This Tiny Canadian Brand Makes Some of the Most Sought-After Running Gear

Editor’s note: This interview was originally published in June of 2019. With running being such a hot topic lately — studies have shown running activity has actually increased since the pandemic began — we decided to resurface a fun, inspiring window into one of the space’s most dynamic brands. Links for recommended products have been updated, with some now available at considerable discounts.

Back in August of 2014, Jeremy Bresnen and Mike Giles dropped the line that would change the way the running world thinks about hats. Years later, we chatted with Bresnen to learn more about the company’s roots, his running history and how the team took hats from everyone’s afterthought to the reason we run. Plus, we found out what essential running pieces Bresnen — a veteran of Burton and Canadian skiwear brand Mirage — currently adores.

Q: When you guys started, what did you feel was missing from the hat world?
A: A hat that I wanted to wear. There were two things: Nobody was paying any attention to those technical running caps from any of the major brands. They were taking existing fabric and not thinking it through. I wanted something comfortable, packable and breathable. Probably like 90 percent of the caps on the market are made out of a woven fabric. If you were lucky, they put a little mesh window on each side to [help] with evaporation. And then, our foam band, which makes for a more comfortable hat over short distances, [and] long distances. And then, the advantage that you can pack it away in a pocket if you don’t want to be wearing the hat at all. I believed we could do something better technically. The background that I come from is technical clothing designs, more on the outerwear side of things.

Q: Did you launch with just one style?
A: We launched with the GOCap in nine colors… seven colors… no, nine colors. And I think our total order from the factory was like 1,400 hats. It was a really small start. [Now,] we have four deliveries a year, so it’s about 65-75 new skus every year that come out.

Q: Did you guys sell out right away?
A: No, it took a while. In 2014, we sold a total of about 600 hats. It certainly wasn’t instant. We had this feeling that people were embracing it, as small as it was. People were getting excited about it on social media. And the stores that had it, there weren’t a lot, but they were excited about it. They were doing better than they expected to do with it. Headwear was largely ignored, right? It’s never been a category that is considered something that you can do really, really well with. And now, some of those retailers that we started with are doing really, really well with it. So, it’s fun.

Ciele Athletics co-founder Jeremy Bresnen in product design mode.

Q: Was there a defining moment when you feel people got it?
A: We say baby steps all the time. Very early on, from an Instagram standpoint, which is where most of our communication happens, we could see the right people were picking it up. It’s connecting to a wide variety of the right people, meaning that guy’s a graphic artist who’s done work for all the major brands and a ton of streetwear brands that we respect. And I didn’t know he runs, but he clearly runs. Instagram allows for that. You see people post a photo and they tag you in it. So, I wouldn’t say there was any one thing. I think it wasn’t until year two that it felt like, OK, this is going to go.

There was a group of runners called the Mountain Hobos in San Diego that latched onto it. And some people at Stance recognized what we were doing. And then November Project was sort of a result of what was happening. And I’m talking all US here because, in Canada, we had the support of Canada Running Series, [which] does the Toronto Waterfront marathon. We were the official headwear of the 2015 Toronto Waterfront marathon, one year after we had started.

And that same year, because we connected with Parkdale Run Club, we did a hat for Bridge the Gap. I remember standing there and looking around and seeing the different types of people wearing the product and being excited that there was that diversity in terms of who was coming to the brand.

Q: How did your first collaboration come to be, and what was it?
A: The first collaboration was with Janji. And it came to be out of our Boston [connection]. We have a great relationship with our rep down there, and she was involved in the November Project and running, in general. And she met the guys from Janji and they were excited about potentially doing something. So, we made that happen.

Q: Can we get a sneak preview as to what collaborations are next?
A: There is a collaboration dropping in August, and it’s our first more lifestyle collaboration. We’re doing a cap with Reigning Champ. Two Canadian brands. They’re offering more technical products recently, and we’ve been working with them on that. So, we’re excited. I don’t have the exact dates yet, but in August at their store in Los Angeles.

Q: Do you always want to stay a hat company?
A: Our goal was never to be a headwear brand. It was the product we started with. And we saw a hole in the market. And having done clothing for the last 20 years and knowing how complex clothing can be, we wanted to establish ourselves first with a premium product. And headwear by and large has no sizing, [is] unisex, [and] a lot easier. It’s super unromantic as to why we ended up there.

Q: What does your personal running routine look like, or do you like to mix it up?
A: Honestly, for the last few months, it’s been pretty much nonexistent. Generally speaking, my thing has always been the run commute — because with two kids and a business and a girlfriend and all of those things that life brings. They say that you can probably really focus on three things in life, and one of those includes sleep. So it’s sleep, family, work. And, it’s trying to find that balance. The run commute is how I found running.

Q:With run commuting, did someone suggest it to you? Or you realized you could be more efficient when running?
A: I want to say it was 2011, 2012, and I was biking to work. Biking is one of those things, you’ve got to go fast and for a long time for it to have an effect from a body and fitness standpoint. And I was like, you know what? I’m just going to [run]. If I take the metro to the South Shore, so kind of like from Manhattan to Brooklyn, and I run from the metro to work, it’s eight kilometers — manageable. At first, I was lucky if I made a hundred meters. By the end of the summer, I was making it all the way to work. [Where I worked] had showers, so it was a perfect situation — and I was doing that three to four times a week, which whips you into shape. Running along the river is a great way to disconnect. That’s how I fell in love with it. And then, two years later, I turned the hobby into a job.

Bresnen’s Gear

Lululemon Surge Run Backpack II

To run commute, you have to make sure you have enough space for your laptop, plus a change of clothes. This 16-liter bag fits all that and more.

Saucony Kinvara 10

The Kinvaras are popular for a reason — the craddled feet feel makes light work of track days, plus the neutral fit works just as well for long day tempo runs.

Ciele GoCap Standard

Bresnen typically grabs one of the original GOCap Standards in the red rocks shade — “literally the first color we ever did.”

Stance Run Light Crew St

Our team and Bresnen agree: Stance makes some awesome socks. Bresnen likes the crew height, and you can pick from a variety of colors that are constantly updated throughout the year.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

The Founder of Eternally Cool Tracksmith Shares His Equally Cool Shopping List

If you’re a serious runner, you probably know Tracksmith — the running brand that you’ll catch on every starting line — particularly around Boston, as the brand calls Beantown home. Back in the summer of 2014, the running world was missing some non-neon kits, and so after almost ten years in the running space (and a stint at Puma), Pittsburgh native Matt Taylor launched the independent running brand for runners — those who love the sport whether they’re logging miles on the trail or road. Tracksmith is known for its minimalist running kits that stand out in a sea of cut-outs, volt colors and all-black jerseys. As for the name? Break it down: “Track” hints at the running focus and “smith” alludes to the obsession with top-notch quality.

All the runners on staff are pretty much smitten with the gear Tracksmith makes, so we’re curious what strikes the fancy of the founder himself. While you can find Taylor running in head to toe Tracksmith, here are the non-running good he covets.

Ursa Major Hoppin’ Fresh Deodorant

“Crisp, fresh, really nice. It’s the perfect deodorant,” Taylor says. Throw this in your gym bag to use post-workout and pre-work.

Tracksmith x Forestbound Tote Bag

This is Tracksmith’s first collection with Forestbound, another New England-based company. Taylor is a fan of Alice Saunders, and “we’ve been talking about making a bag together for years,” he says. “I’m so excited that we finally made it happen.” The bag will become his go-to gym carryall, with enough room to store all the gear he needs to head to the Cape on the weekends.

Blackwing Volumes Subscription

“I come from a family of craftsmen and furniture makers, so I grew up with pencils all over the house,” Taylor says. A recent photo shoot with photographer Emily Maye, also a pencil aficionado, nudged Taylor to swap his pens for pencils. “This Blackwing subscription would be the perfect way to keep a fresh supply in rotation at all times.”

A Pre-Indiglo Timex Vintage IronMan Watch

“My first running watch in the early ’90s was a Timex Ironman, with the Indiglo light,” Taylor says. “I’ve pretty much run with an Ironman watch my entire life, but I’d love an early edition from the late ’80s.”

1999 PUMA Harambee Track Spikes:

“I bought my first pair of these track spikes in college and, for me, they were the gold standard,” Taylor says. He ran for Yale on the cross-country and track teams in the ’90s. “I had a pair of Adidas that were specific to the steeplechase, but I wore the Harambees in everything else. Now that I’m back to racing on the track, I want to find the pair I wore 20 years ago.”

The Purple Runner, Paul Christman:

“I’ve always heard about this book, but copies are hard to come by,” Taylor says. Hence the $59 price for a paperback book from 1983. The book tells the tale of two runners who cross paths in Hampstead Heath, one of Taylor’s favorite running spots in London.

Hill Farmstead Beer

Based in Greensboro Bend, Vermont, Hill Farmstead is on the list of all budding and experienced beer drinkers. It made our list of beers to drink before you die and has won best brewery in the world for the past five years. “Hill Farmstead is on my short list of beers I need to drink but haven’t yet. We’ve done a number of photoshoots nearby in Vermont, but our timing is always off, and we’re never able to visit when they’re open. I would imagine one of their saisons, like Arthur, would be the perfect post-run summer beer.

Restored 1968 Boston Whaler Nauset

For Taylor’s final item, he reached for the stars. “Because who doesn’t want a boat? The 16-foot Boston Whaler is the perfect little boat for summers on the water.” You, too, can pick one up for a cool $17,900 — and it’ll be perfect for Cape weekends.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

From Boring to Groundbreaking: The Tale of Ciele Hats

Back in August of 2014, Jeremy Bresnen and Mike Giles dropped the line that would soon change the way the running world thinks about hats. As we approach Ciele’s fifth birthday, we chatted with Bresnen to learn more about the company’s roots, his running history and how the team took hats from something that was everyone’s afterthought to the reason we run. Plus, we found out what essential running pieces Bresnen — a veteran of Burton and Canadian skiwear brand Mirage — currently adores.

Q: When you guys started, what did you feel was missing from the hat world?
A: A hat that I wanted to wear. There were two things: Nobody was paying any attention to those technical running caps from any of the major brands. They were taking existing fabric and not thinking it through. I wanted something comfortable, packable and breathable. Probably like 90 percent of the caps on the market are made out of a woven fabric. If you were lucky, they put a little mesh window on each side to [help] with evaporation. And then, our foam band, which makes for a more comfortable hat over short distances, [and] long distances. And then, the advantage that you can pack it away in a pocket if you don’t want to be wearing the hat at all. I believed we could do something better technically. The background that I come from is technical clothing designs, more on the outerwear side of things.

Q: Did you launch with just one style?
A: We launched with the GOCap in nine colors… seven colors… no, nine colors. And I think our total order from the factory was like 1,400 hats. It was a really small start. [Now,] we have four deliveries a year, so it’s about 65-75 new skews every year that come out.

Q: Did you guys sell out right away?
A: No, it took a while. In 2014, we sold a total of about 600 hats. It certainly wasn’t instant. We had this feeling that people were embracing it, as small as it was. People were getting excited about it on social media. And the stores that had it, there weren’t a lot, but they were excited about it. They were doing better than they expected to do with it. Headwear was largely ignored, right? It’s never been a category that is considered something that you can do really, really well with. And now, some of those retailers that we started with are doing really, really well with it. So, it’s fun.

Q: Was there a defining moment when you feel people got it?
A: We say baby steps all the time. Very early on, from an Instagram standpoint, which is where most of our communication happens, we could see the right people were picking it up. It’s connecting to a wide variety of the right people, meaning that guy’s a graphic artist who’s done work for all the major brands and a ton of streetwear brands that we respect. And I didn’t know he runs, but he clearly runs. Instagram allows for that. You see people post a photo and they tag you in it. So, I wouldn’t say there was any one thing. I think it wasn’t until year two that it felt like, OK, this is going to go.

Early on, from a US standpoint, there was a group of runners called the Mountain Hobos in San Diego that latched onto it. And some people at Stance recognized what we were doing. And then, November Project as a result — it’s sort of as a result of what was happening. And I’m talking all US here because, in Canada, we had the support of Canada Running Series, [which] does the Toronto Waterfront marathon. We were the official headwear of the 2015 Toronto Waterfront marathon, one year after we had started.

And that same year, because we connected with Parkdale Run Club. Bridge the Gap (BTG) happens in Toronto that year. And we did a hat for that. I remember standing there and looking around and seeing the different types of people wearing the product and being excited that there was that diversity in terms of who was coming to the brand.

Q: How did the first collaboration that you guys did come to be, and what was it?
A: The first collaboration was with Janji. And it came to be out of our Boston [connection]. We have a great relationship with our rep down there, and she was involved in the November Project and running, in general. And she met the guys from Janji and they were excited about potentially doing something. So, we made that happen.

Q: Can we get a sneak preview as to what collaborations are next?
A: There is a collaboration dropping in August, and it’s our first more lifestyle collaboration. We’re doing a cap with Reigning Champs. Two Canadian brands. They’re offering more technical products recently, and we’ve been working with them on that. So, we’re excited. I don’t have the exact dates yet, but in August at their store in Los Angeles.

Q: Do you always want to stay a hat company?
A: Our goal was never to be a headwear brand. It was the product we started with. And we saw a hole in the market. And having done clothing for the last 20 years and knowing how complex clothing can be, we wanted to establish ourselves first with a premium product. And headwear by and large has no sizing, [is] unisex, [and] a lot easier. It’s super unromantic as to why we ended up there.

Q: What does your personal running routine look like, or do you like to mix it up?
A: Honestly, for the last few months, it’s been pretty much nonexistent. Generally speaking, my thing has always been the run commute. Because with two kids and a business and a girlfriend and all of those things that life brings. They say that you can probably really focus on three things in life and one of those includes sleep. So it’s sleep, family, work. And, it’s trying to find that balance. The run commute is how I found running.

Q:With run commuting, did someone suggest it to you? Or you realized you could be more efficient when running?
A: I want to say it was 2011, 2012, and I was biking to work. Biking is one of those things, you’ve got to go fast and for a long time for it to have an effect from a body and fitness standpoint. And I was like, you know what? I’m just going to [run]. If I take the metro to the South Shore, so kind of like from Manhattan to Brooklyn, and I run from the metro to work, it’s eight kilometers — manageable. At first, I was lucky if I made 100 meters. By the end of the summer, I was making it all the way to work. [Where I worked] had showers, so it was a perfect situation — and I was doing that three to four times a week, which whips you into shape. Running along the river is a great way to disconnect. That’s how I fell in love with it. And then, two years later, I turned the hobby into a job.

Bresnen’s Gear

Lululemon Surge Run Backpack II

To run commute, you have to make sure you have enough space for your laptop, plus a change of clothes. This 16-liter bag fits all that and more.

Saucony Kinvara 10

The Kinvaras are popular for a reason — the craddled feet feel makes light work of track days, plus the neutral fit works just as well for long day tempo runs.

Ciele GoCap Standard – Red Rocks

Bresnen typically grabs one of the original GOCap Standards in the red rocks shade — “literally the first color we ever did.”

Stance Uncommon Solids Crew

Our team and Bresnen agree: Stance makes some awesome socks. Bresnen likes the crew height, and you can pick from a variety of colors that are constantly updated throughout the year.

Get ready to start tackling spring miles. Stock up on one of these newly released running sneakers then hit the road. Read the Story

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

How to Design an Heirloom, According to Someone Who Makes Them for a Living

From Issue Seven of Gear Patrol Magazine.

When Schoolhouse (formerly Schoolhouse Electric Co.) opened shop 15 years ago in Portland, Oregon, it sold thoughtfully designed light fixtures out of mail-order catalogs. Now, Brian Faherty’s company, which makes everything from dining tables to candlesticks, is set to open its third major showroom in a rehabilitated 1970’s police station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Schoolhouse also has permanent locations in Portland and New York City).

Faherty started making things in the early 1990s, during what he calls the “pre-HGTV” movement. He was frustrated by the lack of classic-looking lighting available to people at the time. “It was loads of ‘period-style’ [fixtures] being passed off as timeless,” he says.

Fortune brought Faherty to an old glassblowing factory in Upstate New York, where he was able to pry World War II-era cast-iron glass molds from a family business that had long since stopped using them. That find led him to a restoration company outside of Morgantown, West Virginia, which brought him to a Los Angeles metal spinner, who applied the finishing touches.

All these stops, Faherty says, formed the foundation of Schoolhouse, an outlet devoted to making things that are current, classic and never trendy. Call them modern heirlooms — the kind of everyday goods memories wrap themselves around. This fall, on the eve of the company’s Pittsburgh opening, we spoke to Faherty about what it takes to make products that last.

Q: What is the Schoolhouse look?
A: There’s something altruistic, I think. It’s not just things that look pretty and sit in a corner. It’s stuff you’re supposed to use. There’s an element of usefulness and, in most cases, there are reminders of the past. You know, something your mom or dad might’ve had, but we like to put a twist on it — a different pattern, colorway or material that makes it feel more current. So when you see a room with our products in it, it’s not like you need to buy the whole room for things to go together. It’s a mixtape, your own compilation of stuff.

Q: What do you mean by “reminders of the past”? That Schoolhouse products are traditional?
A: No, not really. I used to have a collection of pencil sharpeners and all the time they made me think, ‘What went into making this?’ Yes, it looks cool and there are all sorts of interesting materials and components there, but there’s also what it feels like, what it sounds like, how you know when the pencil is sharpened. That detail and thoughtfulness regarding how something is actually used is what we’re trying to imbue our products with. That sort of design isn’t around much anymore, at least not in the limelight.

Q: Can you give me an example?
A: Even something as simple as a garbage can. We really sweat the details for ours. You know when you go into an office building and you have the black and blue plastic garbage cans you get at Office Depot? They’re fine, they work. But for us, it’s about having garbage cans that are able to brighten up somebody’s day. There’s something in the inherent simplicity of a well-designed product made with quality materials and small, almost unapparent touches that just delights people. With the trash can, it could be the quality of the paint or our label or the weight of it — it’s just reminiscent of a different time while still being here and now, I guess.

Q: Basically, make a good product and don’t show off.
A: That’s part of what it is. It’s not a glass chandelier with crystal and gold — it’s almost the opposite of that. Like, take an old electrical box in the back of your garage. There’s an underwriter’s laboratory label on there made of a really nice steel; the fonts and kerning and information provided is just so thought-out. I think it’s those things, too.

Q: Anything else?
A: In all that, there’s a playfulness, too. I really don’t want to take things too seriously, right? That’s not cool. It’s just stuff. Beyond that, it’s striking a balance between looking back and looking forward — staying current is still important.

Q: In previous interviews, you’ve spoken about your desire to avoid trends.
A: I gave up Instagram for Lent a couple years back. I don’t watch home shows. There’s always got to be a firecarrier for the original vision. You know The Road, that book by Cormac McCarthy? It talks about people that carry the fire a lot, which is, like, a hokey way of saying people that keep you on track and going in the right direction. We just don’t want to conform to what other people are doing because a spreadsheet or PowerPoint says we should.

Q: So it’s making something with quality materials, thoughtful design touches and hints of the past — does that wrap it up?
A: That’s probably it. Sometimes you’re disappointed by the things you order. Maybe it looked great online, but once you’re holding it, just feels kind of weird. We hope that when you order something from us and you open that box up and whatever it is you bought makes it to your hands, you marvel, like, ‘Wow, this is real.’ We try to make it feel — and I hate this word — but we try to make it feel authentic because that’s what it is.