We Didn't Start Here

When we started Reality Run, the priority was making gear that held up. On 100-mile race days, on pre-dawn training runs, on the drive home when everything hurts. Performance came first.

But the more time you spend on trails, the harder it gets to ignore what's happening to them. The microplastics in the watershed. The forests cleared for fiber production. The chemicals that shouldn't be in anyone's supply chain.

So we started asking harder questions about what goes into our products. Not because it looks good on a website. Because it's the right thing to do when the places you love are the same places your materials come from.

We're not going to tell you we've figured it all out. We haven't. But every material choice we make now is deliberate. Here's what we chose, and why.

Less Impact

More Intention

Low
Impact

Acrylonitrile
Free

No
Animals

Efficient
Dyeing

Polylana® Fiber

The acrylic alternative that doesn't compromise.

Most beanies, hats, and knit accessories in the outdoor industry are made with acrylic fiber. Here's what most brands won't tell you about it: acrylic is produced using acrylonitrile, a chemical classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The same classification as asbestos. It sheds 730,000 microplastic particles per wash. It takes 200 years to break down.

We chose Polylana® instead.

Polylana® is a modified fiber made with up to 90% recycled materials. It delivers the warmth and softness you'd expect from wool or acrylic. Lighter, more breathable, less static. Without the toxic chemistry. Every product is traceable from raw material to finished garment through AWARE™ blockchain technology.

28.7% Less CO₂

Lower carbon emissions than conventional acrylic production.

47.1% Less Water

Nearly half the water consumption of acrylic fiber production.

Up to 90% Recycled

Made with up to 90% recycled post-consumer materials.

Zero Acrylonitrile

A Group 1 carcinogen. Eliminated entirely from our supply chain.

LENZING™ ECOVERO™

Wood-based fiber. Responsibly made. Returns to the earth.

Conventional viscose has a problem. The production process dumps toxic chemicals into waterways, clears ancient forests for pulpwood, and exposes factory workers to carbon disulfide fumes. It's one of the most polluting processes in the textile industry.

LENZING™ ECOVERO™ is viscose done differently. Produced by Lenzing AG in Austria, it starts with wood from certified sustainable forests: beech, spruce, eucalyptus. Harvested under FSC and PEFC standards. The production process recovers more than 99% of the chemicals used, and generates up to 50% less carbon emissions and water impact than generic viscose.

The part that matters most to us: ECOVERO™ is fully biodegradable. In soil, freshwater, and marine environments. It breaks down in months, not centuries. No microplastics left behind.

Up to 50% Less CO₂

Lower carbon emissions than generic viscose production.

Up to 50% Less Water

Significantly lower water impact across the production cycle.

Fully Biodegradable

Breaks down in soil, freshwater, and marine environments. Zero microplastics.

99%+ Chemical Recovery

Closed-loop production recovers virtually all process chemicals.

Verified. Not Just Claimed.

We don't create our own certification badges. These are the independent, third-party standards our materials meet.

OEKO-TEX Standard 100

Tested for harmful substances. Certified safe for human health, including baby clothing (Class I).

EU Ecolabel

Government-backed environmental excellence. Awarded only to the top 10-20% of products by lifecycle impact.

Global Recycled Standard

Independently verified recycled content and responsible production practices.

PETA-Approved Vegan

No animal-derived materials at any stage of production.

FSC & PEFC Certified

Wood sourced exclusively from responsibly managed, certified sustainable forests.

AWARE™ Blockchain

Physical tracer technology embedded in the fiber. Traceable from raw material to finished product.

Still Running

We're a small brand from Southern California making gear for people who spend their weekends on dirt. We're not going to pretend we've solved the textile industry's problems. We haven't.

But we can choose materials that do less harm. We can work with suppliers who prove their claims, not just print them on a hangtag. We can be honest about where we are and keep moving toward where we want to be.

That's the work. Same as the trail. You don't finish it by standing still.