This Canadian running brand just went full Arc’teryx on race-day apparel
Ciele's updated Elite Collection brings trail-inspired graphene tech to the roads
Everyone's favourite Canadian running brand, Ciele Athletics, is taking another step into the premium performance apparel space with the launch of its reimagined Elite Collection.
Known primarily for its snazzy running caps, Ciele has steadily expanded into apparel over the past few years.
The new range feels like a more deliberate push into the same rarefied territory occupied by brands such as Arc’teryx and Satisfy Running.
The latest iteration uses the COOLmatic | EXP TERRAperf technology, a new woven material developed by the Montreal-based brand (a.k.a. Ciele) and infused with graphene, which the company says helps disperse heat more efficiently during intense efforts.
According to Meagan Smith, Ciele Athletics’ Production and Sourcing Manager, they wanted to take the rugged reliability normally associated with trail gear and reinterpret it for faster road running applications.
Trail thinking, road execution
That crossover between trail functionality and road racing appears throughout the collection.
The CRGTightShort uses compressive fabric with integrated bounce-free storage for nutrition and essentials, while the RDShort reintroduces carbon fibre yarn, a feature previously seen in Ciele’s earlier Elite offerings.
Ciele also claims the shorts use the only fully welded brief liner currently available on the market, combined with embedded ionic silver for permanent odour control.
Of course, there is also headwear, which leans into the technical direction the brand has become known for.
The updated FSTCap - Ethereal incorporates graphene and carbon to improve temperature regulation, while the new TRLBucket Elite introduces a more aggressive sun-protection setup with ceramic-printed fabric, a wraparound brim and integrated neck coverage.
Not just another “super shoe era” running brand
Running brands have spent the past few years (decade?) obsessing over foam compounds, carbon plates and race-day footwear, but apparel innovation has often lagged behind.
Ciele’s approach suggests there’s a growing appetite for technical running clothing that behaves more like modern mountaineering gear, in which temperature regulation, fabric engineering, and lightweight durability are part of the performance equation.
That doesn’t necessarily mean marathon runners suddenly need graphene-infused singlets, of course, but the broader shift towards highly specialised race apparel is becoming harder to ignore.
Especially as runners continue chasing marginal gains in warmer and more unpredictable conditions.
The Elite Collection is available now through Ciele Athletics, with prices from $95 (~£70 / €80 / AU$131).
