The fitness scene in San Francisco is booming and the apparel industry has taken notice with more athleisure brands setting up shop. Case in point? Outdoor Voices has opened its first Bay Area location in Hayes Valley. The activewear brand has a giant almost-cult like following thanks to its down-to-earth mantra (it’s for humans, not super humans), unique fabrics (textured compression, mossed jersey, stretch crepe, and rec poly), and neutral color palette (grey, black, blue, burgundy, etc.).
The large new boutique doesn’t feel like your typical workout wear shop. There’s no flashy photos of athletes in printed or neon-colored workout gear. Instead oversized posters showcase young people stretching or walking in pretty outdoor locations. It has an old-school, almost 1980s vibe. There is a sitting area with lush ferns, indoor greenery, and yellow-tiled floor. Japanese undertones—like a wooden water feature-like koi pond, a bonsai tree, and tea service ware—make the space feel soothing.
We reached out to the four-year old brand’s founder, millennial entrepreneur Tyler Haney, to find out why San Francisco is an important market for Outdoor Voices. Here’s what she had to say.
On opening now in SF:
We’ve had our sights set on San Francisco for quite some time; it’s a dream city for us. It took us a while to find the right space, but we fell in love with Hayes Valley. San Francisco has a recreational electricity to it — people are out doing things every day.
On what makes the SF market unique:
There’s an incredible sense of community. When we started designing the shop, we wanted to make sure we incorporated a sense of that. We sourced our tiles, cups, and teapots from Heath Ceramics, and everything in the shop drew inspiration from the local landscape and architecture, from the cedar dressing cabins to the water feature with redwood shelving.
On the SF fitness community:
Surrounded by water, mountains, and miles of coast, SF is a total playground. People seem to dabble across a lot of different activities, from biking and running to surfing and kayaking. We approach activity with a lighthearted ease—it’s less about being the fastest or best, and more about getting out every day because it’s fun and makes you feel good. That mentality feels at home here.
Outdoor Voices is now open on Hayes Street in between Laguna and Octavia Streets.
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