From Issue Seven of Gear Patrol Magazine.
Nike and Adidas may have long set the trends for stylish running gear, but a small brand based in Paris is trying to change that. It’s called Satisfy, and in many ways, it’s an anti-running running brand. Founded in 2015 by Brice Partouche, Satisfy isn’t so much interested in fitting into the current running world as it is in totally pushing the boundaries with fabric, color and overall design.
Partouche came to running later in life. “I started running after decades of skateboarding,” he says. “My girlfriend at the time was into running, and I’ve always been a vegetarian, a vegan — I’m a very healthy person.” Partouche fell in love with the meditative aspect of the sport and quickly began logging 125 miles per month. “Everyone has a personal reason for running, it could be wellness or getting fit, or in my case, it was stepping out of my comfort zone.”
Stylistically, Partouche’s tastes didn’t really fit what most would consider typical for a runner. In fact, he found himself struggling to find gear he felt was cool. “It’s funny that even with rebellious roots, running has never really embodied a strong rebel subculture the way skateboarding has,” he says. Partouche pulled that thread, prototyping designs for a year before finding factories to produce them. His choice of colors — black, white, blue and some hints of tonal tie-dye — express Partouche’s desire to “alter the perception of runners to the rest of society,” he says.
In keeping with the rebellious qualities of Satisfy, Partouche looks beyond the fitness world for materials, using the same suppliers as many luxury fashion houses. He also works with manufacturers like Schoeller, an innovator in materials manufacturing. It’s details like these that set Satisfy apart and have helped fuel its organic, cultlike following.
