DISPATCH 8

Tokyo on a clear morning has a rhythm of its own. There's movement everywhere, yet it never feels chaotic. Constant motion with an underlying calm. Ahead of my trip, I'd been in touch with Kohh from Tokyo-based running collective, Trackbeats, to arrange a meet-up and shoot a new ripstop cap we've been developing. At 9am, I made the short walk from Shibuya to Verve Coffee Roasters, just beside Yoyogi Park. The cafe was already humming. Kohh had brought along Kyo, another runner for Trackbeats. Over coffee, we talked training, food and fashion, and I showed them the new CLOBBER cap and the story behind it. We set off through the streets near Harajuku Station. The muted yellow tone of the cap popped against the city backdrop. The reflective branding to the front panel caught the light as Kohh and Kyo moved easily through the shadows of the underpass. Moving alongside them, halfway across the world, I felt a quiet sense of gratitude. For the run, the friends, and the city. Tokyo's energy and attention to detail echoed everything we designed the CLOBBER cap to be.​

These past few months, we've been deep in product development mode, testing, refining and getting ready for the colder months ahead. First up, our second-edition cap. The silhouette will feel familiar, echoing the lines of our Cicada Cap, but this time it's crafted from an Italian ripstop fabric for extra durability, the kind that stands up to snags on gym equipment, tree branches and everything in between. We've also updated the logo. A reflective finish replaces the white mark, adding a subtle but functional detail for low-light training conditions. Beyond that, we're expanding our accessory line-up with a toque-style hat and performance socks, both designed for comfort on colder training days. Our long-sleeve training t-shirt has now moved into production at our factory in Northern Portugal. Made to keep you warm without overheating, the t-shirt wicks moisture away from the skin and dries quickly to help you stay comfortable through winter sessions. We've also finalised the designs for our shorts and half-tights, which are soon to begin development with a new Portuguese factory we're excited to be working with. More to come soon, including a look behind the factory doors as we bring these pieces to life.​

In late September, a new book by Jared Beasley gave us a rare glimpse into the life of Lazarus Lake (real name Gary Cantrell), often called the "Leonardo da Vinci of pain". Lake is the man behind the Barkley Marathons, a race so secretive, brutal and eccentric it has achieved near-mythical status. Staged in the Tennessee backwoods, runners navigate unmarked trails, search for hidden books scattered along the course, and climb the equivalent of twice the height of Mount Everest, all in 60 hours. Few finish, and that's very much the point. The book explores Lake's invention of the Backyard Ultra, a deceptively simple but punishing concept: run a 4.2-mile loop every hour, on the hour, until only one runner remains. It strips endurance down to its essence of repetition, resilience and patience. Beasley paints Lake not just as a race director, but as a provocateur testing the limits of human will.​

During my time in Japan, I read a short book on Wabi Sabi, a Japanese philosophy that celebrates the beauty of imperfection, impermanence and simplicity. Wabi Sabi is about noticing the subtle elegance in things that are worn, weathered or uniquely imperfect. The subtle irregularities in hand-stitched seams. Minor inconsistencies between garments where they've been sewn by different seamstresses. The natural patina or fading of fabrics over time. In a world that often prizes perfection and polish, Wabi Sabi reminds us that value isn't always in flawlessness, but in quiet imperfection and the stories objects carry with them. For CLOBBER, embracing Wabi Sabi means celebrating the small imperfections that come from hand-crafting our garments, choosing materials that grow more distinctive with use, and embracing the way our gear develops character through every tough training session.​

When it comes to training gear, fabric is more than a detail. It shapes how you move, feel and perform. Every activity asks for something different. Moisture-wicking and breathability for long runs where perspiration levels are high; a good amount of stretch for dynamic movements; durability for sessions where the garment will come into contact with abrasive surfaces, like barbell knurling or overgrown trail edges. Take cotton: soft, classic and resilient, yet it soaks up sweat and dries slowly, leaving you weighed down and damp. The solution? Blending fibers. For example, a training jersey made from a polyester-lyocell-elastane blend will deliver a balance of performance, comfort and longevity that each fiber could not achieve on its own. Polyester moves moisture away from the skin and dries fast, keeping you light. Lyocell adds breathability and softness, giving a premium feel while regulating temperature. Elastane ensures stretch and freedom of movement, so the shirt moves with you and retains its shape over time. By combining different yarns, we can tap into the unique benefits of each.

The fabric mill that we work with in Erba, Italy, to create our products, has been experimenting with different blend combinations since 1956.