The best kind of running has long been a heated debate. Track – sheer determination to become better than you were last week. Trail – an expedition that requires an openness for anything to happen. and Road – a test of mental endurance as much as it is physical.
Road, track and trail runners are all slightly different. Different haircuts, different moustaches, different shoe allegiances. Each camp believes their way is the way, and will quietly (or sometimes loudly) tell you as much. We’re all for this petty-but-healthy competition, but our pals at SEVEN STORE have gone the other way – they’ve put together a campaign that celebrates all three, titled Track, Trail, Road The Pursuit of a Higher Self. A sort of peace treaty between the tribes, if you will.
For the campaign, rather than heading off to Ibiza to rinse their life savings on Wayne Lineker’s watered-down cocktails, a trio of mates decided to spend their summer doing something even more punishing: running. Not just one kind of running either – all of it. Track, trail, road. Each with its own personality, own gear requirements, and own bragging rights.
Track days were defined by precision. Lap after lap, shaving seconds off PBs while dressed in gear that weighs less than a hard-boiled egg. The footwear of choice, selected by SEVEN STORE, was the Altra Experience Flow 2 (due July 2025) and the Adizero Adios Pro 4 – the kind of trainers that remain elite even if you’ve stopped three times under the guise that you need to retie your laces. Trainers were accompanied by tops and shorts from Satisfy and Over Over, and sunglasses from Oakley and District Vision.
Then came trail, a discipline where nature is both your playground and your enemy. Rocks, roots, loose gravel – all elements preying on a single dodgy step, proving that trail running is all about adaptability and anticipating the worst. The crew kitted up with Osprey’s Duro 6 hydration vest, Satisfy’s Rippy Air Trail Caps and a handful of trail monsters on foot – HOKA’s Speedgoat 6, Altra Olympus 6, and Norda’s Dyneema 001. Everything built to grip, support, and survive the mud-splattered reality of running in the wild.
Finally, the road – the place for long, horizon-chasing hauls where the main battle is in your head. Long, steady, hypnotic miles broken only by the odd grimace to a passing cyclist. For road running, footwear is the conduit to keep you moving even when you don’t want to, and SEVEN’s answer is PUMA’s MagMax Nitro, Saucony’s Endorphin Elite 2 (dropping July 2025), and the Adizero Adios Pro 4. Layering comes into play as the sun drops: Satisfy’s CloudMerino tee under a SoftCell hoodie, and KA_YO_’s zip-off pants for mid-run adaptability.
It’s a great campaign demonstrating that performance and personality don’t have to live in separate worlds. Whether you’re hunting PBs, chasing sunsets, or tripping over branches, the Track, Trail, Road campaign is a reminder that all disciplines of running are worthy in their own right. To view the editorial in its entirety, click here.
And obviously, we couldn’t go an article without chucking our own ten pence in – no, we’re not going to give you any tips on raising your VO2 Max, instead we’re going to recommend some gear for Track, Trail & Road:
TRACK
adidas PERFORMANCE Adizero Evo Sl
Running on track is serious. So serious that it can be pretty intimidating. Constant laps around the same circuit are never going to be easy, but to make it somewhat palatable, you’re going to want a serious pair of runners, and they don’t come much more serious than the Adizero Evo Sl – these things look like sharks for your feet.
Continuing our black theme – because track running is not designed to be colourful – we’ve chosen this On Trek tee. Lightweight, breathable, and if it’s good enough for scallys hanging outside of St John’s Market 300 days of the year, it’s most certainly good enough for a few laps on the track once a week.
District Vision Junya Racer Glasses
When running track, you’re going to want some eyewear – unless you fancy people seeing the tears stream down your face when you realise you’re not even halfway done, and you’ve been significantly behind pace the whole time. Anyway, to prevent this from happening, we’ve chosen these District Vision shades. Nice, aren’t they?
TRAIL
Our advice for trail running is to become your surroundings. If you wear green, the terrain has to be nicer to you out of mutual respect. For the footwear portion of our selects we’ve gone with this pair of Norda 002 – Dyneema construction, Vibram sole, and a beautiful sage colourway.
We’ve chosen this KA_YO_ Insulation Vest predominantly because of its excess of zip pockets – a commodity you’re going to want to take full advantage of when trail running. We’d advise stuffing them full of Haribo, plasters and toilet roll.
KA_YO_ Lightweight Cargo Short
Just in case a trio of zip pockets wasn’t enough for your trail running essentials, this pair of KA_YO_ cargo shorts adds an additional four pockets. Stowage central over here.
ROAD
As we mentioned earlier, road running footwear has to keep you going when all you can think about is collapsing and ordering an Uber XL to take you to your funeral. This pair of Hoka Mach x2 will do that. The midsole is so massive you’ll be chewing up the asphalt like it’s a Peanut Clif Bar.
Satisfy’s CloudMerino is something of a wonder material. They’ve somehow managed to make merino wool even softer and more comfortable than it already is – good news for those who frequently experience nipple chafing.
Road running is the discipline of running where you’ll see the most people, for that reason, it’s also the discipline where appearance matters most – hence this very aesthetically pleasing Satisfy cap to hide your sweaty barnet.
