why is running apparel so expensive

DriFit shirts? Fuck that shit.

Eastbay tights for $25 and Eastbay running pants for $20.

There are a lot of "masculine" men out there with frostbitten knobs.

Join a club or training group and get sponsorship. You'll get enough gear to make it worth your while. I get about $300 worth a year...not great, but its better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

TightsMan wrote:

Is there something else out there that is comfortable, warm, and NOT bulky?

YES!!! SPORTHILLS!!!!!!

For me, those are too warm unless it's sub zero (Fahrenheit). And they're heavy. I haven't heard too many arguments against tights based on performance, just fashion. Anybody that cares that much about fashion probably is skipping running on the cold days, anyway.

it would have to be bitterly cold, and only if i was doing some sprinting which required very warm adn plyable legs.

that being said, i like my asics WP tights alot. Excellent material, it does the job when I need them. Too bad they don't sell them in the USA.

TightsMan wrote:

Is there something else out there that is comfortable, warm, and NOT bulky?

polypro long underwear, ~$20

Stater of the Obvious wrote:

There are a lot of "masculine" men out there with frostbitten knobs.

Join a club or training group and get sponsorship. You'll get enough gear to make it worth your while. I get about $300 worth a year...not great, but its better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Or a poke in the eye with a blunt stick. That's even worse.

Runnr2004 wrote:

My question is why is running apparel like tights, and DriFit shirts so expensive

Because a lot of lawyers and bankers and other yuppie dicks are joggers.

the stuff is so expensive because you're willing to pay for it.

Like another person wrote, check out TJ Max, Marshalls and Ross if you have one near you. I often find dri-fit Nike shirts from $10 to $20. Even cheaper than the Nike outlet stores.

Because people actually buy it for such prices. I sure as heck don't. I have 2 pair of running shorts that I bought at Marshalls for $10 each, 2 pair of nylon running pants: 1 for $12 from Marshalls and the other for about $2 from the Salvation Army, no tights, no special shirts, no magic powder, and I can somehow still run. Before discrediting this on the grounds that I'm not fast, remember that last time any American won a major race, tights were made of wool.

Class War wrote:

Because a lot of lawyers and bankers and other yuppie dicks are joggers.

I work at a running store in a rather wealthy neighborhood and in many ways this is true. Quite a large percentage of my customers will look at the 50% off rack, but then proceed to spend $150 on apparel for them to plod/walk 15 miles per week in. My 40% discount is what keeps me running in decent running clothing, although even that is mostly the rather inexpensize shorts and singlets. I have one pair of real running pants that have lasted me for 5 years (yes, you are paying for quality too, not just getting ripped off), but most of the time when its cold I'll just throw on a long sleeve t-shirt I got at some race in HS, a knit hat, and sweat pants. Decent shoes and socks are important, but I'm really not convinced that running in stuff that isn't Dri-fit or Coolmax is that big of a deal.

Econ 101 at most institutions of higher learning will explain the laws of supply, demand, market forces, pricing thresholds, etc.

The poster who mentioned that professionals with incomes buy running apparel are right on the mark. That's the target market since those consumers are willing to spend a certain amount of their disposable income on high tech garments.

Viva capitalism!

I love it when I'm at the running store trying on shoes or just talking to the guys there, and sure enough, some big blobular man in a suit will waddle in, look at some of the apparel, and end up asking the guys at the store if some $80 item will be a good choice for jogging 2 miles, 3 times a week, on the treadmill. . . "Does this one look ok with these pants?"

If it weren't for that bobular guy and others like him, the running store wouldn't be there. So praise the bobular guys for without them you would not have running stores--which everyone knows exist only so you can try on shoes and figure out which ones fit, then buy them online to save $10.

If you're really desperate, you can always rip the stuff off. I saw one guy run out of Big 5 with a few shirts on hangers. I was tempted to run him down and kick his ass (how often do you get the license to do that?), but thought better of it because you never know if he ripped off a knife too...

A teammate who was working in the same Big 5 used to rip stuff off...then he'd rant and rave about how his bastard manager was suspicious of him ripping stuff off...we'd all get a good laugh whenever he'd start in on the subject...

Really, if you don't want to spend the $, minimize on the high-tech fabrics. I made it through some very harsh winter training with 3 pairs of sporthills, the regular cheapie cotton socks, race day t shirts, a pair of basic grey sweats that were university-issued (really only used the top), and one waterproof windbreaker. If it is really cold wear 2 pairs of sporthills at once and a hat and gloves (I used a sporthill hat because it seemed to funnel out the sweat without getting sopped...which is important because you need to wear that same hat 2 times a day and maybe for 2 months straight).

In the summer all you need is a pair of shorts and a pair of socks. If you wash the stuff regularly in cold water, it will last a long time. I haven't bought any new stuff for 5 years...

I'm not sure whether or not that was directed at me; but I don't do that. When I lived in Providence, I was a regular buyer at one of the local stores. Since I've moved to upstate NY, I rarely go to the so-called running store (a store that sells treadmills, nautilus machines, and more barbells than one can possibly imagine, and also has a few running shoes in the back right corner, and advertises as a "specialty running store"). When I do go there, I either don't even try anything on, or else buy it if I like it.

Zed's dead wrote:

. . .running stores--which everyone knows exist only so you can try on shoes and figure out which ones fit, then buy them online to save $10.

who needs all the fancy dri-fit stuff.

most of the best ever US runners trained their 120+ mile weeks in cotton sweats and you ca nget those pretty cheap these days

keep it simple