Running is tough. Even when you’ve got perfect levels of fitness, no injuries, ideal weather conditions, and your favourite pair of shoes on, it still requires a healthy amount of dedication and effort. And now that winter has dawned, the aforementioned criteria are rarely ever in check. At this time of year, your bones ache. You’re carrying some kind of frost-induced injury. The weather is horrific. And your favourite pair of shoes have been plastered with mud and puddles. Running during wintertime is not for the weak.
Despite the horrors of winter running, there are a good number of maniacs who still lace up and get out multiple times a week. Then there are a handful of maniacs who genuinely seem to enjoy it. SEVENSTORE is one of those maniacs.
In their latest editorial, titled Performance Lifestyle, SEVENSTORE have shared their love for running during the most unfavourable of times. They’ve battled through chapped lips, wet shins and numb fingers to provide us with an excellent campaign that celebrates running when it demands the most.
Within the campaign, the run is explored through two protagonists – two enthusiasts on parallel journeys, individually putting in the work to reach a shared destination. SEVENSTORE’s narrative charts not just the route beneath their feet but the internal headspace that every runner battles through, especially during the winter: doubt, grit and determination.
For one protagonist, Amsterdam’s natural outskirts become a testing ground. Leaves cling to him as he moves, turning his run into a seasonal pilgrimage through soft earth and damp trails. His counterpart, meanwhile, takes to the city. He hammers icy concrete and slick asphalt, with skyscrapers rising overhead as he weaves through the urban grid.
As their respective routes slip beneath them, the realities unfold. Early mornings, biting cold, weather that oozes discouragement. To combat these conditions, SEVENSTORE have equipped the protagonists with the best of Performance Lifestyle. SOAR’s Long Sleeve Tech Tee and Ultra Bomber Jacket work in tandem with the ROA x And Wander Dyran Neck Warmer to fend off wind and frost. Saucony’s Endorphin Pro 4 sets the pace on feet, while District Vision’s Junya Sunglasses stave off the glare of a low winter sun.
As the run progresses, the environmental obstacles wane, peace settles, and the internal doubt quiets. Their outfits echo this mental journey. adidas and Satisfy have been recruited for heavy hitters like the Adios Pro 4 Sneaker and Rippy 3 Trail Shorts, while outdoor specialists Purple Mountain Observatory step in with the Polartec Alpha Balaclava Hoodie for temperature regulation.
As the journey progresses, a universal truth is achieved by both: no two runs are ever the same. Gear, terrain, the thoughts swirling in your head – it all shifts day to day, minute to minute.
The whole editorial is fantastic, but if we’re being totally honest, it might make winter running look a bit sexier than it actually is. But that’s exactly the kind of motivation you need during this time of year. If the images from Performance Lifestyle don’t make you want to get out there and scream into the wind with your hot breath, nothing will.
To find out more about Performance Lifestyle, visit SEVENSTORE.
