Welcome to High Tones

Dear Runner,

Sam Lohse reached out to me with a super interesting angle on reviews:

The premium and ultra-premium apparel movement is moving forward somewhat unchecked for its performance claims.

Maybe not wholly unchecked, but checked less than we think is useful to those considering making a purchase.

We love these brands and dig their effort in design. Absolutely everyone and everystyle is welcome. Any entrepreneur taking a risk on an idea in the heart should be fully celebrated and championed.

But if you’re marketing to runners we want to make sure that at the end of the day, no matter how good we look, that we can actually run in the gear.

We believe that expensive gear should last longer and perform better than less expensive gear.

Innovation is to be celebrated even when it makes gear more expensive only if it actually delivers a better running experience.

While we love this concept, it’s a work in progress. We’re looking for ways to test expensive gear in ways that speak to fit and longevity and value.

To be honest, sometimes these reviews might simply feel like a celebration of premium gear and other times a wet blanket.

Our intent is to be runner-first. Consumer-first. If brands are making goods that require us to open our wallets wider than ever before, we want to keep them honest to their perfromance claims.

Sam Lohse is going to be the frontrunner on this conent, but you’ll see Wolfie and me jump in from time to time.

Enjoy,

Josh, Borderlands founder