A running cap doesn't sound like the best strategy to start a brand. For Ciele Athletics, it was enough.
The Montreal-based brand built its reputation on the GOCap, a five-panel running cap born from a desire to meet the practical demands of running without compromising on protection. Today, the GOCap remains a staple in any collection, alongside a wide range of technical apparel and accessories.
What makes Ciele intriguing is that the brand has always treated running as a discipline existing outside just the start and finish lines. For years, its own journal has focused on the people and communities around running. Run clubs, destinations, adventures and the less tangible reasons people keep returning to running. Its philosophy can be epitomised easily by the phrase Everybody Run.
That same attitude is reflected in the product ranges today. The original GOCap has evolved into a number of different iterations, from top of the range race caps to technical variations designed for all conditions and attire. The latest range includes everything from accelerated cooling, wicking and anti-odour fabrics to reflective NiteRite capsules with COOLmatic | PLUS MIKRAmesh™.
But the appeal remains simple. A good running cap should not only protect you from the sun, keep you comfortable when you're sweating and blend into the experience. It should also look the part where you feel that sense of accomplishment and you're tasting that post run espresso.
Ciele achieves the right balance. Perhaps that's the reason the brand now operates as part of the wider visual language of running without needing to be. The products are certainly technical, but they're also thoughtful. Performance matters, as does personality.
Running has never been only about running. Ciele understands that better than the vast majority.