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Blyss Running Apparel Blyss Running was founded by Alyson Neel in 2015. After actively avoiding running for much of her life, Neel discovered a love of running in her early forties. With the encouragement of friends, she quickly progressed from her first 5K to a mara- thon by the time she was 44 years old. Even though running bolstered her confi- dence, Neel found that no running apparel on the market offered what she was looking for – a functional pocket for her phone, longer lengths that didn’t ride up, higher waistbands, and stylish prints that weren’t “costumey.” Neel said, “I was looking for something that looked sophisti- cated, but felt completely comfortable, like my favorite sweater. When you feel comfortable, you feel confident, and honestly that’s half the battle when running!” In 2015, Neel produced her first Blyss Running design, and soon after began offering Blyss Running skirts, crops and shorts at running expos all over the country. The new apparel offered longer lengths to prevent chafing and riding up, a broader waistband with a continuous drawcord for a comfort- able fit and three highly functional pockets. Glade Sunglasses Looking to work with a sunglass brand that isn’t part of the gigantic optics conglomerate Luxottica? Glade, based in Breckenridge, Colo., and founded in 2016, is a skier-owned vendor of optics, helmets and other snowsports accessories. It offers “premium” sunglasses at reasonable prices. “When we say premium gear, we mean that we use the same materials, construction and pro- cesses as the biggest names in the industry,” said Curt Nichols, company founder. “We cut no cor- ners and make no compromises in our gear.” The new Prospect sunglasses strikes the balance between “fast” sunglasses and ones that look good but slip and fog up when biking, sliding and hiking. They combine a classic silhouette with anti-scratch, polarized Zeiss CR lenses and Swiss Grilamid nylon TR90 frames. These “classic yet highly technical sunglasses” retail for a suggested $75. LIVSN Designs Founded in 2018 and based in Fay- etteville, Ark., LIVSN graduated with the 2019 Techstars Austin cohort while successfully launching its first products on Kickstarter. For the Kick- starter launch of the second version of the Flex Canvas Pant, LIVSN raised more than $100,000 to help fund development. LIVSN has continued to grow, with customers loving the brand’s flagship Flex Canvas Pants for their versatility, comfort, and ability to wear in multiple scenarios. Sustainability is in LIVSN’s DNA, both from a product development and packaging standpoint, as well as through the durability of the pants and LIVSN’s lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects and the policy of repairing normal wear and tear at cost. This Fall, LIVSN will be launching a Kickstarter to support a new tech pant made of recycled ocean plastic. Inside Outdoor | FALL 2020 45
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