Fashion Friday: The Worst Running Trends

Never ending, awful screeching noises escape the speakers of the creature we call an alarm around 6 a.m. It’s about that time to roll out of bed and stumble through your still dark room to find clothes for the run you are about to embark on, half-asleep. Believe it or not, you make a conscious decision as to what you want to look like for your workout. You can say it doesn’t matter all you want, or that you don’t mind not matching, but regardless you know exactly what you are doing.

You know exactly what fashion violations you are about to make.  

These violations do have physical benefits, you say. True. But still, fashion violations nonetheless.

Sure, you could argue it doesn’t matter much. You are about to get extremely sweaty, you are going to smell like a garbage can when all is said and done and frankly you probably aren’t in the mood to impress anyone at that hour, but your look does affect those of us fashionistas. Those who really take ample time and energy into planning their outfits, even just for a 30 minute run.  It’s both a blessing and a curse to be this type of person, because of course we look put together but we get so easily aggravated by those who make the worst choices in terms of runner fashion. Here are some of the most unattractive fashion trends we have had in the running world as of late:

1.     Compression socks. Topping our list is this awful article of clothing. We are not playing baseball, soccer or football, so why in the world are you wearing long socks? Legend has it that these socks help with shin pain and blood flow, but do you actually think these socks are helping you… They’re just socks. Normal things we wear everyday so that our feet won’t smell as bad as they would if we wore shoes bare. I understand that many runners have these mental superstitions, so if mentally you believe they work then you probably cause your body to feel less pain. More power to you, keep rocking them. Realistically though, if you are having bad pains in your legs then you probably should lay off the running anyway. Compression socks are so unattractive ladies and gents, take notes please.

2.     Vibram FiveFingers. I have one very simple question for those of you who wear these glove-like shoes: why? Why anyone would actually pay money to wear these is beyond me. You may have excuses like they’re lightweight, they’re comfortable, they’re good for gripping the trails, etc. But these are invalid because attractive shoes by Nike or New Balance have all the same benefits for the same exact price. Vibrams are not only creepy, frog-like shoes that serve no purpose, but they even have detrimental structure issues that can affect your health. According to a study by Runner’s World, wearing these shoes leads to greater risk of foot bone injury. Do us all a favor, including your feet, and choose another shoe.

3.     Garmin. There’s a select special group of runners who thrive on this device. They just love the constant chiming every mile that they run, and they love to be obsessive about pace, distance, calories, etc. I get it. I personally am one of those runners who can’t stand any of the above. I want to enjoy myself, I want to be controlled by my body and mind and not by a device.  Did I mention how awfully unattractive these watches are? They’re clunky, heavy and they look so strange on runner arms. As runners most of us are scrawny in the upper body department, so why make that look even more noticeable with this giant thing?  Just use a normal watch. I guarantee you’ll enjoy running even more.

4.     “Waist Packs” (aka fanny packs). Unless you are a marathoner, or you are planning on running around that distance, you absolutely do not need a fanny pack. You can survive quite awhile without food or drink, and you know you will be able to refuel along the way or after the run is over, so why wear something that is only going to get in the way? You’re going to be easily aggravated, it will probably give you a rash and it looks awfully strange. Like I said, if you genuinely need it for your health, then by all means go for the gold. Otherwise, just don’t. Please.

5.     Athletic sunglasses. When we first start running, we think we look so cool wearing sporty sunglasses (guilty) but that is so opposite of the case. Sunglasses do have their benefits, the main one obviously being they protect your eyes on summer afternoons when doubling seems unbearable; but they leave awful tan lines, they get in the way and slide off when you sweat too much and they are a little dorky. Maybe if they suddenly make some hip looking running sunglasses one of these days, I will take this item off my list of fashion violations… But for now, avoid the glasses. You don’t look like 007, this isn’t a James Bond movie.

All I’m saying, ladies and gents, is that even in the world of running, fashion violations exist. I get it that some of you don’t care and never will care, but for those that do, pay attention to these Fashionista Friday articles to improve your athletic attire. Usually if something looks strange when it’s not even on you, it’s not going to look at all better once you put it on (AKA Vibrams, compression socks, etc.). Maybe dressing in some awesome gear will even make you run faster.

Shelby Davidson is a junior journalism student at the University of Florida. She was a state champion in cross country and track as a high schooler, qualifying for Foot Locker Nationals her junior year. She ran cross country and track for two years on a scholarship in college at UF, but retired before her junior year to pursue career aspirations and workout on her own. She currently is interning with some big companies, and her professional interests for the future involve magazines, fashion and advertising. Shelby loves fitness, cooking and baking healthy food, writing articles, dark chocolate almonds, fashion, photography, tumblr, the beach and family/friends. Watch for her articles on Elite Daily and The Lala, or feel free to ask her for running advice!

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