From baggy gray winters to neon spandex and everything in between, our sport is among the most vulnerable to questionable wardrobe ensembles. Here, ripped from the Runner's World Sneakers MB-EMERALD-13 White, interesting outfits we’ve showcased in the past 50 years.
January 1969
When we started this project, we knew we’d encounter some seriously short shorts. And in the 1960s, if you weren’t running in khaki pants, you were probably wearing the shortest of shorts. This 1969 cover, from back when Runner’s World was called Knee High Boots FLY LONDON Morsfly P144650001 Brown, is just one example of such thigh-baring apparel. The thing is, short-shorts were the least of the fashion faux pas.
January 1972
The AAU men’s cross-country championship in 1972 featured a range of kits, including tucked-in singlets, jean shorts (194) and Blues Brothers-worthy shades.
April 1975
Writer Ray Hughes was tired of shirts sticking to his skin after long runs, so he created this “shirt made of holes” he originally heard about from another runner. Hughes made the shirt from a child’s toy hockey net. How is it beneficial besides allowing airflow? “Maybe your AAU officials don’t mind you going shirtless, but I’m not going to run a race looking like I’m on a workout,” he wrote.
September 1977
Ballet Shoes Ultragirl Fly.
October 1978
“European-cut” Helsinki Singlets from Sport International provided a snug fit and see-through abdominal meshing.
November 1978
The 1978 Falmouth Road Race featured smokin’ outfits (plunging necklines!), smokin’ temperatures (high 70s) and a smokin’ fast field (including winners Bill Rodgers and Joan Benoit).
January 1981
An early version of the shorts-over-tights theme. The article noted that by “Exchanging running shoes and shorts for leotard and tights, [writer Ian Jackson] discovered heightened awareness of body locomotion.”
June 1981
A feature from the early ’80s provided several tips on how to run safely in the heat. Matching outfits with your significant other, or #twinning, wasn’t one of the tips.
zapatillas de running constitución ligera 10k talla 43.5 | July 1981
Not even the sport of running could escape the big hair and pancake makeup of the early ’80s. Sisters Judy and Audrey Landers—appearing on television shows like zapatillas de running Adidas hombre distancias cortas blancas and Dallas, respectively—lived and ran together in Beverly Hills.
July 1982
There was a surge of women’s-only races in the early ’80s—and with them, a profusion of “let’s get physical” winterbands.
May 1983
A windsuit windfall. As the article said, clothing can’t make you run like a “cardiovascular animal,” but it can make you feel that way.
May 1983
In addition to its sartorial appeal, the Breezie promised to trap winter, shade your eyes, and keep your head 10 degrees cooler.
November 1983
This collection of winter clothing showed that if it’s waterproof, windproof, and bright (yellow), you can survive any cold-weather running conditions.
July 1984
As the routine in this article advised, a strong middle is important for your posture and your running. Also important: Longer shirts and shoes without Velcro.
September 1988
Spandex was given its due as part of the magazine’s “Street Inspiration” section. The Nike purple tights in the center cost $36.
July 1989
This appeared with the feature “Great Workouts” by running guru Jeff Galloway. The text to the right of the glowing yellow tights reads, “Sands of time: You don’t have to run hard often, just effectively.”
September 1989
The turn of the decade N985 a running-tight renaissance today’s Lululemon executives would approve of. The author of this feature gushed, “Look at the legs, man. Look at those legs.”
May 1990
This spread on “Cool Threads” confirmed that summer is meant to “run light and loose” with bold prints and high-waisted shorts.
May 1990
The crop top look may not be in style anymore, but it worked for Ken Souza, who at 25 years old was one of the best biathletes (run/bike) on the planet. “Why not?” Souza said in the article about his flair. “People want to see a show.”
September 1993
Jon Sinclair, an Olympic trials qualifier in the 5,000 meters, appeared in this feature. “I’m not the flashiest runner,” he claimed, but those tights beg to differ.
May 1999
Stories about apparel in 1999 still included running brands’ phone numbers for readers to purchase the featured items. The number next to the model for Moving Comfort—now owned by Brooks—is still in service. We doubt that outfit is still in stock, though.
June 2005
White shoes and soccer-inspired shorts graced the table of contents in this issue.
December 2010
Ultrarunner Lisa Smith-Batchen became the first woman to run 50 miles in every state, accomplishing the feat in just 62 days. During the trek, the flowery one-piece running dress wasn’t her only unusual clothing item. She ran dozens of miles in pink Crocs to combat swollen Hiking.
Kit has been a health, fitness, and running journalist for the past five years. His work has taken him across the country, from Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, to cover the 2016 Olympic Trials to the top of Mt. Katahdin in Maine to cover Scott Jurek’s Chunky sneakers en mezcla rosa Antonia de Steve Madden in 2015.
Brian has spent more than a decade focused on creating compelling news, health, and fitness content—with a particular interest on enthusiast activities like running and cycling. He’s coordinated coverage of major events like the Paris Olympics, Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, and Tour de France, with an eye toward both the professional race and the engaging stories readers love.
