As I sit down to write this, I’m on day 342 of my 2016 resolution to run every single day this year. Cumulatively, I’m at 2384 miles, which means if I’d started in NYC on January 1st, I’d be just outside of Los Angeles by now (and the weather would be a helluva lot more pleasant than it is here in northern Wisconsin). In other words, I’ve pounded a lot of miles into the last twelve months, and many of them in gear I was wear-testing for Sweated & Vetted. With that said, here’s my favorite stuff from 2016.
For warm weather:
Pistol Lake Minimalist Performance Tee.
Pistol Lake started with cotton sweats and henleys, but this year, they branched out into minimalist, high-quality, made-in-LA activewear. This tee is sewn up with a custom fabric that’s made from recycled plastic bottles and sustainably-harvested eucalyptus tree pulp. You can read my original review here. And keep an eye out for PL’s new Performance Hoodies, which they’ll be rolling out in both a pullover and full-zip.
Tracksmith Run Cannonball Run Shorts
Dual-use gear is Tracksmith’s jam, and the Run Cannonball Run shorts show just how good at it the Massachusettss based brand is. They have a seamless liner for running and swimming, but I also wore them to the farmer’s market, to barbecues, and loads of other summer events. You can read my original review here.
For cool weather:
Pettet Endurance Project Shevlin Tee
Pettet’s merino wool gear is all made in Oregon, and this updated version of the Shevlin long-sleeve tee improves on the shirt I reviewed back in Sweated & Vetted’s inaugural post, almost two years ago. Merino works like magic, and I used this shirt as an outer layer down to about 45 degrees, and still now as an insulating base layer. You can read my original review here.
Dusk Eighty Eight Compression Leggings
These thick, stretchy tights from New York’s Dusk have become one of my cold-weather running go-tos. The fabric (from Schoeller in Switzerland) is dense to retain heat and block wind, but the four-way stretch keeps the tights from feeling restrictive. You can read my original review here.
Extra bonus pick:
Victory Sportswear Speed Shoes
Victory Sportswear’s lightweight, flexible road shoe is crafted from high-quality materials with serious attention to detail. All of their models are made in Massachusetts and durable enough for serious running. You can read my original review here.
Sweated & Vetted is taking a brief hiatus for the deepest, coldest winter months, but I’ll be back with new gear from exciting new companies (and some you’ve heard of) in early spring.
Jason Brozek is an ultramarathon runner, lapsed Ironman triathlete, and professor at a small liberal arts college, where he teaches courses on sustainability and international politics.
