The running industry has undergone a significant transformation since 2010, with a surge of new brands entering the market. This trend has accelerated dramatically in the past five years, introducing a diverse array of innovative companies to runners worldwide. These emerging brands are redefining the running space, challenging established norms and expanding the boundaries of performance gear and style.
This proliferation of brands offers runners an unprecedented range of choices, balancing high-performance features with opportunities for personal expression. Many new companies are addressing not only traditional performance needs but also emphasizing style, sustainability, and niche market demands. Runners can now find gear that meets performance needs while reflecting their individual values and aesthetic preferences.
Also, you’re trying to find where to buy most of these brands, check out this list of the best independent stores.
Apparel
Popular
Most people know them and they’ve been players in the space for years.
Bandit - Modern, sleek, technical. Punchier, eclectic branding and interesting marketing vibe.
Ciele (Hats) - Mostly their hats. Apparel is up and coming.
District Vision - Luxury price point for many items. Make a lot of lifestyle stuff. Brand is mindfulness adjacent.
Janji - Modern, technical, sustainable, mission driven. Colorful patterns.
On (Apparel) - Made a big move into apparel this year. Sleek aesthetic. Highly performance oriented.
Saysky - Scandinavian brand making technical, minimalistic apparel.
Soar - Modern, technical, striking patterns and materials. Performance oriented.
Tracksmith - Heritage styles. They make a great merino baselayer and have some cool detailing on their products. Standout item: Brighton Base Layer
Satisfy - Maybe the lowest on the list here, but they have an outsized media presence. Mountaineering and trail running meets punk. Luxury price point. High quality materials, unique silhouettes and fabrics. Their founders come from a high fashion background.
Path Projects - Path Projects is a brand that makes high-quality, performance-oriented running apparel. A lot of their stuff is multi-functional and trail oriented.
Under the Radar
Relatively newer indie brands that have a limited market share. Ordered alphabetically rather than by popularity.
Balmoral Sports - Heritage style, but a bit less Ivy-feeling than Tracksmith. Canadian.
Chance - Environmentally driven, modern looking apparel. A little expensive for what you get IMO, even compared to some of the other brands here.
Erniold - Australian brand, modern technical apparel with heritage influence.
Doxa - Scandinavian brand focused on making quality functional running apparel.
Hermanos Koumori - Mexican brand, mindfulness adjacent. Outdoors style, so looser cuts on much of their gear.
Kuta Distance Lab - Indie brand, heavy Swedish influence. Feels very outdoors / trail oriented.
Miler Running - Luxury price points, NYC style – lots of black. Similar to Bandit, but more fashion focused.
Minted NY - Influencer-founded NYC brand that evolved from silver jewelry into full menswear and running apparel. Very founder-led and experimental, following the personal interests and evolution of its creators. The brand shares a lot of behind-the-scenes content as they learn fashion in real-time, creating an authentic, transparent journey. Product range spans performance gear (running shorts, racing tops, long sleeves, hats, gloves, socks) and contemporary menswear. Known for their Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 collaboration.
NNormal: Trail focused brand popularized by Kilian Jornet. Competitive with the likes of Norda.
Optimistic Runners - Berlin brand. Modern, technical, with a minimal aesthetic.
Over Over - UK brand, unique materials. Fashion forward.
Pace - Brazilian apparel brand. Similarly fashion-forward, futuristic vibe. Similar to Running Order.
Praise Endurance - Canadian brand promoting accessibility and inclusion. Lifestyle look to a lot of their gear.
Pruzan - stylish, modernist, catered towards women but unisex. Unique silhouettes.
Running Order - Rave wear x running. Very fashion-forward, Y2k aesthetic.
Tiempos - Tiempos makes lifestyle inspired running clothes, similar to Satisfy. Style driven over performance (read: cotton tees), but their stuff is well made.
Unna - Swedish running brand founded in Stockholm in 2022 by John-Ruben Holtback (founder of L’HOMME ROUGE). Brand name means “treat yourself” in Swedish, emphasizing well-being over performance. Created after founder’s health scare highlighted the importance of exercise on body and mind. Products designed in Sweden, made in Europe from recycled and organic materials.
SUVS - Indonesian running brand creating apparel inspired by the philosophy of amateur running and organic movement. Known for collaborations with local run clubs, depicting running as a form of connection between body, earth, and universe. Part of Indonesia’s emerging running culture and apparel scene.
Portal - Founded by industry veterans Patrick Stangbye (former ROA Creative Director), John Roberts (former Rapha product development), Colin Meredith (Vancouver-based designer), and Barrie Bloor (graphic design/brand identity specialist). Portal creates multimodal gear that breaks down silos between running, cycling, and hiking.
Minor Planet - Mindfulness style brand, similar to HK and DV. Mental health and wellness themed. Apparel is mostly suited for hiking / lifestyle.
Far - FAR is a contemporary running clothing brand from Barcelona. They have both retro-inspired and contemporary apparel.
Ante - Fashion forward brand with performance focus based out of Berlin.
Bakline - Brooklyn-born running brand blending art, sport, and street culture since 2008. Founded by brothers Rob Schnable and Matt Vosburgh, every piece is hand-printed in their Gowanus studio. Offers both performance gear and lifestyle apparel with distinctive graphic designs.
Literary Sport - Quiet luxury running athleisure. If The Row was into running, they’d make this. Minimalist aesthetic with premium materials focused on understated elegance.
Philos Running - Female-first running brand based in Amsterdam and New York, launched in 2025. Reimagines movement through emotion, story, and aesthetics with their award-winning Aéras™ fabric made in France. Known for precision-tailored tights, shorts, tops, and their signature laceless Athena running shoe. Featured in Runner’s World, Vogue, and Elle.
Planet Nusa - Danish running brand with mid-tier pricing focused on sustainability.
Post Archive Faction - Korean GORP-core brand that does collaborations with On and District Vision.
PYNRS - Black-owned performance streetwear brand from Boston founded by Sidney Baptista in 2020. Name references “Pioneers,” connecting to both the PIONEERS Run Crew (established 2017 in Dorchester) and the historic Pioneer Club, Harlem’s first integrated running club from 1936. First Black-owned running apparel company championing community, culture, and diversity through highly technical running gear rooted in streetwear design. Known for their Brooks collaboration on the Hyperion Max 3.
Gnuhr - Experimental outdoor brand making high-performance ultralight activewear. Founded in 2023 by Nur Abbas (formerly with Maison Margiela, Nike, and Louis Vuitton), combining technical innovation with fashion-forward design sensibilities.
1 Man Show
These are 1 person operations putting out some incredible work.
Brandt-Sorensen - Bespoke running Apparel, natural fabrics. All made by hand.
Museum of Distance Running - Brand-concept doing 1 off releases
Alex Zono - Just a guy making cool apparel. Iconic for his “I Dig Running” hat.
Currently Running - Trendy new brand from former D1 javelin thrower Nash Howe. He’s a multi-faceted creator that does all of their production and design, from photoshoots to apparel. A softer SoCal take on performance running apparel for serious athletes.
Akla - Akla makes trail / running hats from technical fabric scraps.
Dust - Brand new trail running brand out of Colorado with a lifestyle lean.
Schism - Art-focused brand creating striking graphic apparel using premium blanks. One person operation featuring hardcore-inspired designs with bold prints and unique visual aesthetics.
Participation - Affordable, stylish apparel that combines functionality with vibrant designs.
Roadkill Running - Community-first Philadelphia running brand founded in May 2024 by members of the local running community. United through love of the sport and storytelling through movement. Features Miles the Raccoon mascot and actively involved in Philly running scene through collaborations with local clubs.
UltraCrue - Fun running apparel with punk and pop culture references.
Running/Training Adjacent
Brands focused on cross-training, gym work, and Hyrox that have crossover appeal with runners.
R.A.D. - “Rally Against Destruction” - Portland-based performance brand built on the belief that training is the foundation of athletic success. Known for best-in-class training footwear like the R.A.D ONE V2 (all-round training shoe with 360 stability for lifting) and R-1 (lightweight cross-training shoe for gym, HIIT, and run training). Their Running Exploration Department (R.A.D® REDS) tests products to steer footwear design. Also offers functional apparel including the Superweave Training Short.
UVU - UVU has a cult following in London and makes running / training apparel. More brand + community than substance but they’ve made a big splash.
Aesene - Women’s performance brand founded by sisters Lucy and Megan Davis. Started as an online community for women who train with intention. Women owned and women led, focused primarily on Hyrox and functional fitness with crossover to running.
Footwear
Excluding the establishment brands like Nike, On, Hoka.
Norda - Make several models of trail shoes that look good while running and hitting the urban trails.
Mount to Coast - Marketed to ultra-runners, they make super durable training and racing shoes.
Hylo Athletics - New brand making a recyclable, bio-based running shoe in a few colors. Minimal design in black, white, cream, and duotone.
Circle - Make their “Supernatural Runner” a fully plant based daily trainer. Comes in 3 colors.
4T2 - Make a limited run of models for trail, daily runs, racing, and long runs. These shoes have a unique, but still classic, look to them.
Tracksmith - Tracksmith recently made their Eliot Runner, a daily trainer. They will soon release the Eliot Racer, their first ever carbon plated racing shoe.
Hettas - Women’s footwear brand creating performance running shoes designed specifically for female biomechanics and fit. Focused on addressing the unique needs of women runners rather than adapting men’s designs.
Accessories
Sunglasses
There are a few brands that specialize in sunglasses worth calling out.
District Vision - Their most popular product line. The Junya Racer is iconic.
Article One - Had a popular collab with Tracksmith early on and make high quality frames.
Alba Optics - Makes some larger frame sunglasses. Standout item: Mantra VZUM
Ridar - Korean brand with interesting, retro inspired designs. Reminiscent of the 2000s Oakleys.
Socks
Check my full sock guide if you haven’t yet.
CEP - German compression technology brand offering medically-backed compression socks, sleeves, tights, and functional sportswear. Manufactured in Germany with medical-grade techniques, their products use medi compression technology to increase oxygen flow, reduce muscle vibrations, boost coordination, and speed recovery. Leader in performance compression gear for runners.
Near Earth Much like Bandit in their early days, they only make socks.
SHYU Exclusively make socks themed to match popular racing shoes.
Courier - Socks designed for runners and cyclists. Their HiFI sock has sort of a fun 3D print to them which feels nice.
Swiftwick - American sock brand manufacturing performance socks in Tennessee since 2008. Known for their compression technology and seamless toe construction designed for endurance athletes.
SUMS - Performance running socks with anatomical left/right fit and targeted cushioning zones for serious runners.
Bags & Belts
Kilometer Studios - Swedish brand founded in 2015 specializing in run-commuting bags and accessories. Their award-winning Backpack Pro features zero-bounce technology with ergonomic design, allowing runners to carry professional gear while maintaining stability. Complete line includes the ISPO Award-winning Everyday Rolltop (22L waterproof), Space Bag modular storage, and various commuter kits.
Raide - Technical ski touring brand that has expanded into trail running with exceptional success. Known for premium alpine and ski bags, now making some of the best running belts and belted running shorts on the market. Their trail running bags have performed exceptionally well.
Skincare & Sun Protection
UTU - Outdoor skincare brand founded by lifelong runner Richard Welch, formulated by and for outdoor athletes. Features broad spectrum SPF30 Moisturizing Sunscreen and refillable SPF50 Tinted Sunscreen-Stiq in 100% recyclable aluminum packaging. Popular among trail runners and ultra athletes.
Freaks of Nature - High-performance skincare brand co-founded by surfing legend Kelly Slater, designed specifically for outdoor athletes. Their Peak Performance SPF 50 mineral sunscreen is enriched with vegan squalane and spider silk protein, providing 80 minutes of water resistance without smudging or running into eyes during intense activity.