The Run Club and Shoe Brand Partnership Changing How Community Moves and Meets

If you have seen the hoards of runners at various spots during the warmer months in Denver, it’s Cooldown Run Club. 

Maybe it was when you were driving past Sloan’s Lake to meet up with a friend at Edgewater Public Marketplace. Or maybe, you were heading into Room For Milly, paying for parking as hundreds of runners raced past you and into the doors of Denver Beer Co. Or, you were making a return at REI, watching people from all walks of life running alongside the Cherry Creek bike path, towards Empower Field. 

If you look closely, many within the group are sporting the same brand of sneakers: Altra Running. The zero drop look and feel of the shoe makes a major difference for both long distance and high intensity runners. 

Cooldown and Altra have innovative teams made up of people who aren’t afraid to take risks in their space. So when the idea to collaborate came to be; a lifestyle, community-focused run club and a sneaker brand backed by many athletes, found a recipe for success. 

I could feel the team effort by just speaking to them over a Zoom call one crisp Denver morning. As good friends, Cooldown Founder Bailey Ness and Altra Running Partnership and Event Coordinator Brittney Graff are the dream team, inspiring new and seasoned runners to feel the air on their cheeks, surrounded by others, and look good while doing it. 

The collaboration was sparked by the realization that Cooldown runners wanted to look stylish while running. They came to run but also to socialize, with each run ending at a local bar to encourage new connections.

These runners are also passionate about the sport itself, and many finish the 2-5 mile run with ease. A shoe that allows them to run fast and at a steady pace, yet also matches their outfit, is exactly what they are looking for. 

From expos to influencer events, Cooldown and Altra running have bridged their efforts to accomplish the same goals. They both realized how similar their audiences are, even if it’s not the audience originally at the foundation of either brand. 

Cooldown was originally intended to be a clothing brand. While it’s now both a run club and a brand offering functional workout clothes, Ness had planned to start with clothes and the run club was to follow. 

The weekly community gathering blew up quickly, gaining more traction for the brand than she had anticipated. The growth of the run club has been widespread, with Cooldown now in 15 cities across the nation. 

Ness was a runner in college for a Nike-sponsored school, where she became sick of wearing the same sports bras as the basketball players, the hockey players and everyone in between. With three pockets in the sports bra; one for your phone, keys and more, Ness created the pieces to be functional, yet stylish. 

“I wanted to make clothing that was specifically designed for running,” Ness said.

Altra running began with a toaster oven. Two friends and fellow runners were working at a running store, discovering the importance of the way a running shoe is built. 

They put the shoes in the toaster oven, which slowly melted the glue just enough that they could deconstruct the shoe without damaging any of the pieces. As a result, they discovered a way for a foot to remain in its natural position inside the shoe. 

That’s how Altra Running came to be, offering shoes designed to put your foot at its natural and balanced position. The toaster oven served as the first of many times where innovation has brought Altra to new heights. 

“One of Altra’s core beliefs is that you get better inside by getting outside,” said Tom Taylor, Director of GTM and Wholesale Running. “That’s one of the things Cooldown does really well.”

Cooldown and Altra running just signed a two-year contract, solidifying the continued innovative ideas and execution of both teams. With plans of hosting a Leadership Summit for the Cooldown leaders in every city where there’s a presence, Altra is investing in the community that these run clubs are building. 

“By partnering, we wanted us to stay true to ourselves and Cooldown to stay true to theirselves,” said Graff. “Given how much we value community and authenticity, they have that on such a grand level across the country and even in Canada.”

Cooldown runs on a team leader method, where each city is supported by an individual—the hype person. These are the boots-on-the-ground run club organizers, leading the charge in cities across the country where hundreds are running to gather, explore the city and connect. 

Part of the contract is a program backed by Altra Running to support Cooldown team leaders and field service team members. Called “City Spotlights,” this will be a chance for the Cooldown leaders to bring ideas to the table and receive support and resources. Each city is different, and Altra and Cooldown’s symbiotic partnership will bring this vision to life. 

For example, the runners in Austin tend to be early risers, so the city’s Austin Cooldown meetup is moving to the mornings instead of the evenings. 

“Each city is finding their own rituals and traditions,” said Graff. 

Shoe demos are another example of the many ways that Cooldown and Altra work together. Altra offers runners a chance to borrow and test out the shoe for their run at a Cooldown meetup, which has already proven to be a major success. 

The beauty of run club is that it activates all five senses. The runners are experiencing their city, enjoying the beautiful Denver weather, getting a workout in and ideally making friends all at the same time. 

I went to Cooldown on a weekly basis one summer. It turned into the perfect meeting point for myself and two friends, one who lived north of Denver and the other who was down South. We met every Tuesday night at the run club, pushing each other to run as far as we could go and catching up on each other’s lives in the process. One time at the bar after, we stood in one spot and never left it the whole evening, as more and more strangers introduced themselves and we interacted with new people. 

“You’re not on your phone at run club,” Graff shared. “To have an invaluable in person interaction is like in-person exposure and impressions that are actually real and genuine and authentic. “

The Cooldown and Altra Running partnership indicates the success of gaining a new audience through collaboration. It’s the sweet spot that so many brands are trying to accomplish nowadays.

Turns out, what started as a run turned into a movement. And it’s only picking up pace.