Oiselle Launches Fall ‘24 Run Collection, Partners With WDWC
Oiselle is launching its Fall 2024 collection over the next two months and the drops and styles bring rich colors and elevated comfort ahead of marathon season.
And in other news at Oiselle, the brand recently entered into a partnership that made it the leading sponsor of the first-ever Women’s Decathlon World Championships, which took earlier this month in Geneva, OH.
As a women-founded and led brand, Oiselle has a long-standing commitment to creating running apparel thoughtfully tailored to fit the needs of women in running and to address gender discrepancies in sport. The new partnership embodies this commitment as title sponsor for the Women’s Decathlon World Championships, which took place at the same time as the Men’s Decathlon in Paris to highlight the omission of Women’s Decathlon at this year’s Games.
"Sport transforms women’s lives on a fundamental level and breaking down barriers within our sport landscape is key to building accessibility for a more diverse field of athletes," explains Oiselle CEO Arielle Knutson. "We are thrilled to be supporting the Women's Decathlon World Championships to create a more equitable landscape in track & field for Decathlon."
Oiselle’s Fall ‘24 collection includes bold colors, deeper offerings within its reflective collection for darker evening and morning running and an expanded athleisure and loungewear collection for post-run recovery.
Fall 2024 Highlights:
- Lux Life Tank ($54): This fitted tank, made from Oiselle’s most robust Lux fabric, comes in a classic racerback and scoop neck silhouette. The compression provides support and aids recovery after intense workouts, making this new top the ultimate rest-day option.
- Glow Tights ($128): The newest addition to Oiselle’s reflective collection, the Glow Tights offer warmth, waistband loops and Plya reflective birds detailing on the side panels. Additional reflective zipper openings at the legs for easy on/off help keep you comfortable and safe during dawn and dusk training sessions. Launching in September.
- Plya Track Pants ($98): A technical track pant that offers elevated structure but with the comfort of a favorite sweatpant. Launching in September.
- Lux Highline Hoodie ($120): Oiselle’s Lux Highline Hoodie comes with a built-in neck gaiter for added warmth and a facial hug. It also comes with a large center back zip drop-in pocket for essentials storage. Launching in September.
- Firecracker Insulated Full Zip ($178): A lightly insulated jacket to offer warmth over a base layer while still offering visibility to oncoming traffic, the sleeves, panels and back of the Firecracker Insulated Full Zip come with a reflective bird print. In addition to five main pockets, there’s also a hidden stash pocket in the collar that comes with a hood. Launching in October.
In addition to these new styles, Oiselle is bringing fall-ready colors to its Essential Bird and Pocket Jogger Tights, the Altitude line of tops, Flyout and Squared Up Bras, the Runner Trucker, Flyout tops and Roga shorts.
Brooks Names Dodge President and COO
Brooks Running has promoted Matt Dodge to president and chief operating officer, effective August 1. The move comes after former president and COO Dan Sheridan’s transition to the CEO role in April.
Dodge returns to the brand’s global headquarters in Seattle, WA, after serving as VP and managing director of Brooks International based in Europe. Before that, Dodge led Brooks’ global human resources and legal teams.
In a related move, Josh Vaughan was appointed as managing director for the EMEA, bringing over 15 years of experience in the outdoor performance industry to the role. Vaughn was recently the EMEA general manager for the Icebreaker and Smartwool brands, both owned by the VF Corporation.
OrthoLite Sponsors Oregon Track Club for 2024
OrthoLite recently entered into a sponsorship of the Oregon Track Club (OTC) for 2024. Oregon Track Club’s mission is to grow the legacy of Eugene’s historic track and field community. OTC welcomes people of all ages—youth, elites, masters and other community members—to get involved in Eugene’s track and field experiences, either by watching, volunteering or participating in the events. Being a member of OTC means supporting the local track and field movement and giving back to initiatives that allow the community to thrive.
“The Oregon Track Club is an iconic group within the running community,” says Glenn Barrett, founder and CEO of OrthoLite. “We are honored to support OTC and the club’s efforts in propelling runners to reach their highest goals.”
While OrthoLite’s largest market is performance running, athletic and technical outdoor footwear, the brand also continues to grow brand partners in the fashion, luxury, workwear, safety and more casual/lifestyle footwear categories.
“For over six decades, the Oregon Track Club has been a major contributor in helping build Eugene/Springfield as Track Town USA,” adds Jane Regali, OTC administrator. “The Oregon Track Club’s motto, ‘It’s for Everyone,’ describes the community-based approach that delivers opportunities for all ages to embrace the sport of running and Track & Field.”
Inov8 Re-enters Road Running Space
Following a hiatus, Inov8 is re-entering the road running space with a shoe that reconnects runners to the road. Bucking the carbon plate trend, the trail specialists have designed a collection of road running shoes called Roadfly.
The first shoe from the collection shares the same name as the collection, Roadfly. It features Featuring Inov8’s new anatomical foot-shape fit, 18mm/12mm of propulsive Powerflow Pro midsole foam, and weighing 265g, the versatile road shoe is designed for all distances and training/racing scenarios.
Three additional shoes in the Roadfly collection will follow, with each dialed in for extra speed or extra cushioning.
Inov8 has steered away from the carbon plate trend in the design of the new Roadfly. Instead of plates and high stacks, the focus is on creating a low-profile road running shoe with a natural feel, reconnecting runners with the road, while promoting the benefits of greater comfort and foot health.
“The human foot is already perfectly adapted for movement and running in shoes with a lower profile helps you to maintain your natural center of gravity,” says Wayne Edy, who founded Inov8 in 2003. “This leads to a more efficient and injury-free running style.
“The new ROADFLY shoe ticks all these boxes and coupled with the same new foot-shape fit that features on all our 2024 trail shoes, it provides a more natural, comfortable, fast-feel alternative for road runners to add into their shoe rotation,” he adds. “We’re delighted to re-enter the road scene with a shoe that oozes the Inov8 DNA of giving runners everything they need and nothing they don’t.”
Currex Insoles Signs Tessmann and Ramirez
Currex recently signed two soccer players to its roster.
• Christian Ramirez, who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew, signed an official sponsorship agreement with Currex to help promote its CleatPro Insoles. As part of the deal, Ramirez will wear Currex CleatPro insoles, made for cleated shoes.
“I’m excited to partner with Currex. As a veteran player, I have realized that when I take care of the little things, like my feet, I find it makes a big difference in my performance on the field,” Ramirez says. “Since I started using Currex products, I find it has made a difference in my recovery.”
• Tanner Tessmann, a midfielder playing for the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) and Venezia Football Club, also signed an official partnership agreement with Currex to promote its CleatPro insoles.
“I am excited to partner with Currex. As a professional soccer player, having the right support in my boots is crucial,” says Tessmann.
New Product: Altra King MT 2
Originally introduced in 2017, Altra’s King MT is designed for trail enthusiasts and challenging terrain. Due to what it calls “overwhelming consumer demand,” Altra has brought back an updated version with enhanced features designed to elevate the trail running experience.
Features of the King MT 2 include:
- Vibram Litebase - reduces outsole weight without compromising durability
- Vibram Megagrip - provides unparalleled grip on both wet and dry surfaces
- Mesh upper with dynamically cut eye for flexibility and comfort
- Tooling drainage system for messy conditions
- Altra’s standard FootShape fit
Altra Names Kylee Barton Global Head of Product
In other Altra news, Kylee Barton has been named global head of product. Effective August 1, 2024, Barton is serving on the Executive Leadership Team, reporting directly to Jennifer McLaren, Brand President of Altra Running.
As a nearly 20 year veteran of Nike, Barton’s performance-driven approach helped create some of Nike's most pinnacle and technical products. Barton is passionate about consumer feedback, solving problems for athletes and creating team environments where calculated risks are rewarded, and people have a chance to grow and develop.
“Barton’s strengths in product design and innovation, as well as elevated team leadership, make her an impeccable addition to our executive leadership team,” says McLaren. “With her vision for our future product direction, we can’t help but feel the groundswell of excitement for what’s to come: an amplification of the Altra point of differentiation, and a continued commitment to elevated performance innovation for our consumers.”
Hoka Unveils Transport Chukka GTX
Hoka has launched a mid-height, weather-ready style designed to tackle city streets and trails. The Transport Chukka GTX turns up the vibe on the Transport franchise with a waterproof chukka silhouette.
Designed with an engineered knit collar, Leather Working Group gold-rated tannery nubuck leather upper, waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex Invisible Fit membrane with 70 percent recycled polyester face fabric and 360-degree reflectivity, the Transport Chukka GTX transitions seamlessly from the daily commute to weekend adventures.
For easy on and off, the upper features a quick-toggle lace system. Featuring thoughtful sustainable materials throughout, such as Vibram EcoStep EVO rubber outsole with 30 percent regrind recycled rubber, a 30 percent Sugarcane EVA midsole and a 50 percent soy-based sockliner.
Underfoot, the EVA midsole with rear foot-focused Active Foot Frame and smooth Metarocker provide comfort with a balanced ride. The Vibram EcoStep Recycle EVO outsole offers secure footing on a range of surfaces, and hints of reflectivity ensures 360 degrees of visibility day and night. MSRP: $200
Oofos Launches OOmy Stride
Oofos last month launched its latest innovation in recovery footwear — the OOmy Stride. Showcasing a new platform, this development delivers the technology found in all Oofos styles while furthering benefits for users with an update on the best fit, feel and ride from heel-strike to toe-off.
The OOmy Stride stands apart with several design and structural updates. The new extended and rounded heel provides a better biomechanical absorption area when taking longer strides and an integrated support cradle that raises up just outside the footbed helps keep the foot centered over the platform when walking. Compared to other styles, the new outsole provides deeper flex grooves for increased traction and lug longevity.
Overall, the new platform surrounds the foot in OOfoam, as opposed to the foot resting on top of it. The OOmy Stride’s style fills a space within the Oofos product line for those with an active lifestyle looking to level-up their Active Recovery with an updated, flexible design and contemporary style.
Additionally, the new style features a breathable four-way stretch mesh forefoot, which allows the user to vent moisture and heat and most importantly, allows the foot to splay and move naturally for recovery. The lightweight material on the quarter panels hugs the rear portion of your foot to give you more support when striding, and the stretch engineered knit featured on the tongue and collar area gives a refined, snug fit around your instep that gently holds your foot in place. The heel counter features a pillowed collar to help protect your Achilles when making long strides, and an antimicrobial footbed lining helps the fabric stay fresher longer.
The OOmy Stride launches in both men’s and women’s styles with an MSRP of $159.95.
Selkirk Adds John Isner as Team Member
Selkirk Sport, an Official Paddle Sponsor at The Running Event 2024 in Austin, TX, in November, has added American tennis star John Isner to its Team Selkirk.
Although Isner does not plan to compete regularly on the professional pickleball circuit, he is excited to engage with fans and fellow players through various pickleball exhibitions and special events.
"Adding a sports icon like John Isner to our team underscores the universal appeal of pickleball and Selkirk's dedication to growing the sport," says Rob Barnes, co-founder and co-CEO of Selkirk Sport. "John’s involvement in pickleball and decision to join other Team Selkirk tennis stars like Jack Sock and Ivan Lendl in their promotion of the sport, encourages the tennis community to experience the joy and excitement of pickleball."
