Why Running Wylder's Katie Douglas is Aiming for 'Good Enough'
A Sweat Lookbook profile and film, presented by Currently Running Apparel
I’ve wanted to feature Katherine Douglas, founder of Running Wylder, here for a long time, because I am obsessed with her style and perspective on the sport. But for some reason, I never got around to scheduling Katie for an interview, although we are often in touch and often conspiring. I’m now convinced that there was a reason for my delay. Bigger things were afoot.
I met Nash Howe, the founder of Currently Running Apparel and a talented filmmaker, at his pop-up for the NYC Marathon a few weeks ago. We chatted a bit about running and storytelling, and he later reached out to ask if there was a story on which I wanted to partner with him and Currently – free rein. It’s almost unheard of for a brand to engage with a creator this way (take note!), and I was intrigued at the chance to shape the narrative.
At once, a story came to mind: Katie, her son, and the world she’s building at Running Wylder. I’ve seen content around motherhood and sport before, and even stories about stroller running, but I’ve never seen it done in a super nuanced or editorialized way, let alone the kind of stylized content that you see all the time these days coming from the trails or the “cool kid” running brands. So I pitched Nash on the idea of making motherhood and stroller running feel vibey. I knew that Katie could make anything look chic and that Nash would capture her story with care.
TL:DR: What follows is The Sweat Lookbook’s first-ever feature profile, accompanied by a short film by Nash. After you’ve watched and read it all, let me know your thoughts on what we’ve come up with in the comments. One subscriber who comments will win some new Currently kit in thanks for being a part of the TSL community.
Good Enough
Katie Douglas is an Aquarius.
When I learned her star sign, everything about her started to make sense. You see, I am an Aquarius too.
“We’re creative, passionate people who don’t like following the status quo,” she wrote in a banger of a newsletter titled Thoughts While Running #32 this September.
I don’t know when I stumbled on Running Wylder, Katie’s newsletter, which she launched in 2023 to chronicle the process of building her store, also named Running Wylder. It was early in my Substack journey, and from the very first, there was something about Katie’s confident, joyful, “If you build it, they will come” approach to business, training, and motherhood that resonated deeply with me.
I should have known it was in the stars.
***
Katie Douglas knows who she is and what she likes.
Her boutique in San Francisco’s Noe Valley is – in her words – a “retro Scandi sport” haven for people who run. The cashwrap is made from butter yellow tiles and red grout. Atop it sits a floral arrangement that Katie arranges each week, sourcing colorful blooms from a local market where she runs on her days off. The bathroom is painted in alternating green stripes, and sculptural rafia lamps cast a soft glow over the shoe wall. The mascot is an anthropomorphized croissant named Crusty drawn by a friend.
She hosts full moon runs with celestial tarot card readings, a summer wine series, and DIY “FatTech” tee shirt nights. The clothing on the racks isn’t always steamed – “Who has the time?” she says – and the brands represented are all ones Katie loves to wear – from vintage tees and UNNA long sleeves, to Bandit bras, and Pruzan shorts. She styles them with pieces from her own wardrobe – baggy track pants, tye-dye, layers of jewelry – and poses for selfies in front of an arched mirror, which proclaims the store’s motto: have a nice run.
“It’s about warmth, texture, color,” Katie tells me, Zooming from her home on a Monday when the store is closed. “People enjoy that it feels personable—imperfect in a way that gives them permission to be themselves.”
I think it’s more than that. People feel permission to be themselves when they step inside Running Wylder because Katie gave herself that permission first.
“Entering my 40s, I’m more sure of where I am in the world,” she says. “What feels right and what doesn’t.”
A designer with a background in concepts and trends, and a resume that boasts decades of work with names like Lululemon and Old Navy, Katie was inspired to start Running Wylder because she couldn’t find anywhere to shop for the kind of gear she wanted to wear. A lay-off and feelings of frustration with a corporate world that hemmed in her creativity kickstarted the dream, and in October 2024, after a lot of hard work I am glossing over here, the store opened its doors.
“In corporate, I felt pressure to show up a certain way,” says Katie. “When I worked in concept and trend, I felt like I had to look the part to pitch trends, and I was constantly being told the trends were wrong. Now I can throw stuff out there—and it sticks. I can put together the weirdest outfits, and people love them. That builds confidence. In corporate, being told you’re wrong constantly makes you feel like the square peg in a round hole.”
So Katie built her own square – from butter yellow tiles.
“I don’t have to fit in anymore, “ she says. “Total freedom.”
From the beginning, some people got Running Wylder, and some people, usually men, did not. “I can’t tell you how often a man walks into the store and assumes that because I am a woman and the store looks colorful and different than what they are used to, that we don’t sell men’s running gear,” she says.
Of course, being different is the point.
***
Katie Douglas is a mother.
Running Wylder pays homage to her son, Dougie, whose middle name is Wylder. The choice was sentimental and signals Katie’s commitment to integrating Dougie into the fabric of the store. As a small business owner, the lines between work and life are blurry at best, nonexistent at worst. Dougie joins group runs in the jogging stroller on Sundays and helps close up shop. He solves puzzles on the sales floor and finds shoes in back stock. It’s an arrangement born of necessity that comes with its own rewards.
“I think that’s what draws people to the store,” says Katie. “It’s very authentic. People show up to Sunday runs, and Dougie comes running through the door. It feels personable. A lot of running stores now—the more ‘third-wave’ ones—feel sterile.”
At the same time, Dougie gets to watch his mom grow as a leader in both the business and the community. It’s a difficult balance to be sure, and comes with plenty of sacrifices. But Katie’s not one to dwell on so-called “mom guilt.”
“I forgot to order decorations for his birthday party, so I was overnighting them last night,” Katie says. “I don’t make things from scratch. I don’t have time. Being a mom is part of my identity, not my whole identity, so sometimes it feels in the background. This morning is a perfect example—it’s his birthday, and he got up at 4:45 wanting to put together Legos. So instead of working, I put together Legos for two hours. You just have to be okay with it because that’s the way it is.”
Her mantra for motherhood – and for life, really – is: good enough.
“‘Good enough’ as a parent is so important,” she says. “There’s no time or space for perfect—it doesn’t exist. It’s always a choose-your-own-adventure.”
***
Katie Douglas is a runner.
She has been for most of her life. But she’s not chasing marathon PRs, or tracking nutrition, or mapping out mileage right now, or maybe ever again. Half marathons are more her speed if she’s looking for competition. Marathon training isn’t well-suited to the life she’s building. Three-hour long runs are tough to justify. For Katie, running is an essential part of who she is, but – even as she builds a business in the sport – it’s not and can never be the whole.
Balancing running with the store and motherhood means spending a lot of time with Dougie in their jogging stroller, pushing him up and down San Francisco’s gnarliest hills. “I’ll run him to school, or if he’s daycare-sick with a runny nose but bouncing off the walls, I take him for a run,” she says. “It’s how I get my needs met, and he loves it too. It’s something important to me that I get to share with him.”
Running Wylder serves a similar dual purpose. Integrating Dougie into the store’s community is a necessity – working weekends isn’t for the faint of heart – but the juggling act enriches both Dougie’s and Katie’s experiences.
“I love that he gets to be around people constantly—neighbors, customers, other kids,” says Katie. “It’s important for him to know community. We live on the first floor of a Victorian, and we have two women in their 60s above us who he loves. He hears them in the garden and yells, ‘Mary Lorf? Is that you?’ And runs outside. It’s hilarious.”
For Katie, good enough means making the most out of what you’ve got. Fit the run in however you can, even if it’s a slow plod around the neighborhood with the stroller. Let Dougie play in the store, even if it messes up the merchandising.
Good enough can feel great if you let it.
***
Katie Douglas is an Aquarius.
According to the legendary astrologer Susan Miller, Aquarians are “happiest when you can freely follow the path you’ve chosen without interference from others.”
In speaking to Katie and following her story, I’m struck by the way that she’s creating a life that feels fully her own, so that each piece organically serves the others. Running feeds the store and the community, but also her and Dougie’s relationship. The store is a business, but it’s also a creative outlet, supporting Katie’s need for self-expression. Being a mom keeps Katie grounded, but enriches her running and the store, too.
As we wrap up our Zoom, I ask Katie about the philosophy behind her design choices, and, like so much of our conversation, I think her answer revealed something more than just a keen eye for style.
“I’m following my gut,” she says. “That’s how I always designed. I think the best designers follow intuition rather than evidence. That’s where I struggled at Old Navy, they wanted evidence. Intuition says something is trending, but because you’re ahead of it, there’s no evidence. Old Navy needed to see it in stores… which meant they were always a year late.
So I follow my gut. Some of it is directed by the people who shop with us. But I also think there’s something to the idea of integrating these more expensive run brands into everyday life. Like, how do you style a $200 wind jacket so you wear it daily, not just for running? That’s true integration.”
“And you’ve built a life that lets you test that,” I say.
I am so proud of my daughter. My heart swelled and tears filled my eyes as I read this. I have the honor of being her mom and Dougie’s Grammy. It’s a privilege that I cherish. When I make a trip to SF for a visit, I love watching Katie interacting with the people who come in to her store. She is so knowledgeable. Plus she makes every customer fill important. She is truly awesome and special. 🥰❤️❌⭕️
Katie is truly a modern hero and someone I deeply respect and look up to. You captured the most beautiful parts of her in a way that she absolutely deserves. Loved it!!