Hi! Welcome to our DWNTWN community.
I’m Kristen Shenk, the Founder + Creative Director of DWNTWN Run Co.
I wanted to share the inspiration behind DWNTWN.
In talking to my runner friends, I realized that many women (including myself) have a habit of stashing things in our bras while running. After hearing many consumer stories about ruining their phones (due to sweat or dropping them), skin getting cut by keys, and embarrassingly pulling out sweaty credit cards to pay for post-run coffee, I knew there had to be a better solution.
Secondly, I felt that the culture of running (and you!) deserved better, cooler, more stylish solutions. When I walked into a running store or shopped online, the array of gimmicky belts, bands, and bottles did not match the fierce and badass attitude of running.
Why wasn’t there a running brand that served the highly specific functional needs of runners, and also looked & felt cool & fierce?
Let’s face it: Running is hard! It requires dedication, motivation, consistency, mental strength, and a summoning of your best and most fearless self. The last thing you want is another thing that gets in the way.
At DWNTWN, we want to eliminate distractions and help you feel confident and strong on your run. Our signature launch product, the DWNTWN Run Bra, is the result of aggregated consumer feedback based on runners’ habits and preferences. We wear-tested many different pocket configurations to land on our strategically placed pockets — to minimize bouncing and maximize easy access to your stuff. And we designed a super flattering fit — just the right amount of support and no pulling, pinching, or chafing. We’re using high quality Italian fabrics that are incredibly cozy, and we’ve even incorporated sweat-proof and EMF-blocking material innovation into the bra’s phone pocket. We will be following this up with additional products in our pipeline, so stay tuned! Every product we create fulfills our vision of combining function and style for the modern female runner.
Thirdly, after working in-house at big athletic brands, I wanted to create a brand that is truly focused on female runners. The “shrink it and pink it” model of creating women’s product from men’s templates is no longer acceptable. DWNTWN’s products are designed by females and our brand is focused solely on female runners. Though one of the most challenging products to design and develop, we are prioritizing a product that is the foundation of every woman’s running kit and a product that she cannot run without…the sports bra.
Lastly, the product & brand are inspired by the experience and lifestyle of New York City running. My running experience shifted when I moved to NYC 5 years ago from the Pacific Northwest. I traded in trail-running for bridge-running, and used running as a way to explore the city, to ground myself in this massive concrete jungle, and to make new friends through NYC’s very special running community. The intoxicating high, invincible feeling, and beautiful chaos of running through the streets of New York City is unmatched. We want to convey that feeling within this brand. 
If you have any thoughts, ideas, or comments about what could make your running experience better (or just want to say hi!), our team would love to chat. Please DM us on Instagram at @dwntwn.run
