Once upon a time, hats had a pretty simple function. The objective: to block the sun by any means necessary, style be damned (to be fair, this is still the credo of many faithful hat users). But as needs, desires, and manufacturing processes evolved, this allowed for highly specific use cases involving cutting-edge fabrics. Now, you can find hats for fishing, tennis, even . And, of course, hats for running.

Hats these days are designed to block the sun, create air flow, wick moisture, and look good too. Enter the five-panel.

Throw a rock at a running event and it is likely you’ll hit someone in a five-panel (note: We do not condone throwing rocks at running events). Of course, trends come and go and runners often glom onto a particular look before the newest trend comes along (see: sweatbands). But the five-panel hat has enjoyed a relatively long run at the top atop the heads of runners. Is this pervasiveness a passing phase, or has the five-panel hit that hallowed sweet spot between functionality and style?

The Origins of the Five-Panel Craze

“Paneling” in a hat refers to the different pieces of fabric that are stitched together to comprise the crown of the hat. So a six-panel hat has six triangular pieces that all join at the very top of the hat. A one-panel hat is formed from a single piece of fabric. A five-panel hat typically has panels that are shaped to fit on specific regions of the head, often creating a closer fit.

Where did the five-panel hat come from? Admittedly, its origins are muddy at best, with several corners of various industries claiming responsibility for the trend. . who would wear something akin to five-panel hats during their shift in the early 20th century. Despite the opaque sourcing of the hat’s earliest days, it’s widely accepted that streetwear culture brought five-panels into vogue , with skate and hip-hop circles and companies beginning to offer five-panels.

RELATED: How the Outdoors Influence High Fashion

Patagonia’s 1990 Duckbill Cap was also an in the space for outdoorsy folks who appreciated the crushable design and breathable mesh. In 2004, the popular New York City-based brand Supreme introduced a store in Los Angeles, and , which sent waves through the fashion industry. In 2014, the Canadian brand popped onto the scene with bright, multi-colored, lightweight, durable, UPF protective five-panels made specifically for running.

“Ciele definitely had a huge impact on the industry,” explained Sean Van Horn, a PR professional for outdoor brands, former specialty run store manager, and experienced mountain athlete. He’s watched the five-panel explosion unfold in real time from all angles of the sport, and he credits Ciele with really modernizing the look for the performance-oriented. However nothing could have predicted the current ubiquity of the style in the running world.

Five-Panel Hat: Functionality

What is it about the five-panel that appeals to runners? The fit is surely a factor. A shallower depth results in the hat staying secure, whether it is from a strong gust of wind or an unseen branch. But the real innovation is in the modularity. Antonieta Fornino, the design manager at , a brand that specializes in neck and head accessories including the Ìęmentioned the mix-and-match ability of this style as a huge technical advantage.

“These caps make it really easy to make whatever version you want, whether it is a mono-material or multi-material,” noted Fornino. “You can include different panels easily, like mesh or fabrics that are a little bit more breathable. You can do many things with this shape.”

On a typical six-panel baseball cap with matching triangles, it would be strange to have some made of mesh and others made of nylon, for example. There would be no rhyme or reason to such a design, as the triangles are all equally spaced around the head from the top down. But a five-panel offers a front-to-back flow that can be reconfigured depending on what one wants to achieve. The front panel can be made of a moisture-wicking material while the side panels can be made of mesh or feature laser cut holes to promote airflow. The horizontal symmetry contributes to the functionality.

The brim, too, allows for creative design choices. As Fornino and her team worked on a new five-panel Speed Cap design to launch in the Spring of 2024, they opted to go with a stiffer and slightly curved brim based on feedback from runners. The balance between a packable brim and one that will remain secure at speed is a matter of preference. Patagonia’s Duckbill is fairly floppy, whereas operates at a happy medium, with modest pliability that tends to keep its shape.

The stretch nylon front panel on the Global Hat combined with the mesh paneling above and on the sides makes it a super breathable option for a wide variety of pursuits. I asked Jedd Rose, the cofounder and president of Topo Designs, about the thought process behind the brim design.

“We wanted to make sure that it was lightweight, breathable, and packable and could work for the outdoors as well as travel,” said Rose. “So we ended up combining a few fabrics and switched the more traditional bill material to a flexible yet sturdy foam that can be packed but still holds its shape well.”

Like Fornino, Rose appreciates the multifaceted nature of the five-panel. “It lends itself to be versatile and adapt to multiple fabrics and materials,” said Rose, “so it’s easy to mix and match, and go heavier or lighter depending on the model.”

Five-Panel Hat: Style

A hat is a public display of identity; it’s often the first thing you notice about someone. All of the technical advances in the world wouldn’t lead to a five-panel hat takeover unless they also happen to give off the vibe that the wearer intends. If you want to convey to the world that you love to run but your hat is telling people “I’m on safari,” that might not be the optimal style choice.

“We saw a lot of fashion-forward runners sporting Ciele hats at first, and then it spread out to the broader industry,” explained Van Horn. “These hats help to signify that you are a runner. If someone is wearing a Ciele hat you know that they pound the pavement.”

Ciele has also brought variety into its line-up so that runners don’t have to go with a one-size-fits-all approach. For my small noggin, the ALZcap, with a 56.5 centimeter circumference and extra low profile, is perfect, though one has to be willing to spend a pretty penny on headwear. The typical Ciele hat runs between $40 to $55, but race caps in the Elite line will run you up to $85.

For a cap intended for one activity, that is quite an investment, but it is no coincidence that the popularity of five-panels has also dovetailed with . It turns out running hats can also be used for every activity, and a steeper price point can be more palatable if, like me, you wear a hat every day.

“The outdoor sports space has never been more willing to blur the lines between traditional and trend and lifestyle, so it makes sense that the five-panel hat sits perfectly in that intersection,” said Rose. “The fact that it began as an outdoor silhouette and then became a go-to in the lifestyle and street space makes it a perfect trend right now.”

The Future Is Circularity

Of course, when something is a trend, that means the next iteration could be right around the corner. Bucket hats have increasingly shown up in the trail and ultra scene, though they haven’t quite disrupted the five-panel market. The visor has always been a steady presence on the running scene, too, with a temporary spike after #teamvisor U.S.A. won last year’s ÌęVisors certainly have performance chops, even though it can make the wearer look like a college football coach.

When I asked Fornino what she sees as next, she pointed not to design but to the production chain. “Something I am sure is going to happen is that sustainability is going to change headwear,” said Fornino. “It’s not only about having a recycled visor material, it’s about looking at how we can simplify the structure and the ingredients that are used in a cap so that they can be easily reusable and recyclable and have circularity at the heart.”

RELATED: The Best Summer Running Gear Made of Recycled Materials

For those seeking a recyclable running hat, Swedish brand Houdini has centered circularity in its production, and the and caps, though not five-panels, have technical chops and won’t end up in any landfills.

When I asked Rose about what is next, he hinted at some even lighter and more packable designs in Topo’s future, but also paused to appreciate the classics. “At the end of the day, it’s hard to beat that old bait shop cap that’s been floating in the trunk for ages, so those are always an inspiration to us as well,” said Rose. You heard it here first: the bait shop inspired, circularly-designed five-panel hat might just be the next big thing in performance headwear.

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Though Shi Yan Ming is a world-renowned kung fu master, he was lucky to survive a poverty-stricken childhood as a peasant in China.

He was born in 1964 in Henan Province, the heart-center of the country, where Chinese civilization is said to have originated, and food was scarce. Two siblings died of starvation prior to Shi Yan Ming’s birth, and he was a very sickly child.

Fearing the same fate might befall him, his parents brought Shi Yan Ming to the door of a 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple. He was taken in by the monks there and began to live by the grueling schedule of a kung fu disciple—training, practicing, meditating, and running. His health, along with his skill, improved rapidly.

“I was running a lot in China,” recalled Shifu (an honorary title meaning “master” or “teacher”). “The temple was built in the woods, in a mountain range; I was running to build strength and endurance.”

In some ways, he has been running ever since.

Kung Fu Meets Hollywood

In 1992, Shifu was part of a group of Shaolin monks invited to perform on a U.S. tour. The temple in which he was raised had been the original Shaolin Temple, dating back to 495 A.D., and the lineage of monks practicing kung fu and Chan Buddhism (also known as Zen) helped establish Shaolin as one of the most graceful and disciplined martial arts. Shifu, a 34th generation master, and his fellow monks gained renown for their craft and were invited to display their skills on international tours.

After a show in San Francisco, California, he escaped his hotel room in the middle of the night and made his way by bus to New York City. He started the first Shaolin Temple in America in Chinatown, waking up early to go on training runs across the Brooklyn Bridge. In the intervening 30-plus years, he has taught countless others, from of the Wu-Tang Clan to Björk to Wesley Snipes. He’s also and helped that has been his way of life.

Running is championed by many martial artists as a way to train both body and mind. Bruce Lee called running “the king of exercises,” and had a remarkably consistent routine to support his training. As an activity grounded in form, repetition, and discipline, it is no surprise that it is considered an essential part of training both physical and mental resilience. In recent years, Shaolin monks have even for their ability to “run” across water.

To Shifu, running is a form of “action meditation.” In kung fu, everything is an opportunity to hone one’s skill and wisdom. “Speaking is meditation,” noted Shifu. “Walking is meditation. Jogging is meditation. Everybody has different abilities. To help people individually, you can’t use one approach.”

RELATED: Rethinking the Cross-Training Paradox

Such diversity of teachings is at the heart of the welcoming nature of the temple and Shifu’s ability to meet students where they are. In doing so, Shifu aims to spread the Shaolin teachings of self-actualization, dignity, and compassion to as many people as possible. It is this spirit of inclusivity and access to a life-changing practice that has drawn so many to the temple.

Running and Kung Fu: A Whole Body Pursuit

Kirby Koo, a disciple of Shifu’s and the manager of the , stumbled into Shifu’s orbit seven years ago with the vague idea of getting in touch with her roots (she was raised partly in Hong Kong). After moving to New York, a childhood friend had told her that if she ever wanted to do kung fu, the best master on the planet was right there in Chinatown. She checked it out and hasn’t looked back.

“When you come from the depths of extreme poverty to training celebrities and being in Hollywood, you understand that everyone’s going through a journey and that we’re all the same,” Koo said, referring to Shifu’s ability to connect with people from all walks of life. “In the temple, everyone’s wearing the same uniform, everyone’s doing the same moves, and it doesn’t matter where you come from or what your bank account is.”

Still, embracing running was not something Koo envisioned when starting kung fu. “I used to be the type of person to be like, ‘When I run…I’m only running if it’s for my life,’” she said. Yet now Koo sees running as a form of meditation, a way to further the spiritual, mental, and physical training of kung fu by practicing with the whole body.

“Before training kung fu, I always understood that exercises are for different parts of your body—you do a bicep curl, you stretch your hamstring. But in order to maximize your power, speed, and endurance, in kung fu you use every part of your body for every move.”

Running is championed by many martial artists as a way to train both body and mind. Bruce Lee called running “the king of exercises.”

“Shifu says that the true gym is when you look into the jungle,” continued Koo. “Animals don’t lift weights. If you watch a cheetah, they use all their muscles to leap into the air and then they continue running, they don’t just use singular body parts.”

Look upon a trail or road and you might notice the same thing about a runner leaping and bounding with all of their muscles firing. This sense of a whole-body pursuit that is as much action as it is meditation—should one choose to perceive it that way—is perhaps where kung fu and running intersect.

At 59, Shifu doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Whenever he talks about practice, it is with language that is both nurturing and fierce, indicating the support and discipline required to inspire growth and maintain form.

“We are getting younger every day. We can work on getting younger every year,” said Shifu. “If you don’t sharpen a blade, it becomes rusty. We need to discipline ourselves to exercise. Young body, noble mind. Keep challenging yourself. Exercise your precious life.”

As Koo noted, her job at the USA Shaolin Temple would be a lot easier if Shifu wasn’t committed to teaching all day, every day. As the manager, Koo wouldn’t mind if the master slowed down once in a while and was more available for other aspects of temple administration. He has eschewed the potentially lucrative route that some masters of his renown might opt for, teaching only privately and emerging once in a while for a public showcase. But that is not Shifu; his aim is to make the temple and teachings available to all.

“If you’ve ever met anyone who knows what their life purpose is, rain or shine, that’s him,” said Koo. “That’s why he’s on Earth.”

Shifu wouldn’t disagree. “We have to take every opportunity we have to help out as many people as possible,” said Shifu, invoking the Buddhist roots at the heart of kung fu practice. “That’s why we’re here. You spread the word and help more people. That’s meditation.”

To Shifu, every moment, whether one is engaged in stillness or action, can be part of a way of life that is useful, powerful, and compassionate. And that is why, after all these years, Shifu is still running.

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According to research and new innovations in fabric design, coffee can now speed you up two ways—with pre-run sips and mid-run wicks.Ìę

We’ve known that caffeine has long been heralded as a performance enhancer by those who desire a high level of focus, and recent studies show that caffeine helps those on the move by stimulating muscle fibers and mitigating fatigue.Ìę

But with roughly 1 billion people drinking coffee every day—which results in about 2 billion cups consumed daily—the weight of these coffee beans totals roughly 22 billion pounds per year. Unfortunately, most spent coffee grounds end up in landfills, where they release methane, a harmful greenhouse gas.Ìę by incorporating coffee grounds and charcoal into running apparel, for environmental and microbial benefit. But how does it work, exactly?ÌęÌę

Drinking Coffee, Sure. But Wearing Coffee?

First, it turns out that wearing coffee can actually help you stink less, as roasted coffee is a natural deodorizer. Caffeine contains nitrogen, Ìę

, one of the leading companies creating coffee-infused fabrics today, first came to the idea when the founder’s wife noticed a coffee shop customer picking up recycled grounds at a cafĂ©, and jokingly told her husband he should put coffee in his clothes, so he wouldn’t smell so bad. After four years of research and development, they created ł§.°äČčŽÚĂ© fabrics.Ìę

The process is relatively simple: When coffee is brewed, roughly 0.2 percent of the bean, by weight, is used. ł§.°äČčŽÚĂ© takes the other 99.8 percent of the grounds and, using a low-temperature, high-pressure process, combines the grounds into the yarn surface of a polyester filament. This turns the yarn that had previously been 100 percent synthetic into a blended fiber, thereby reducing overall polyester in the production chain. In addition to odor absorption, ł§.°äČčŽÚé’s coffee-infused apparel has other performance benefits, including the ability to dry out almost twice as fast as cotton, while offering natural UV protection.Ìę

Companies Incorporating CoffeeÌę

Several performance brands have begun experimenting with coffee-infused fabrics. Ministry of Supply, , uses 4 percent ł§.°äČčŽÚĂ© fabric in the liner of its . Their , while not specifically a running sock, benefits from ł§.°äČčŽÚĂ©, with 40 percent coffee-infused recycled polyester paired with cushioning and ventilation that perform admirably on the trail.Ìę

RELATED: Can’t Stand Black Coffee? Adding Milk May Decrease Inflammation.

La Sportiva, the Italian brand known for its extensive array of alpine footwear, has partnered with ł§.°äČčŽÚĂ©, and they recently introduced coffee fabric in its . Jake Burgart, an Associate Product Manager at La Sportiva, noted that customers have begun to demand more sustainability-forward apparel, and they’ve been excited to lean into recycled and low-impact products. When a fabric innovation increases both performance and sustainability, it becomes kind of a no-brainer.Ìę

“You don’t get the shiny plastic bag feel that you can sometimes experience with a pure polyester t-shirt,” noted Burgart. “Polyester is great in the sense that it can wick really quick and keep you dry, but if you get wet, you get that sneaky lamina layer because the fiber, at a base level, is plastic. What I found with the ł§.°äČčŽÚĂ© shirt is that I can’t sweat it out too much.”

Another company that sources fabric from ł§.°äČčŽÚĂ© is (the coffee-infused is one of Trail Runner Editor in Chief ZoĂ« Rom’s ). Co-founder Monica DeVreese explained that the impetus behind this decision was the company’s desire to use more sustainable materials in its products and reduce its environmental impact. (She also noted that having coffee aficionados on staff didn’t hurt.) “Our team members are passionate coffee lovers, and incorporating this beloved beverage into our apparel just seemed like a natural fit,” said DeVreese.Ìę

Coffee CharcoalÌę

Brice Partouche, founder and creative director of the French running apparel brand , realized the potential for coffee-infused fabrics in 2017.Ìę

“At the time, we were already big advocates for the use of natural materials, such as organic cotton and pure merino wool, in the performance space,” said Partouche. “The lean towards coffee charcoal happened when we were looking for a more sustainable and natural approach for our baselayer systems. Through a lot of testing and experimentation CoffeeThermal was born.”

Satisfy partnered with the Israeli nylon company to develop CoffeeThermal. Leftover coffee charcoal, made from recycled coffee bean residue, is integrated into the yarn.

“This multidimensional stretch fabric provides compression and is knitted with coffee-charcoal infused fibers making it naturally heat-retentive, bacterial, and odor resistant. NILITÂź-HEAT Coffee Thermal uses waste product from coffee production,” says the website for Satisfy’s CoffeeThermal base layer.Ìę

RELATED: SixÌęCoffees that Are Supercharged for Athletes

In order to maximize sustainability, Partouche noted that the fabrics developed with this technology are made in France and Italy, keeping them as close to the overall production and operations chain as possible. The fabric is also unbleached and undyed, to maintain its unique coffee color.Ìę

“I think natural and sustainable technologies are the next big thing in the running and outdoor spaces,” Partouche said, pointing to Satisfy’s line of . “Runners have been told for decades that they can’t run in cotton and have to wash their running gear after every run. We can’t disagree more.”Ìę

As with Ministry of Supply, La Sportiva, and rabbit, the pivot towards coffee-infused apparel is as much about sustainability as it is functionality and performance. To that end, I asked DeVreese if drinking coffee and then wearing coffee will actually make you faster. Her response, though admittedly not backed by any research, perfectly captured why coffee may indeed be the next big thing in running performance apparel. “Well, duh!”

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As trail runners, it can be tempting to believe we’re engaged in a harmless pursuit. We’re powered by our own feet, zipping through the woods in gear that has been often marketed to us as sustainable. But runners are just as culpable as any other athletes, our mountain footprints the tip of an iceberg of a larger carbon footprint that gets us there. We need to transport ourselves to the trailhead, of course, but that sustainable gear? It could just be an example of .Ìę

Greenwashing helps brands appear eco-friendly, while in reality deflecting accountability toward changing harmful industrial processes in any meaningful way. Capitalism thinks less in systems than it does in units, and by maximizing profit per unit, our current economic system often exploits individual desires (to be better) and shame (at falling short). The next purchase is the one that will save us! Redemption is often offered to the consumer by way of greenwashed gear, when, in reality, the onus should be on the company to not destroy the planet.

So what do we, as individuals, do? When it comes to the most destructive environmental choices runners make, specific gear choices – though consequential – are perhaps not as weighty as you might think. And yet, in the interest of separating marketing from reality, it’s important to highlight where you can indeed make a difference, here are the three areas in which runners have the most agency:

1. Minimize Driving or Flying to Trailheads or Races

The carbon footprint runners leave behind actually has little to do with what they wear on the trail, and a lot to do with how they got there.Ìę Driving or flying to trailheads or races is the number one most destructive choice, by a considerable margin.Ìę

In , climate researcher Dr. Kimberly Nicholas referenced a study that pointed out that a roundtrip transatlantic flight uses eight months of an individual’s carbon budget for a year (if we were to slow climate change to acceptable levels by 2030). According to Nicholas’ research, the three most powerful things any individual can do are going flight-, car-, and meat-free, actions that were also highlighted in as powerful ways households can make a difference.

“The climate impact of clothing and shoes is very small compared to mobility,” Nicholas says.Ìę

RELATED:

Finding alternative means of transportation would be the single most significant environmental decision you can make as a runner. Can you take a train to that race destination? Can you bike to the trailhead? Can you at least, for the love of Earth, carpool?Ìę

2. Beware of High Tech, High Maintenance Fabrics

If you are as twisted as me, you might have read the previous section and thought, well, I guess my gear addiction doesn’t matter much, in the grand scheme of things. Not. So. Fast. Just because you minimize travel doesn’t mean you can now enjoy a guilt-free gear obsession. It means that apparel choices pale in comparison to the overall impact caused by big machines moving us far and fast.Ìę

If ever you want to feel extra icky and aware about your environmental impact, pick up Tatiana Schlossberg’s , which details the many ways that everything we do – from watching Netflix to wearing cozy athleisure threads – contributes to climate change. And for someone who basically lives in athleisure, this was particularly disconcerting.

Running apparel is typically synthetic. Unlike cotton or wool, fabrics used to make moisture-wicking and breathable shirts, shorts, singlets, and socks are not natural. However, it is the extent of their unnaturalness that may surprise you. “The root of the problem with synthetic fabrics comes down to one simple fact,” says Schlossberg. “They’re made of oil. Basically, synthetic fibers – like polyester, nylon, fleece, spandex, lycra – are just different types of plastic, and create the same kinds of problems that plastic does. Producing polyester alone results in more than 700 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, about the same amount as 185 coal-fired power plants.”Ìę

Yikes. Unfortunately, that list of fabrics describes my entire running wardrobe. What’s worse, everytime you wash these items, synthetic nano-particles shed and find their way into lakes, rivers, streams, and, ultimately, the organisms that live in these ecosystems.

“In the case of synthetics, this means that microplastic fibers are being released into the environment, everywhere from remote mountaintops to the bottom of the ocean and embedded in Arctic sea ice,” explains Schlossberg. “One scientist told me that microplastic fibers might be the most abundant source of pollution on Earth.” Natural fibers like wool and cotton shed in the wash as well, but polyester and fleece shed the most, and again, they’re made of oil.Ìę

Key takeaway? Seek running apparel made from wool, which is naturally antimicrobial, meaning you can maximize sweat while minimizing washes.

3. Avoid Mass-Produced Crap

When subjecting your running apparel to all rigors of the trail—sweat, dirt, swamps, snags—you might think it unwise to invest in expensive threads destined for punishment, especially when running t-shirts at any local big box store can cost $10 or less. But price tags are never reflective of the true cost of production.Ìę

In Inconspicuous Consumption, Schlossberg details how the external costs of making clothing – such as environmental pollution and health impacts for workers and communities near factories – are not factored in by most companies. Instead, the cost is incurred by the planet and by vulnerable populations who can’t escape the environmental ramifications of this distorted consumerism.

“It takes resources to create every article of clothing we wear, so making sure that you really get the most out of your clothes is probably the best way to reduce the environmental impact of your athletic wardrobe,” says Schlossberg.Ìę

Granted, for many runners on the economic margin, a $75 merino running shirt is laughably expensive. But this price tag might actually be more indicative of its ecological cost, both in terms of production and planet, as well as the finer craftsmanship that will make it a longer lasting garment. The price might also remind us that treating garments as disposable and too-easily replaceable makes us more likely to dispose of and replace them. There is a certain amount of buy-in that results from buying higher quality gear, and that might be a good thing.Ìę

“In general, it can be difficult to rely on companies’ accounts of their own sustainability, and they are deliberately opaque,” explains Schlossberg.Ìę

For those looking to have a little more agency in their purchasing decisions, she recommends the website/app , which rates brands for their ethical behavior in three categories: environmental, labor, and animal welfare. “While it’s not perfect, it is a good resource for people looking to make changes.”Ìę

Her other recommendation? Vote! “It really shouldn’t be on the consumer to have to decide which sports bra is made in the most environmentally friendly or sustainable way; all of the sports bras should be made with the goal of the smallest possible environmental footprint, but that would require better corporate behavior and environmental regulations, which is why you should vote, get involved in the civic and political processes, and put pressure on politicians in your communities and on businesses too.”

Some businesses have taken note, going beyond greenwashing into enacting green practices. Ingrid Sirois, one of the founders of the Canadian performance apparel brand , describes this kind of environmental commitment as a positive obligation. “I know obligation has a negative connotation, but not in this case,” says Sirois. “We take it seriously because there is no other way, and it also makes the process more interesting and challenging to do it right.” Ìę

So do yourself a favor: If you’re in a position to invest in that pricier running kit, go for it. If you can bike to the trailhead to log those miles, you can return home knowing that you are on a more sustainable track. And if you can budget time to run, you can surely budget time to get to the polls.Ìę

Three Brands that Actually Walk the Walk

Foehn

When a company makes only a few pieces of apparel, they tend to put an extensive amount of thought into production and design. won’t wow you with a wide variety of gear, but the gear they do make is reliably high quality and sustainably made (they are a member of , , and ). Their Spring 2022 line-up features the , which certainly fits the bill as a versatile and durable active shirt, with all the stank-free and temperature-regulating qualities of wool.

Paka

Now that wool is on my mind, I’ve been on the lookout for the best companies offering performance apparel without synthetic threads. is considered the first alpaca “activewear” in history, with exquisite joggers (85% royal alpaca, 15% bamboo lining!), , baselayers, and . Some garments come with a QR code, where you can trace the material origins of each thread.ÌęÌę

Allbirds

, the ubiquitous wool shoe brand that began in New Zealand, has also expanded their line-up to include running apparel. Their is a standout, the rare running bottom that is made from wool. It is lightweight and made of merino and recycled nylon. Allbirds lists the garment’s carbon footprint (12.1 kg CO2e) on the tag so that consumers have a better understanding of the impact of their purchase, and they ensure that production is carbon neutral through buying carbon offsets. The Natural Run Shorts don’t feature liners or a phone pocket, but their simplicity is part of their appeal. With a 7” inseam this short is plenty capable and also casually wearable. It’s nice to be confident in your gear from both a performance and planetary standpoint.

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I bring my backpack everywhere I go. I bring it to work, filled with a water bottle, lunch, and a laptop. I carry it around on the weekends, packed with what my wife calls “toys” but I call “necessities.” (You never know when you’ll need emergency access to a book, earbuds, or a post-coffee mint.) And I bring it on hikes, stuffed with a Leatherman, layers, camera, and snacks. For me, having a good daypack is nonnegotiable.

Of course, finding one is another story. I’ve gone through several and discovered the hard way that features matter. For a while, I used a beautiful-looking leather flap-top pack. But the leather made me sweat on hot days, and the flap top made access to my gear a three-step process. I had a motorcycle backpack that worked wonderfully on my motorcycle but was full of moto-specific features that were worthless everywhere else. Finally, last year I discovered the ($140)Ìęand haven’t looked back since.

Heimplanet first appeared on the market in 2011 with innovative tents that looked like they came from a future full of clean lines and simple functionality. Last year, the companyÌębrought that same aesthetic to backpacks. The Arc is a 20-liter offering in its Motion Series—packs designed to move with you whether you’re biking to the office or tackling a weekend peak. The 3D molded EVA foam back panel and shoulder straps allow for maximum airflow. The inner laptop/hydration compartment means I can swap out my laptop for a CamelBak on the weekends. Other details—like easily removable hip and sternum straps, gear loops, hydration ports, and a stretchy front pocket—optimize performance and versatility without compromising on style.

The Arc is not fully waterproof, but there is a waterproof side pocket for your phone or camera, and the PU laminated zippers tend to keep your goods dry in light rain. Twenty liters isn’t very big, so the Arc won’t sustain you on a lengthy trip, but for day-to-day use, I haven’t shouldered anything better.

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