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"Women are more likely to run with their phones for safety, or with other safety devices," added Oiselle's Beckendorf. "We also focus on a lot of reflective detailing to ensure that early morning or late evening hours stay as safe as possible." Miya Dotson, senior manager of marketing at Brooks echoes this point, saying, "We oen hear about the 'freedom to run' and this concept is not applied with the same levity for women as it is for men. In order to be advocates of women runner safety, we offer products that help with visibility, and we should be taking into consideration how geographic location affects the accessibility of running for women in the sport — not everyone can make it to a run before the sun goes down, and running in the dark has a heightened risk for women statistically." Fabrication Focus Quality, durability, and aesthetics of the materials used in women's running gear is another point of focus. "We hear a lot from women that they want to feel like they are not wearing anything — they tend to like soer and lighter products," said Kinoka Ogsbury, lead apparel designer at Ultimate Direction. Rust of Nathan Sports has seen the same call for fabrications that wick, breathe, and remain comfortable for the long haul. "One thing our female athletes ask for is that they want the shoulders of our packs and vests to be more breathable and lighter weight," she said. "All of our packs and vests have a non-chafe binding that work with a sports bra." Jon Teipen, principal footwear product line manager for Brooks, adds that while the brand works hard to offer certain essential features based on runner feedback, a thoughtful approach to aesthetics and color choice is also essential. He emphasizes that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. "One thing we hear regularly from some women is that they don't just want a pink shoe or that they like the men's colors better. It's important to us to offer multiple color options and create a product mix that provides variety and choice to meet each woman's preference." Hood of SCARPA says that trail runners have become increasingly interested in staying on trend when it comes to their running gear. "It is now a basic requirement to tie the functionality of the product to an aesthetic look that impresses the consumer," she explained. "It is very important to our design and development team to combine the latest trends in creating styles with modern silhouettes that merge fashion and fit by mixing vibrant and classic colors and prints with functional design details like our sweat management system keeping women cool and dry during their most rigorous workouts," added Haizen of Anita. A Call to Action While brands are working hard to cater to female runners like never before, communicating with an audience who has historically played second fiddle in the sporting world can be challenging. Women are discerning and want to see footwear, apparel, and accessories on runners who have bodies similar to their own. "We as marketers have to consider the diversity and complexities of a woman's lived experiences and get them to trust our brand to take care of them from head to toe," said Dotson of Brooks. Incorporating imagery of female runners of all shapes and sizes in motion is a key strategy used by many brands. "Ultimate Direction regularly promotes its female athletes' triumphs and lessons learned into its owned media channels so that prospective female customers can see how the product is being used, what problems it's solving," said Ogsbury. Among others, Nathan Sports does lifestyle shoots with local run clubs to show how their gear functions for runners of different body types. Spandorfer of Janji says they take a similar approach, promoting diverse imagery: "Most women want to see what styles look like on different body types to show clearly how it fits." "In our marketing messaging and imagery, we always want to make sure our female consumer is accurately represented, in garments that fit well and show how they function in the outdoors," said Hambke of Outdoor Research. Whether a runner's journey starts on the couch or a top tier start line, brands are catching up to the demands of the growing demographic of female runners. In return, they gain an ever expanding following from a loyal group of runners at all levels of the sport. is is all clearly evidenced in the 2024 crop of running gear built specifically for the women's market. n 14 • January/February 2024 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com DESIGN SCARPA Golden Gate 2, $169. La Sportiva Levante, $169. Brooks Ghost Max, $150. HETTAS Alma Cruise, $198.

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