Renegade Running has brought its edgy, artistic and unconventional vibe to Los Angeles. The Oakland-based run specialty shop known for its enterprising curation of athletic gear and intense focus on inclusivity has opened an outpost at 3120 Sunset Blvd. in the City of Angels’ Silver Lake neighborhood.
“We’re a run specialty shop looking to break the mold in L.A. and blur the lines of what run specialty can be,” Renegade Running founder Victor Diaz says.
After a soft opening on Oct. 15, the BIPOC-owned running store – a particular point of pride for Diaz – will celebrate its official L.A. opening on Oct. 25.
Renegade’s Roots
A competitive cyclist and triathlete in his youth, Diaz spent two decades in public education prior to launching Renegade Running in June 2020. It was Oakland’s second run specialty shop alongside Transports, a retail operation founded in 1982 by Kei Kodani.
“I was confident I could bring something unique and different to run specialty,” Diaz says.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Diaz’s downtown Oakland shop found quick footing with its focus on community, curation and education.
Diaz leaned into niche, often fashion-forward technical products from around the globe. Renegade, in fact, was the first U.S. retail store to carry norda footwear and is often among the first U.S. retail shops to carry the latest drops from Paris-based Satisfy. Its current product lineup includes apparel brands such as Soar, Hermanos Koumori and Mountain Marital Arts as well as footwear brands like Veja, Mount to Coast and Mercer.
Diaz has also built a diverse community of runners and “wraparound services.” The Oakland shop’s upstairs area, for instance, features weights and kettlebells for customer use while a physical therapist hosts free workshops multiple times each week on topics such as strength training and injury prevention. Wednesday track workouts, meanwhile, are high in plyometric drills and energy.
In addition, Diaz introduced Project Renegade. The novel effort celebrates everyday athletes making an impact in their community – teachers, artists, organizers and more – and treats them like elites, supplying them the necessary gear and resources to compete in major races, such as the Los Angeles Marathon and the Chicago Marathon.
“Oakland’s a diverse city with a revolutionary spirit,” Diaz says. “If one’s authentic, the city gets behind you.”
Expanding to L.A.
When Diaz began to seriously contemplate opening a second store, L.A. became an intriguing fit despite sitting nearly 350 miles away from his Oakland base. Not only did he think L.A.’s populace would support Renegade’s progressive, boundary-pushing style, but Renegade regularly captured online sales from L.A. residents and fielded numerous inquiries about opening a Renegade storefront in L.A.
In conjunction with the Los Angeles Marathon last March, Renegade operated a three-week pop-up shop in the same Sunset Blvd. space it currently inhabits. Renegade’s branded merchandise flew off shelves and Renegade cultivated partnerships with local run crews.
Rather than pursuing traditional financing options such as a bank loan to fund expansion, Diaz instead leaned into Renegade’s biggest strength – the diversity and allegiance of its community – and turned to SMBX to raise capital for the effort. A cousin of popular crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter, businesses on the SMBX platform offer small business bonds in $10 increments with a fixed interest rate.
By the close of September, more than 200 investors had contributed nearly $200,000 to the launch of Renegade L.A. on SMBX. That was more than enough for Diaz to open the doors of the 2000-square foot commercial space and begin offering an enlivened selection of products and programming.
Optimistic and Excited
Diaz calls Renegade’s location in Silver Lake, a neighborhood well known for its funky feel, ideal for Renegade’s L.A. base. In addition to sitting about two miles from the 2.2-mile Silver Lake Reservoir trail loop, Renegade is surrounded by trendy bars, eateries and boutiques as well as indie music venues and art studios. He believes the local community is starved for a technical run shop with creativity and community at its core.
“I think I have a strong eye for burgeoning designers, product and talent, which L.A. will appreciate,” Diaz says. “We have something that will surprise people because it’s not the norm.”
He’s especially eager to plug into L.A.’s creative scene, perhaps even crafting product run specialty has never seen before, and linking up with more local run crews, including those in “creative, transformative spaces.”
“I’m excited to plug in with folks who use running as one important thing in their lives,” Diaz says. “I truly believe we can become a place where people find not only great products but community and belonging.”
