Running stores were not paragons of cutting-edge retail. But when you hit a Bandit Oak Panel store in Manhattan’s West Village, you might start to think otherwise. The absences are the narrow benches sandwiched between shoe boxes and stuffing shelves, and the miscellaneous amounts of water bottles, backpacks and other sports. Instead, shoppers are greeted with vintage track and field magazines, wild flower vases, and marble tables with modernist leather armchairs where people actually sit and chat. The coffee counter is lively. If it wasn’t for a handful of clothes and an outside bench with a supple Lycra clothes, you might forget that it was a running retailer.
“We wanted a space that reflected us and our community,” says Nick West, a co-founder of Taste (a functional but general event), who has gained experience of trying out trainers with Dick’s sporting goods and runners, feels even more retired. Bandits are places where people “come and hang out,” he says.
The Bandit store in West Village features wooden floors and leather armchairs. . . ©Henry Kornaros. . . Vintage Athletics magazine and marble table covered in wild flower vase © Henry Kornaros
Founded in 2020, Bandit is a leader in premium, independent running gear space. This disruptive and increasingly influential sector includes design-driven labels such as district vision, satisfaction, and noda. Together, they reimagined the aesthetic of running collectively and creatively as edgy, sexy, and paving the way for new startups like unna and subi.
Design-driven kits require design-driven stores to sell them. “If you’re used to investing in quality and spending time in a lovely place, going to a place like JD Sports and buying a sports kit can be a jarring experience.
Over the past 12 months, there have been many things and openings for multi-brand stores. From the long distances in Los Angeles, from Los Angeles (sales for Soar) to the intervals between Machina Libera (sales for district vision) and Edinburgh (Bandit, Tracksmith) in Indonesia – these stores offer curated take on spaces that reflect into fashion boutiques.
“We involved interior architects from the start, which helped us think about the importance, displays and lighting more than we did,” says Aidan Thomson, who opened in Edinburgh last July. “If a customer is spending over £70 on a pair of shorts, the environment must coincidentally be ambitious.”
Trucksmith hosts community events in Boston, New York and Chicago. . . © Simon Roberts. . . Shops are available at 25 ChilTurn Street, Marylebone, London © Daniel Hewitt
Lyon distance track and field first made the trend a reality, but doors open to the left, right and center. In San Francisco, I run Wylder. Manchester has voodoos. There is an MTL shop in Seoul. Montpellier has solar. Madrid has an oddha. And there’s Runlimited in London. It offers walking analysis and a wide range of footwear in a space with parquet flooring. That mood is borrowed from Trucksmith. Trucksmith’s timber-covered store is thoughtfully designed by Esther Bailey Babenzien. Her portfolio includes J-Crew and Noah.
The district’s vision was the earliest to offer modern, minimalist spins in running wear. Wholesalers have always been an important part of their strategy. “As a self-funded label, we needed wholesalers to minimize the factory minimum,” says Max Vallot, another co-founder of the brand. Internationally, the District Vision kits are in stock at Porter, and their Japanese-made prescription sports sunglasses (industry niche) are available for sale at eyeglasses. However, these specialized run stores have opened new markets and are directly targeting coordinated demographics. “We have a lot of support in Indonesia and Mexico City right now, but we probably didn’t think it was for the store,” Vallot says.
He is a special fan of Mexico City’s Metta Running House (MRH), with an on-site shower for post-run refreshment, a coffee station where customers can pull out their laptops and do their job, and a pizza counter offering wine. Like Bandit, MrH is a hub of people who often show off sweaty jogs.
“These are not just retail spaces, they are social spots, bringing together spaces where people naturally connect with running,” says John Reuben Holtbach, founder of Stockholm-based UNNA. They are important for emerging brands like him, and “we don’t have a huge “budget or bandwidth. … Some retailers bring in size and others bring in reliability.”
According to Willa Martire, co-founder of Noda, these stores are “an evolution of run club culture.” Katherine Douglas, founder of San Francisco Running Wider, says these shops allow for the purchase of discoveries as well as functional ones. “Why can’t we discover magazines, fragrances, sweaty sunscreens? What do we talk about other aspects of our lifestyle?” she says.
Clothing racks in Stockholm-based UNNA
These stores have also become destination spots for marathon runners to travel. “The Mexico City half marathon sold out within four hours,” says Alejandro Sandler, co-founder of Hermanos Comorli, a major Mexican indie brand with rock and roll aesthetics. Six months ago we opened our permanent concept boutique. 70% of the store’s traffic is tourists, and “they are increasingly valuing modern Latin brands.” The company also wholesale loops running supply in Austin, Texas.
For customers, having a local boutique prevents unexpected customs. In the past, items worth 100 pounds of sale have been stabbed in 70 pounds of import bills.
So on my recent trip to New York, I have visited Bandit four times. For the first time I tried the entire brand’s collection to get a feel for the sizing. Another day, I went back to coffee. And then I met another person. After that, I finished a long run in the store and rewarded myself with its signature drink, espresso on ice topped with coconut water. I bought some socks and shorts, then went back and bought my boyfriend a hat. I chatted with the staff about the marathon and was given recommendations for dinner.
The retail concept is evolving rapidly. District Vision is looking for LA postcodes. More specialty stores are scheduled throughout Europe over the summer. And earlier this month, Bandit opened in Los Angeles. It was right next to our first wholesale partner, Renegade Running. It’s effectively a shop-in-store. This is the coolest kit 2 door clubhouse. Please run and don’t walk.
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