A Michigan-inspired collab: the Saucony Ride 17 RunMich
Here in the mitten, we are fortunate to experience every season, but there’s nothing quite like a Michigan summer. Maybe it’s the sand and the waves, or the sunrises as glorious as the sunsets. Perhaps it’s the feeling of sunshine and warmth, and of moving freely and easily as we embrace every last moment, knowing it won’t last.
It’s this connection to our home state summer that inspired us to partner with Saucony to create the Ride 17 RunMich. A celebration of our partnership in this great state (Saucony’s parent company, Wolverine Worldwide, is close by in the Grand Rapids area!), the Ride 17 RunMich pulls in the rich colors of sunrise and sunset, and pairs it with the deep blues and purples of our richest natural resource- the Great Lakes!
We carefully selected the colors and pattern transitions to represent the waves of the water, and the glistening reflection of the sun as it crests the horizon at dusk from St. Joe to Charlevoix and dawn from Monroe to Cheboygan.
“You know that feeling when you’re out for a run, and the sun just peaks above or slips below the horizon? It’s warm enough to break a sweat, but not quite hot enough to keep you from pounding the pavement. That’s the feeling we wanted to capture with this design” explains Jen Brummitt, Gazelle Sports CEO. “It’s a feeling we imagine every runner and walker in Michigan can relate to, regardless of where they are in Michigan."
Although the creative process began as a partnership between Saucony and Gazelle Sports, it expanded to include the broader, diverse running community in the Grand Rapids area. Photographer, Alec Arambula, is a runner with cerebral palsy training for his first marathon. Sammie Bennett, who can be seen in photos running past our store in downtown Grand Rapids, or along Reeds Lake, is founder of Friendship Miles, and Tarrick Mussa- a member of Lyon St Run Club is captured alongside her.
“If we were going to represent the Michigan running experience in a shoe, we wanted to make sure to represent the diversity of the Michigan runner in our marketing campaign as well. We don’t have a shared experience running in the mitten, without the experiences of everyone who runs in Michigan,” said Cara Cross, Gazelle Sports CMO. “We’re honored with the privilege of building community and representation alongside these talented and vibrant individuals.”
The Saucony Ride 17 RunMich can be found exclusively at Gazelle Sports store locations, and on the Gazelle Sports website.