New Balance to launch new mental health initiative
The U.S. sportswear giant will be partnering up with L.A.-based apparel company District Vision to normalize the conversation between running and mental health
New Balance will be launching a collaboration with the Los Angeles-based apparel company, District Vision, which features a collection of specialized apparel and footwear. District Vision also offers a series of online courses aimed toward providing customers with strategies designed to increase mental health awareness through running.
“The goal is to redefine what a collaboration between a performance and a fashion brand can accomplish,” says District Vision co-founder Max Vallot. Both brands will aim to offer long-term benefits beyond the physical results of running.
There will also be five online courses offered that focus on education and aim to help runners explore their minds. The first of these courses is “Runners Heart”, which will feature Team New Balance athletes and U.S. Olympians Emily Sisson and Brenda Martinez on what they do as professional runners to get over mental limitations.
Another course is “MindDiscovery,” offered by New Balance ambassador, rapper and mental health awareness advocate, GaTa. The rapper chats about his recent introduction to the sport of running and how it has shifted the way he now approaches mental health. All courses are now available online on the District Vision website, with each course available for CDN $12.
All apparel is organically hand-drawn by renowned Polish artist Filip Pagowski, featuring mindful aesthetics to make up a functional and artistic uniform for everyday performance. The NB x DV collection is made up of two colourways of the carbon-plated FuelCell RC Elite v2 and an array of custom apparel pieces.
The collection will be available exclusively at districtvision.com on Thurs, March 17, and the collection will launch globally on newbalance.com on Thurs, March 24.
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