by Ryan Fennelly & Lionel Brahim Brodie III
"Drums please!"
"Summertime" was released by Jeffrey Allen Townes and Willard Carroll Smith II (DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince) on this exact date 23 years ago. As a person who was also born and raised in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I am going to state, without any bias, that it is the National Anthem of Summer! Memorial Day, the unofficial beginning of Summer, is approaching.....and that could only mean one thing: new brands (bet you didn’t see that coming)!
Well it just so happens that your Philadelphia Runner family has recently added a few new (and one kinda new) brands to our offering, keeping us stylish for the remainder of the Spring and Fake Summer as we roll into actual Summer in a few weeks.
"Yeah, I gotta on sneaks but I need a new pair....."
Birkenstock is a German company that was started in 1774. For the history nerds like me, this is the same year Philadelphia became the first Capital of The U.S. Of America (technically First Continental Congress, but who’s keeping score?) Birkenstock is the inventor of the anatomically innersole or "footbed". Highly regarded by medical professionals, Birkenstock models are used by runners and athletes as recovery footwear but also have great fashion and lifestyle appeal.
The two "Birks" we carry are the Arizona (Buckle) and the Giza (Thong). We have them in leather, synthetic, and in EVA. The EVA models have the patented Birkenstock footbed, and are waterproof, lightweight, and washable. The leather and synthetic (Birko Flor/ Birkibuc) sandals use a footbed made of cork and latex. This footbed offers great shock absorption, flexibility, and durability.
Sprints, on a mission to help all walks of life SWEAT IN COLOR, started in 2019. For the history nerds like me, this is 1 year after THEE Villanova University's Men's Basketball team won its last NCAA Division I Tournament and brought our great city its last championship parade (just in case anyone forgot haha). Sprints prides itself on great colorways, light fabrics, and their project to reduce 100% of its waste with initiatives such as their Hat Bag – collecting the excess fabric and defective products it produced and creating an upcycled solution for carrying clothing, shoes, etcetera.
We currently carry car seat cover towels and running caps from Sprints! The Flamingo Towel is ELITE!
VEJA is a French footwear and accessories brand that started in 2004. For the history nerds like me, this is 3 years after the Philadelphia 76ers won “Everything But the Chip”. VEJA means "look" in Portuguese, meaning looking beyond sneakers, and understanding how they are made. VEJA is at the forefront of sustainability, their products being made in Brazil with organic cotton, natural Amazonian rubber, and from plastic water bottles. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (Meghan Markle) and Catherine, Princess of Wales (Kate Middleton) rock them! We have 2 models, the Urca (casual) and the Condor 3 (running).
The Urca is one of the classic, stylish, flagship offerings from VEJA. It's a shoe that pairs well with everything in your wardrobe. The Condor 3 is a fashion–forward, high–end neutral running shoe that has a soft landing.....but also has great pop/energy return during the propulsion phase. This shoe runs about a half size big so we recommending sizing down.
Welcome back Oiselle! Meaning "bird" in French, Oiselle is a women's running apparel company, based out of Seattle, Washington, that started in 2007. For the history nerds like me, this is 1 year before the Philadelphia Phillies won their last World Series. Oiselle was the first women's–only brand to sponsor NCAA athletes when they provided the uniforms for the Yale Women's Cross–Country and Track and Field teams up until Autumn of 2016. Littlewing Athletics, an elite running group based in Bend, Oregon (it's beautiful in Bend BTW) is sponsored by Oiselle, and their roster includes/included legends such as Kara Goucher and Allyson Felix. Oiselle is currently "teammates" with another great brand Philadelphia Runner carries, Janji, as the two brands merged last year.
We have a full range of Oiselle products: headwear, tops, and bottoms.
"Leanin' to the side but you can't speed through, two miles an hour so everybody sees you."
When you hop out of your car (bike, train, bus, etcetera) stop into any of our locations (below) or continue your online visit with us to shop for any of these brands, and anything else you may need to get and stay "summer fresh"!
"There's an air of love and of happiness, and this is the Fresh Prince's new definition of summer madness."
PR Center City: 1711 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
PR University City: 3621 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
PR Manayunk: 4358 Main Street, Philadelphia, PA
PR Glen Mills: 505 Glen Eagle Square, Glen Mills, PA