[Edaily Reporter Han Kwangbeom ] “Amid the running boom, we wanted to offer high-quality products at reasonable prices to runners who find high-end products too expensive. Thanks to the full-scale marketing support from KREAM, where we have an exclusive partnership, we’ve been able to achieve significant growth.”

Lee Min-ha, Director (Co-founder) of Runwhither, emphasized the brand’s growth drivers and its partnership with Fashion Platform Co.,Ltd. during an interview held on the afternoon of the 6th at the “Runwhither Pop-up Store” set up at the CU Hangang Yeouido No. 3 store in Yeouido, Seoul.

This pop-up store was jointly planned and opened by Runwhither, KREAM, and CU. To celebrate the opening, an event was held on-site where invited runners participated while wearing Runwhither products. The event featured a variety of programs—including a 5km run, warm-up and cool-down sessions, and a talk show offering KREAM points as prizes—which were well-received by the participating runners.

Although RunWither is a small startup with a total staff of just four—including its two co-founders—it has established a solid presence in the market. In the high-end apparel market—where barriers to entry were high during the early days of the running boom—CEO Jang Sun-jong, who has a background in apparel promotions, took charge of all aspects of product development and production, securing competitiveness in terms of unit cost. By offering reasonable prices without compromising quality, the brand has garnered a positive response from young runners seeking value for money.

The “trial-and-error” approach typical of early-stage startups also laid the foundation for their growth. CEO Jang led product planning, while Director Lee oversees all marketing operations—even personally photographing the products used in the brand catalog and marketing materials. They have essentially built the brand’s foundation by overcoming the limitations of a small, four-person company with limited manpower through passion and hard work.

◇Rejecting External Offers to Choose ‘Loyalty’… Expanding into Casual Wear and Running Shoes

The decisive turning point that drove Runwith’s growth was its exclusive partnership with KREAM, a limited-edition trading platform and subsidiary of Naver (NAVER(035420)). Now in its first year of the partnership, the majority of Runwith’s sales are generated through the KREAM platform. Director Lee explained, “KREAM is actively supporting our marketing efforts, such as external advertising and influencer outreach.”

As the brand gains popularity, it has been receiving a steady stream of requests to list on major fashion retail platforms. However, Runwither remains committed to its exclusive partnership with Cream. The executive stated, “We receive many proposals from other platforms, but we want to stay true to our commitment,” adding, “Since Cream’s merchandising manager is providing full support, we are maintaining this exclusive relationship based on trust and loyalty.”

The company also outlined a clear direction for expanding its product lineup. Runwither is focusing on developing products that can be worn stylishly in everyday life, not just limited to specialized running wear. The executive explained, “The clothes we’re introducing today—which runners wore and ran in—were designed with the intention of allowing them to be worn freely in daily life as well.”

Addressing the diverse needs of runners, such as those involved in trekking, he added, “Given our designers’ pride in their work, we will actively incorporate insights from the trail running sector into our development.” He continued, “Our hats, which offer excellent moisture-wicking performance, have been well-received not only by runners but also by hikers, and we also carry a specialized lineup that includes trail vests.”

The company also expressed a strong commitment to business expansion. Director Lee stated, “We’ve received a huge number of pop-up store proposals, but since we’re still in the staffing phase, we want to deliver high-quality results within our physical capacity,” and added, “In the future, we’d like to pursue collaborations with other brands and ultimately take on the challenge of developing our own running shoes.”

Meanwhile, the RunWithThe Yeouido pop-up store will remain open until the 13th of this month.