elbow to elbow with 6ft tall europeans middle left : the outfit i originally had on before deciding it was all wrong after walking three blocks. middle right : the outfit i put on to wear instead. the original would have been better but whatever. far right : the PYNRS photoshoot. it was super dark IRL + a vibe. tragic i didn’t take more photos.

The event was around the block from Distance, one of France’s ‘third wave’ running stores. They were hosting an unsanctioned race of some sort that I still don’t really get. I think it involved running laps around the block while recklessly weaving in and out of traffic in the dark. According to Instagram someone won a giant shiny trophy. I popped into their store earlier that day, as I happened to randomly walk by on my way to meet Matt for lunch at Kubri, a lebanese restaurant recommended by Martine Trélaün. Martine did not miss with any of her recs + we need a full Paris guide from her. I didn’t stay long as the space was teeming with PFW bros, but from what I saw it felt like a typical running store with better branding. Marginally better offering of brands, but a heavy presence of all the usual suspects; Nike and Adidas and Patagonia all sharing space with each other on the rails. A giant window graphic declared them to be an ‘authorized Satisfy dealer’, perhaps the most boutique brand they were stocking. I might’ve purchased some store merch, one of their tees designed to look like vintage if I could have found them anywhere on the shop floor.

A recap of trends I saw while in Paris :

1. Smoking is back, like real back. Or maybe it never left in France and I’m just more aware because no one smokes² in SF? I remember people smoking but I don’t remember people smoking *that* much. I’ve inhaled so much second hand smoke walking down the sidewalk I’ve developed a cough, or at least, that’s what I’m telling myself because everything feels fine while my lungs feel raw.

2. Testosterone. As in, I was surrounded by it. I get it, I was at Men’s Fashion Week. That said, if running is universal + genderless (which I hope we can all agree on), we need to create spaces that feel much more gender inclusive. Part of the intimidation of running is that there are so many dudes + this needs to shift. Back when I was conceptualizing my store, I thought long and hard about only selling women’s shoes + apparel. It would have been way easier, however I didn’t feel like excluding men was the answer to inclusivity. Ultimately I decided to instead create a space that chose to lead with women first. It doesn’t have to be that hard to include women and yet here we are.

3. Everybody is running. I didn’t attend any group runs, of which there were many, so my observations are from my solo runs along the Seine. It was busy, especially on Saturday when I finally ran in the daylight. I also got the impression it was always that busy, despite it being fashion week.

4. MVP award goes to wool. It was refreshing to see a stronger presence of wool amongst the brands I saw, styles I took absolutely no photos of because a black wool long sleeve looks boring but trust when I say it’s very exciting. I am a huge wool fan - I packed both of my Hikerkind merino wool long sleeves + my Bandit seamless wool for the trip. I wore them out for the day + repurposed each the morning after for my run. On the morning it was so cold and rained just hard enough to feel like I was being hit by icicles, my Hikerkind merino held its own; keeping me warm + somewhat dry feeling despite being soaking wet. This is why sheep never look miserable hanging out on the side of a mountain.

   

   far left : what i wore on my very first run in the morning. i had worn my hikerkind merino LS the day walking around the city the day before. middle : my bandit seamless merino i wore for my day full of meetings which i then wore for my run the following morning. far right : the bread, butter + fig jam i ate every morning - the MVPs of breakfast.

5. What an unfortunate time to be American. Thank god we could tell people were from San Francisco, as if it were its own country but jeezus, it’s embarrassing to hold a US passport. While chilling in the Air France lounge, waiting for our flight we watched Macron’s response to Trump’s speech(?) rant(?) dementia-induced ramble (?) at the Davos summit and all I could think was ‘please don’t invade Greenland while we’re out of the country’. I mean, please don’t invade Greenland ever but definitely not while I’m on the other side of the globe away from my son. How is this even real life? Meanwhile, waiting for our flight home I caught up on the news to learn that ICE shot another civilian in Minneapolis. What the actual fuck, America.

As for brands + the products they had to show, the ones I’m most excited about are the ones that took running the least serious. They felt more casual, and if I could have shopped from their racks I would have.

My top 3 favorites :

1. Alex Zono

   I’ve been DM-ing with Alex since the store opened, back when he only made hats. Luckily for us he’s expanded into apparel and his collection was by far the most joyful. As he described his inspiration, it also felt the most personal. Running brands are a dime a dozen now, many a blanks³ business, the branding so similar it all feels interchangeable bordering on forgettable. Alex’s is the opposite - driven by joy + a love of running that feels pure. He described to me the experience of running in Chamonix, watching people run to the tops of the mountains before parachuting down which made him think of little kids running to fly kites, and the joy of this experience. The level of detail was incredible - from the butterfly printed silicone on the inside of the shorts to the woven patches he used for branding.

   

2. Unna

   It’s no secret how much I love these guys. I wear them almost daily, for running and for life. It was such a delight to finally get to meet everyone in person - hugs were exchanged as if we’ve been friends forever. I mentioned to John-Ruben, Unna’s founder, how adorable the caterpillar shoe clip was from their Hoka collab and I left with my very own souvenir. I also added on *a lot* to my spring order because seeing the fabrics and silhouettes in person made me realize how very (too) tiny my original order was.

   Unna has captured the perfect balance of performance that still feels entirely wearable. The shiny long sleeve looks just as fantastic with a pair of split shorts as it does with jeans. Selfishly I’m excited to add more product for spring so I have an excuse to add more pieces to my collection.

   

   my outfit from our last day…if you look closely you can see a little caterpillar on my shoes. i wore these flower mountain shoes all week + they were fantastic. at right an update to the jacket i added more units to for spring.

3. District Vision

   The new sunglass silhouettes are so good - they’re doubling down on blade styles since they do the best but as I learned not all blades are created equal. I love me a Junya but feels too on the nose for someone who owns both thigh tattoos and a running store. Instead I’ll be doubling down on the more goggle feeling styles. I can’t remember any of the names but fun fact they’re all named after people who work in their Japanese factory.

   I also loved the apparel I saw. Despite lamenting unisex styles, I will 100% be buying some of the men’s styles as such. I loved an embroidered ¼ zip jacket (of which I took no photos) and all the graphic tees. It’ll be hard to decide which ones not to buy.

   The only thing I didn’t love was their attempt at a more ‘lifestyle’ leaning line of apparel for women. Again, no photos this time because I have no intention of purchasing it. I go dead in the eyes as soon as someone mentions ‘lifestyle’ to me, because IMO lifestyle should be just wearing whatever leggings you wear to run in to do all your other activities. This is what makes active lifestyle look cool + why I’ve always had a visceral reaction to Vuori. Just wear your running tights (short or long) for yoga or pilates or whatever you want to wear them for. Embrace the design lines and details and functionality - we don’t need to be creating entirely new categories of activewear for brunch.

   

   i don’t remember the name of these shades but i’m obsessed + will be purchasing along with many of these graphics.

Honorable mention : Literary Sport

I didn’t make it to their showroom. I had reached out but it was before I googled their address. It was unfortunately too far to simply squeeze in on a day when I wasn’t supposed to be working. This is the only brand whose imagery I had FOMO over not seeing in real life.

i wish i had been able to feel both the shirt and the pants. they look luxurious.

My time in Paris has made me start to think about how I want to position the store, which brands I’d like to have up on the wall. The shoe brands had a larger presence that I was expecting, particularly Brooks, which was also exciting. I affectionately refer to them as the ‘dad of running shoes’ because while they don’t necessarily make the coolest looking shoes, they’ll always be supportive. I had high hopes of making it the Brooks x STAPLE Cascadia 1 launch but I had squeezed in a meeting that subsequently caused me to be an hour late for all my other meetings that day.

Running brands are a dime a dozen and it’d be so easy to offer everything, however, the goal has always been to keep the store feeling hyper curated. At the end of the day there’s only so much differentiation one can create through detail, print and color before it all starts to feel the same. As I place my buys it’ll be all that much more important to ensure I’m choosing brands and pieces that can stand apart, offering something truly different + unique to the mix. As someone who loves product, it’s a good problem to have. Five years ago, I could’ve counted my options on one hand. Now Instagram feeds me something new daily. Annoyingly most of it’s brands geared towards men, but apparently Satisfy just hired an actual woman so here’s hoping there’s a shift on the horizon.

*k

1. it’s hard to write a recap of a trip to Paris when it’s sandwiched in between the dumpster fire of events that have been happening in our country, most notably ICE + Minneapolis. I’m on a text chain with the two other running stores in the bay about whether or not to close Friday because there’s a nation-wide strike on businesses, schools + services. Take care of yourselves, your neighbors and your families because at the end of the day, that’s what really matters. It’s hard to watch what’s happening across the country and not feel as though it could - and might - be happening in SF very soon. also f*ck ICE.

2. cigarettes. everyone smokes weed which i find way less offensive.

3. meaning ‘brands’ purchase products from private label companies or factories + put their own branding on it. sort of like what we do with our store merch - we can’t produce our own cotton tees + fleece from scratch so we purchase someone else’s.