It’s great to have access to so much high quality, technical running gear available these days—sweat wicking, sleek designs to ostensibly help us run faster and longer, and feel comfortable, too. However, the truth is that as long as you’ve got quality trainers on your feet, the rest of your outfit can technically be whatever. Justin Bieber proved as much yesterday when he was spotted running through the streets of Los Angeles in a pair of slouchy, thick jeans.
The pop sensation paired his denim britches with New Balance sneakers, a white tank top, and a navy zip-up hoodie.
It’s not unheard of to run in jeans, but usually it’s done as a stunt, like when YouTuber Elijah Orr ran a full marathon in a pair of dark rinse blue jeans. The blue jean mile has been a thing for several years, and in 2020, pro runner Johnny Gregorek set a world record of 4:06.25 for running a mile while outfitted in belted jeans. You can now find blue jean mile races and community events all over the country. And yet, the stifling, non-stretch, moisture-retaining fabric is not usually a prime choice for everyday runners.
Bieber is a known runner. There are scads of paparazzi shots of him running on roads and trails over the years, but he’s usually spied in more typical workout wear, like running or basketball shorts. As GQ Style Editor Zak Maoui wrote, Bieber has “built a career on wildly successful music and very slouchy clothes that sit on the right side of fashion’s weird,” so perhaps going for a jog in oversized denim isn’t all that surprising of a move for the singer.
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Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she’s written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner’s World, Like the Wind Magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
