While sports and outdoor companies have been putting more effort into reaching women and developing products designed specifically for women, there is still a long runway to gender equality in the outdoors industry. While some women are actively engaged in the product design process, we want to elevate and call out those this holiday season who founded and continue to run the companies that develop and build the products. Here are nine products from nine women-founded, women-led companies.
Skirt Sports Lotta Breeze Capri Skirt
Nicole DeBoom launched Skirt Sports the day after she won the 2004 Wisconsin Ironman Triathlon—wearing a prototype skirt she made at home. There are very few women founded, women led, women run brands that reach 15 years in business but Skirt Sports did just that in September 2019. For active women of literally all shapes and sizes, Skirt Sports offers a vast line of running shorts, skirts, tops, leggings, bras and, for the cyclist, a skirt with a chamois. But the skirt that really hits the sweet spot is the Lotta Breeze Capri skirt with its flattering style and fun prints. Skirtsports.com
Lightheart Gear Firefly Tent
Not only is Lightheart Gear woman-founded and women-led, but it was started as a sewing project by virtue of the Appalachian Trail. Founder and owner (and retired Air Force nurse, marathon runner, master sewer, AT and PCT hiker) Judy Gross was hiking the AT with a 4.5-pound one-person tent that was heavy and took up the bulk of her pack space. She believed that the current offering of lightweight tents on the market could be better so she approached her first tent design, a one-person shelter, with a problem-solving perspective.
She wanted lightweight. She had to be able to sit upright. She didn’t want to trip over guy-lines in the middle of night. And it couldn’t take up the bulk of the space in her pack. She designed and sewed the first prototype in her basement. Today, in addition to lightweight tents like the Lightheart Gear Firefly, the Lightheart Gear product line includes hiking skirts, rain gear all designed and produced in North Carolina. Lightheartgear.com
AdventurHER Travel Adventure Trip Package
Most outdoorswomen today were introduced to the outdoors and mentored by family or friends who were outdoorsy. But what happens when you don’t have that conduit? Founder, owner and guide extraordinaire of AdventurHER Travel Alli Neal set out to be that conduit. That mentor. The bridge, to nudge or (gently) kick in the rear to get women outdoors “capably, confidently, and comfortably.” To say AdventurHER is woman-led is to be literal about it. Alli leads women outdoors from all skill levels to camp, climb, surf, hike, bike, ski, SUP, you name it, all while ensuring supportive environment to build skills, confidence and, really, just have fun–whether it’s a weekend ice climbing clinic in Winona, MN or climbing and canyoneering in Moab, UT, inn to inn cycling in Ireland or something completely customized for you. Adventurhertravel.com
Shredly Tina MTB Short
This woman-founded, woman-led company was started by Colorado mountain biker (via a Kickstarter campaign) Ashley Rankin when she saw an opportunity to create a specialized niche of mountain bike shorts for women. And create she did! In a kaleidoscope of wild patterns with total trail functionality. There is no mistaking a Shredly short, especially the pro-unicorn Shredly Tina. In mountain biking apparel, Shredly is as distinct . Today, she is still the designer and product tester and makes it all in Colorado. Shredly.com
MuttRuk Hit the Trail Bundle Pack
Colorado native and outdoor/dog enthusiast Gretchen Dill founded MuttRuk because she wanted to create a backpack solution for hiking with dogs. After 12 years at a desk job as a Graphic Designer, spending lots of free time outdoors, and seeing a slew of local trails shut down to use by dogs, she felt it was about time to take action in both her career and impact on outdoor spaces.
Inspired by innovative gear, and using her background in design, she took the leap into the world of product design. MuttRuk represents an attitude of adventure as well as respect for our outdoor spaces. A brand that advocates for trail clean up by providing helpful solutions, and an advocate for rescue and training to help both owner and dog grow in confidence and bond together.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign in June of this year, MuttRuk is now into production and the MuttRuck Hit the Trail Bundle Pack—which includes 14-liter pack and a rollout water dish for your dog! Muttruck.com
Astrid Wild Minna Wool Fleece Jacket
Founder and owner of Maria Paulsson Ronnback designs outdoor clothing for women by women. Inspired by her Nordic roots, Astrid Wild Outdoor Fashion is 100 percent focused on design and the woman’s body, and versatile clothing made for wild adventures, recreation and the city outdoor life.
Astrid Wild aims to inspire women to live a happier and healthier life, by spending more time in nature and connecting with like-minded women. The Minna Wool Fleece jacket is just one of their flattering and functional pieces that are sourced and produced in Europe. Astridwild.com
Freshly Minted Socks
Co-founded and owned by Suzette Ayotte, a Maine native and transplanted to San Francisco. But that has nothing to do with socks. Suzette is an avid cyclist with a designer’s eye. Freshly Minted socks have mid-century modern designs and colors and they’re made (in Italy) for the cycling life.
All socks are $20 and a portion is donated to the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, also known as NICA. Jump here to our SpinCycle News to read more about NICA to get more kids on bikes. Thefreshlyminted.com
Blyss Running Distance Shorts
Blyss Running hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Founder and owner Alyson Neel began running in her early forties by virtue of a Couch to 5k program. Running taught her that the athletic wear industry had no clue about what a woman needs and wants from her running apparel.
In 2015 Alyson used her background in fashion merchandising to design a pair of shorts. Then she made a running skirt. Today she designs and makes running wear for women like the Blyss Distance Short with deep pockets, longer lengths and higher waistbands—all while running marathons and designing and proudly making all her products in the US. Blyssrunning.com
Krimson Klover Astrid Full-zip Sweater
The heart and soul of Krimson Klover is adventure, which is what drove founder and creative director Rhonda Swenson to become a flight attendant. An unlikely beginning, yes, but connections she made while traveling soon morphed into designing sweaters and selling them through a small boutique sweater company—which she eventually purchased and became Krimson Klover. Today, Krimson Klover remains a woman-founded woman-led company whose lineup includes slow-fashion style, like the Scandinavian-inspired Astrid Full-zip sweater for the adventurous woman.
