This Tracksmith x Mission Workshop Backpack Has Us off and Running

We’ve always loved Tracksmith for its highly functional preppy-chic running gear, but we’ve also always had reservations about covering them. They’re just so New England-y, it didn’t make sense for Sunset to be so psyched about them. Well, they must’ve read our minds, because they’ve teamed up with Mission Workshop, the San Francisco–based brand known for its refined clothing and bags for cyclists, to create the gorgeous new Mission Backpack.

The backpack is part of Tracksmith’s Run Commute collection, designed to get runners to and from the office—or wherever, in these weird times—in comfort, in style, and in a (relatively) stink-free state.

As such, it’s actually an adaptation of Mission Workshop’s Hauser backpack, a collaboration between Mission creative director Cesar Villalba and his Tracksmith counterpart, Rafa Oliveira. The Hauser was already weatherproof, with a perforated back panel and shoulder straps for breathability, space for a three-liter hydration reservoir, and a roll-top to let you jam in anything and everything you might need.

Courtesy of Tracksmith

Tracksmithing the Hauser meant fine-tuning it for running rather than cycling. “We made it lighter and removed unnecessary pockets as well as closures,” Oliveira said. They turned the zippers into pull cords “to make it silent” and added a 13-inch laptop pouch and side mesh pockets for water bottles. And, of course, they added Tracksmith’s signature “sash” design.

The result is a pack that’s not just stylish but easy to run in, whether you’re cruising a couple of miles back and forth or building tempo workouts into your daily commute. In fact, the only drawback we can see here is that it’s produced in limited quantities, so to get one you’re going to have to put in your order right away. On your marks…