The days leading up to the 54th running of the TCS (Tata Consultancy Services, an information technology company based in India) New York City Marathon were filled with brands leaning into the major moment running is having right now. According to Marathon Weekend, the week’s lineup of events featured over 130 participating entities, including 20 major performance and lifestyle brands, alongside dozens of local and global run clubs.
Before I go any further, congratulations go out to Hellen Obiri of Kenya, who broke the women’s course record wearing On, and to her compatriot Benson Kipruto, who won the men’s race in Adidas, edging fellow Kenyan Alexander Mutiso by three-hundredths of a second. It was a clean sweep for Kenyan runners, who claimed the top three spots for men and women.
On Friday, the last day of October, photographer Julia Chesky and I visited Nike, Rabbit, Bandit and Tracksmith’s marathon-related pop ups, along with Joe Freshgoods’ gallery, all of which were located in the Lower East Side, SoHo, Tribeca or NoLiTa. I did a summary of each brand’s store, and also rated merch from a scale of 1-10, one being horrible and 10 being perfect. For added fun, I also included a customer profile.
Keep in mind that I am biased! First of all, I no longer run, so I can’t comment on performance attributes of offerings, and second, I am Jersey-born but have lived in New York most of my life and favor a minimalist, streetwear-influenced look.
Check out my biased reviews and photos below. They’re ordered by the timing of our visits, so Joe Freshgoods first and so on down the line.
Vibes: Joe has always celebrated his Black Chicagoan roots and more so than ever has leaned into a message celebrating the loving connections that have sustained Black people throughout their often fraught history in America. It’s a message he underscored at ComplexCon where he eschewed commerce altogether, choosing instead to create a merch-free space where people could come together and simply hang out. His “A Friend Named Cousin” art exhibit in New York includes merch but the gallery area takes up the majority of the space. Joe never shouts it from the rooftops, but everyone low key knows he employs a lot of women, so not surprisingly three of the seven artists featured in the gallery are women. Bonus points for being only one of two spaces prepared to hand out Halloween candy to the neighborhood kiddies.
Merch: 9.0: A good mix of collegiate-inspired vintage graphics alongside arty and irreverent graphics that have always been a brand signature.
Target Crowd: There were only a handful of people in the space while we were there, but judging from the bulletin board populated with fliers and Polaroids of what I assume were prior visitors, he’s drawing a Brooklyn-informed, Downtown type crowd of Gen Zs and millennials, along with New York art lovers on the young side.
Vibes: When Julia and I rolled up to the door for Nike’s event, we were politely told it was invite only. I attempted to plead my case, arguing that I write for Snobette, a streetwear and sneaker platform for goodness sake, but Mr. Door Guy was not impressed and again told me to return on Saturday. I fully respect holding an invite-only event, but the pop-up was advertised in multiple places as open to the public and when we arrived, the space was hardly packed. That said, I don’t want to slam Nike too hard for this misstep because it had plenty of other marathon activations throughout the City, and it nailed the funny, encouraging messaging featured on billboards (shown above) all along the marathon route. That and Nike employees are just now shedding the trauma of having survived the worst leadership in company history and I don’t want to kick a dog when it’s just now feeling some semblance of normalcy.
Merch: 8.0: Performance silhouettes customized with graffiti fonts, a blend of two worlds that probably only Nike can credibly pull off. My thing is, I’m not sure this graphic works in the current moment.
Target Crowd: From what I could see from my forlorn face pressed up against the storefront window, Downtown sneaker kid types in their 20s and 30s; Ferg performed at an event at the store on Saturday night, you know the vibes.
Vibes: I love the idea of a running brand collaborating with a hotel, especially one like Walker Hotel whose lobby is warm and cozy and includes lots of comfy couches and chairs as well as a coffee bar. Additionally, Rabbit hosted activies following the race on Sunday, including stretch sessions and mocktails, all told making for a perfect backdrop for the female-founded, Southern California brand. Not surprisingly, the event drew noticeably more women and couples with adorable little wee ones than other pop ups.
Merch: 8.0: Rabbit’s merch was a bit more West-Coast coded than is my preference, so while I liked the gray, hoodie embroidered with the five boroughs and the race route shown above, the colorful pieces featuring a kaleidoscope of colors spoke to me less. Bonus points for the merch bag, a brightly-colored string backpack that can be reused.
Target Crowd: Millennial professionals, more so women, starting families and beginning to make headway in their careers.
Vibes: The Brooklyn-based Bandit was operating on home turf, and you could feel its New York swagger oozing from every pore. The entrance to the sprawling pop-up was preceded by an artsy red-lit installation that, while open to interpretation, ultimately signaled one thing: the brand is feeling very good about itself. Bandit makes it very clear that membership has its privileges, which included early access to its Run City NYC marathon capsule. More than any other pop-up we visited, this one was centered around commerce. A steady line of people waited outside to get in, and once inside, credit cards were swiping nonstop.
Merch: 9.0: Obviously, I’m a sucker for Bandit’s Japanese-informed, New York streetwear aesthetic that strikes the perfect balance between clean lines and street energy. The brand’s nods to industrial print techniques à la Virgil Abloh only deepen the appeal. Minus half a point, though, for the slightly wonky zipper on the jacket I bought.
Target Crowd: Young, attractive New York professionals who work very hard at their jobs and their fitness, in other words the top-of-the-pyramid running customer. According to Julia, the brand has all but taken over Manhattan’s West Side Highway running scene, with its mauve striped Cadence top and shorts (both sold out) set becoming the brand’s unofficial calling card for women.
Vibes: By the time we arrived at Tracksmith, the sun was beginning to set, and the shop was packed wall to wall with people there to celebrate the launch of RunHer, a quarterly publication spotlighting women runners. True to its New England roots, Tracksmith channels a relaxed Northeast-prep aesthetic, landing in the same lanes as Ralph Lauren and vintage Abercrombie. Perfectly on-brand, the pop-up featured a collection of vintage running tees curated by the wonderful Cole Townsand of Running Supply.
Merch: 8.5: Preppy is not typically my vibe but let’s be honest, it’s having a moment and Tracksmith has a great handle on the codes. I wanted to buy the 100% cotton Amateur t-shirt ($65), but couldn’t find my size and the person working the register was besieged by customers and unable to make his way back to the stockroom.
Target Crowd: More monied, a New England version of the Tracksmith customer but 10-20 years older and the bank account shows it (notice one customer’s Chanel bag in the photo above!).
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