We spend a lot of time testing the newest gear every year, but often know very little about the people behind it. So, we sent a handful of our Buyer鈥檚 Guide category directors out to talk to them. Men鈥檚 running kit tester Fritz Huber聽spoke with Jessica Rogers, the trail run product line manager at Patagonia. Several pieces from the brand鈥檚 new trail-running apparel line鈥攖he Strider Pro wind pants听补苍诲 Airshed Pro Pullover, which we love for their lightweight, comfortable protection鈥攎ade it into our 2020 Summer Buyer鈥檚 Guide.聽Here鈥檚 what Rogers had to say about how she and her team approach designing new products (and tweaking old ones).聽
Strive to Be Invisible
Building a good product means it goes unnoticed. You don鈥檛 pay any attention to the gear you鈥檙e wearing, because you鈥檙e confident in it.
Design for Power Users
We create products for the extremes, knowing that, worst-case scenario, it will work for everyone else. We always want to test for the harshest conditions or the longest run.
Ideals Matter
As of spring 2020, every颅thing in the trail-running line uses recycled materials and is built in a fair-trade factory. It鈥檚 showcasing our technical expertise in mountain running, but it鈥檚 also showing that we can do it without compromising or making sacrifices.聽
Tread Carefully
When we change things, most of the negative feedback we get comes from loyal customers who have been wearing the same shorts or jacket for 15 years. We tweak one thing and it鈥檚 ruined for them. When we update, we are very careful about doing it for the right reasons.
Know Your Sport
I ended up getting into running during my senior year in high school and was recruited to run in college. I think an important part of my role is understanding what it means to be a runner and to have an emotional connection to the sport.聽
Check out Patagonia鈥檚 Airshed Pro pullover.