In the running world, a bandit is someone who races without registration; they just sneak in and take to the streets with the rest of the runners. It’s a bit naughty and sometimes unsafe. But it can also make a powerful statement.
The first known instance is Bobbi Gibb. In 1966, the then-23-year-old received a packet from the Boston Marathon that should have included her race number. Instead, she got a disqualification letter, stating women were, “not physiologically able to run a marathon.”
For Gibb, this response was unacceptable. So, on race day, she hid in a forsythia bush and joined the fray once the men kicked off. Not only did she complete the race, but she finished with a time of 3:21:40 (almost nine minutes clear of the current Boston Marathon qualifying time for women aged 18 to 34). Gibb exemplifies the spirit of sport: proving sometimes conventions need to be broken, old ways of thinking interrogated — and that everyone deserves their place on the road.
New York Sock Exchange
I first noticed Bandit Running gear at a Brooklyn Track Club workout on a chilly Tuesday night in Williamsburg in early 2021 — at least a dozen fellow runners in socks adorned with a snaky letter “B.”
As an avid runner and cyclist, I’ve seen sock brands fall in and out of vogue, but this felt like something different. The Brooklyn Track Club is huge, full of discerning athletes of all shapes and sizes. If that many runners were ditching their Nike Dri-FITs for a newcomer, something must be up. Socks generally aren’t the marquee piece in a runner’s kit, but they’re integral nonetheless. They’re the only touchpoint with one’s shoes, which are easily the most important part of a runner’s getup.
Bandit cofounders (and brothers) Tim and Nick West had long dreamed of launching a brand together, they tell me at Bandit’s Greenpoint store, a stone’s throw from the East River and just a few blocks from their corporate office.
“We really look toward the skateboarding world more than anything,” Nick says. “Skate brands were just basically an amalgamation of the personalities that started the brand and the environment they were in. And it just so happened that Tim was in this healthy, positive environment [at Brooklyn Track Club]. That was a part of the DNA from the very beginning.”
The approach was evident with Bandit’s first sock launch in October 2020. The team had developed a few options for the perfect running sock and wanted to get them onto the feet of their fellow friends and colleagues — a key part of the product development pipeline. Love the socks? Great. Hate them? Even better. Every review from their peers was an opportunity to learn and grow.
A few word-of-mouth-fueled, sold-out drops later, they knew they’d hit paydirt — socks that are equally durable and stylish. (After trying a couple pairs myself, I can concur: the Distance socks are plush and breathable, while the Race Weight socks provide lightweight compression for big efforts.)
Realizing they could be much more than a sock brand, they began to develop an entire apparel line, getting involved in the racing scene and continuing to lean into the Brooklyn running community.
Community-Driven Design
While Bandit retains a light-hearted spirit, the team remains committed to feedback-fueled performance. Cofounder and lead designer Ardith Singh stresses the pursuit of function and form, using pocketing as an example.
“Our first launch of half tights had one back zipper pocket and two side pockets,” she says. “We heard so much noise from the community telling us that we need more pockets. Three isn’t even enough. So, the next evolution of our half tights has seven pockets.”
Interestingly, you won’t find any runners on Singh’s mood boards. The entire Bandit team avidly follows fashion, frequently recalling the latest materials, colors or graphics coming out of Paris or Milan as inspiration.
“Fabric alone isn’t enough,” Singh explains. “All of these pieces have to come together for that end product to be what you need it to be and what the community needs it to be.”
Running Together
Bandit now has a full lineup of apparel, from sports bras and half-tights to racing singlets and a lifestyle collaboration with Hudson, NY-based artist Huê Thi Hoffmaster. Prices range from $36 (for socks) to $228 (for the super-technical Resisto Training Jacket).
The brand has also started a neighborhood running club that became an instant hit. This past January, more than 50 people showed up for the inaugural Greenpoint Runners Saturday morning run, which starts and finishes at Bandit’s brick-and-mortar location. Spend any time with the crew and you’ll see something special: dozens of Bandit-clad runners who gather regularly to sip coffee, get in some miles and connect with the local running community.
Bandit has also put on unsanctioned races, dropped surprise merch and made its presence known via pop-ups at events across the world, from Miami to Sacramento to Berlin.
Every initiative originates from a passion for the activity itself — and a desire to share it with fellow rule breakers. “We know from personal experience how much running can do for you as a person,” Tim observes. “And just, the more of that, the better.”
Bandit is still in its infancy as a brand. But so far, I believe the original bandit, Bobbi Gibb, would be proud.
A version of this story first appeared in Gear Patrol Magazine. Subscribe today
