But more than that, Nancy is one of those users herself and spends a lot of her time testing what she makes. Experimenting with materials to adhere to these three priciples, while not hindering the experience of being outside, plays an integral part of how she goes about her passion as a maker.

Everything in the Endorphin Collection is about being lightweight, stowable and packable. “When we look at designing something, there is always an intent and a purpose.” But sometimes, those intents and purposes are things the average consumer would never think of, like designing a Gore-Tex jacket to run in or trying to make sure something stays quiet. Quiet and understated, as most hard core endurance athletes seem to be, Nancy has been working in the apparel industry for many years. There’s nothing so freeing as running in the forest.” I love both pavement and running in the mountains, but the mountains are special. “I started in track and then went into road running and finally into trail running. She runs both on and off road and has been running most of her life. At just over 50 years of age, she continues to push the bounds of what’s possible out there and has cut her teeth in some big races. Nancy is a distance runner and she’s no amateur. Gear has to work, but in that working, be it on a run or in a storm at 3500m in the Alps, it must remain unnoticed. “When gear makes noise or is overly complex, it infringes on the adventure of being outside.” Nancy’s right. One of the main tenets of design at Arc’teryx is function and simplicity, which only enhances a user’s experience. That may not sound like something worth obsessing over, but when I think about it, it seems absolutely critical. Noise from your gear takes away from that.” My feet hitting the loam or the wind in the trees. One of the things I love most about running are the sounds of the world. “When I’m out for a run, especially in the mountains, I don’t want to hear a zipper flapping or material rubbing together. What does outdoor clothing have to do with noise? But if I think about it a little more, I see her point. “It may sound a bit strange, but I listen for noise in my products.” Nancy Hoo is a design manager at Arc’teryx, and is one of the minds behind the Endorphin Line, which is focused on running. Photos: Jordan Manley & Julian Kenchenten

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