It might seem a little odd that a tampon commercial was one of the most talked about ads on Super Bowl night, but after the Seahawks scraped up their broken hearts and the various and sundry beer ads came and went, the Always ad—which featured young girls and boys doing their best imitation of the phrase “run like a girl” and showed how girls’ self confidence can be crushed at the onset of puberty—was still on people’s minds.
And it hit home a certain point: “Run like a girl” is still an insult.
Running like a girl. Photo: Oiselle
Always isn’t the only brand that’s trying to change the connotation of “run like a girl.” Seattle-based women’s running apparel company Oiselle, which Sally Bergesen started in 2007 and which is seemingly exploding in popularity among runners, is trying to reframe women’s running, as well.
Indeed, in 2013, Oiselle put on a show at New York Fashion Week, which was unheard of for a running brand, and last year they added Olympic darling Kara Goucher to their roster, complementing an already killer roster of badass pro women runners, including the highly visible and outspoken Lauren Fleshman, who’s known for talking opening about women’s issues in her personal blog and column for Runner’s World. (She’s written about everything from a woman’s post-baby thigh cheese to fighting against the belief that women who have muscles look like men.)
For Bergesen’s part, she wants to see women taken seriously within the running market. Women purchase more than half of all running shoes, after all, and in 2013 they accounted for 57 percent of 10K participants and 61 percent of half-marathon racers. Despite these statistics, most gear is designed by men who work at bigger running brands. “I’m not against all male teams,” she says. “I just don’t think they’re well suited to design and produce great women’s apparel.”
In addition to making female-focused gear, she and the other women of Oiselle are trying to create a community, to put on events and runs, and to do things like show up in New York, to demonstrate that women’s running can cross over in a lot of different places, and in ways that men’s sports can’t.
Girl gear, made by female designers. Photo: Oiselle
They’re trying to grow as a business, too. They just hired a new (female) president, Atsuko Tamura, who previously headed up two other Seattle heavyweights, REI and evo, to try to put them on par with the big-name brands, not just female focused brands. “As we reach higher altitudes, it’s my top priority to bring on the right people at the right time, “ Bergesen said.
This women’s movement is happening in other sports, too. Particularly ones that aren’t necessarily female-focused. For example, in October, Spike Lee put out a documentary called “I Throw Like a Girl,” about female little league pitcher Mo’ne Davis.
It seems that, like the Always ad said, the best way to fight the stigma is to just keep running like a girl.
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