It may not be a new day for women’s run apparel, but it’s certainly a season of new perspective. A women-first design ethos is gaining traction and discussion on how women’s clothing is represented at retail is front and center.

Women are the majority of the running population, yet according to industry estimates, fewer than 15 percent of independent running specialty stores are owned by women, and the number of women’s-specific apparel brands available hovers around 25.

Megan Searfoss, owner of CT Run Co. is well aware of the opportunities and the difficulties encountered in selling women’s running clothes. I recently visited her store in Darien, CT, one of three CT Run Co. locations in the state. The shop is directional in its approach. When I visited the store, a female mannequin stylishly outfitted in the latest technical run wear was stationed by the front door; immediately to the right of the entrance is an entire wall featuring a colorful mix of women’s leggings, shorts and tops, all facing outward for maximum impact; and apparel is surrounded by a mix of performance and lifestyle shoes and accessories. Overall, the presentation reflects a modern view of a women’s run apparel as a “wardrobe” not a “uniform.”

The store carries a variety of brands including Craft, rabbit, Oiselle, On, and Rhone, the CT-based brand that leans into high-end recovery and activewear, in addition to apparel from major footwear brands. “Merchandise is updated often to keep product selection looking fresh,” says Searfoss, who adds that there’s always a woman on staff. “Women come here to buy clothes,” noted a female sales associate working the floor. “Women like shopping and talking with salespeople. They appreciate our help with purchasing decisions.”

Design & Material Innovation

“Today, the needs of women runners are broader and more nuanced across road, trail, race, and everyday training. The garments that rise to the top are intuitive, comfortable, and quietly technical” explains Monica DeVreese, co-founder and CEO of rabbit and co-founder with her husband of Santa Barbara Running Company. “The right textile can quietly elevate performance without the runner needing to think about it. For us, the best fabric innovations enhance performance without adding stiffness, weight, or unnecessary complexity. The goal is always to balance function and comfort while creating garments that feel intuitive, lightweight, and reliable on the run.”

She highlights the need to break the false choice between femininity and performance. “Women are still too often presented with fashion-led product that underperform or highly technical gear that ignores how women actually want to feel wearing it,” said DeVreese.  

In running circles, a current conversation starter is whether women’s active apparel is on par with men’s. “Women have access to the same fabrics and technologies as men, and today, women are largely designing for women, which is real progress. But access to materials isn’t the same as innovation,” states Deanne Buck, CEO, Branwyn, remarking that, “what’s still missing is the framework most products are built from.”

She explains: “Historically, performance apparel has been designed from the outside in—focused on weather, movement, and activity—without fully accounting for the unique physiological realities of women’s bodies. True innovation requires building from the body out, starting with health, temperature regulation, and what actually sits next to the skin. That gap is exactly why Branwyn exists.” Branwyn activewear features merino wool, a natural fiber loaded with inherent performance properties.

Elizabeth McGarry, interim chief brand and product officer, Oiselle, explains that in many cases men’s and women’s design teams are thinking about performance features and benefits that are tooled to the body they are intended for and generally coming from similar starting points. However, McGarry states, “many women will experience a broader range of transitions in her body in her lifetime, which presents more opportunity for innovation and development for our team. That is something that we are obsessing about for our upcoming collections.”

Challenges and More Challenges

Apparel can be a complex category for running stores, especially when footwear naturally takes priority. According to DeVresse, selling apparel well requires time on the floor, confidence in fit and function, and clear product storytelling. “Many of our retail partners do this exceptionally well, and when they do, women’s apparel performs,” she remarks.

Searfoss expands on these factors, noting that Fast Fashion along with markdowns and promotions on apparel  from online sales present purchasing trends that make in-store retail more challenging. “As a whole, very few people buy apparel at full price anymore — consumers in the U.S. are now conditioned to buy on sale.”  

“The cost of doing business presents a real challenge in allowing us to bring all the solutions we have for women of all paces and phases of life,” comments McGarry. “Too many women are being left out of the offering of performance run apparel, but we are finding creative ways to solve for that.”

McGarry concludes, “Most brands that exist today started with the intent to solve a ‘niche’ problem, and we see that across our whole industry. Athletes, and especially runners, have been hacking their way to comfort, utility, and style for as long as we can remember and some of those hacks spawned multi-billion dollar brands. Women’s brands will become more and more prevalent thanks to this approach and some of them will scale so big that it will be hard to remember their ‘niche’ origins.”  

CT Run Co. Darien, CT, merchandises with women in mind:

‍While men shop rifling through racks hanger by hanger, women prefer to shop with apparel facing out to see the whole garment. (Reflective vest by Belgium women-owned brand OFLUO.)