For a few years now, some of the coolest retail in running has been happening outside the US. Every time we travel for a race or a launch, we end up in one of these next generation specialty shops. Tight product edit, real design point of view, group runs on the calendar, and that certain je ne sais quoi that makes a store worth spending some time in.
Back home, it's been slower to take hold. Rent in most American cities makes that kind of shop a tough equation, and we get it. But it's finally happening here, and in a way that might be even better: not in Manhattan or LA, but in the smaller pockets. Routine Pleasure in Woodstock. Neighbor Running in Hudson. And now Amateur, opening July 18 in New Canaan.
We've gotten to know Alex Holmes, the founder of Amateur, over the past few months, and he's exactly the kind of person you want building these places. Twenty years in fashion retail, a real point of view on what belongs on the floor and what doesn't, and a store he's been dreaming about since he was twelve. We caught up with him ahead of opening day to talk about the new amateur class, what's changed in the local running scene, and what he's building in Connecticut.
Let's start with you — who are you and what's your background?
Heyo! My name is Alex Holmes. I’m a dad to Augie (7), Blair (4), Oscar (Dog, 11) and husband to my wife Jeana.
I’ve spent the majority of my professional life working in fashion. I started my career as a buyer at Barneys New York (RIP!). Later, I managed different business operations at larger Italian and French houses working across merchandising, sales and product development. I traveled frequently, worked with creative, passionate people and had a mentor that prepared me beyond what I believed I was ever capable of. Shout out Charlston Ang!
Sport always defined the other half of my identity. I played all the traditional American ball sports growing up. Our family skied all over the place as much as we could growing up in NYC. I played soccer and golf in college and discovered my love for running and cycling later in life while I was finding my way as a young “adult” in NYC.
Tell us the origin story of Amateur. Why'd you found it? What are you setting out to achieve in New Canaan?
I founded Amateur last year with a small group of partners. I've worked in retail my whole life, but this is the first thing I can call my own.
The idea is simple: a modern space for endurance sport, shaped by performance, style and discovery, with a ruthless focus on a customer everyone else calls "niche." We don't think they're niche. We think they're the underserved majority.
The name is the point. Amateur doesn't mean unfinished or unprofessional, it stems from the Latin word to love.
We want to build something for a “new amateur class.” Today's athletes are informed, style-conscious and community-driven. They don't need more products. They need clarity, connection, and somewhere that feels like theirs.
Selfishly, it's the store I've wanted to shop in my entire life. So I built it.
How would you describe the key shifts you've observed in the local/regional running scene in recent years — from crew culture to consumer behavior, what's felt most significant?
We recently posted a longer piece on exactly this, but the short version is - a lot has moved.
Participation is the obvious one but it’s not just for the major marathons. Our local Westport summer race series used to draw 75-100 runners on a Saturday. Now it regularly tops 200 attendees. A suburban summer race series used to be a “local event.” Now it can be an anchor for a full weekend’s activities out of NYC or a mini-destination tune-up event on a race plan toward something larger.
Many of the athletes I meet now, regardless of training history or race experience, are also more interested in and well informed across training modalities, nutrition trends, technology etc. They are deep in the subreddits and niche forums and use sport to define more of their social network and personal identities than ever before. As customers, sure, they want convenience, but context, curation and specificity are more important than ever.
And while these shifts are all pretty positive in my book, there are parts of this new scene (both locally and socially) that have drifted a little too close to the logic of the manosphere. Every feed and function now features a charismatic “run-fluencer” or group-ride-hero spouting hot-takes as hard science and mansplaining “the way it used to be” to anyone and everyone within earshot.
How would you describe the community that you support at Amateur? What types of people walk through your doors?
The honest answer is, we open July 18, so ask me again in a few months who's actually walking through the doors.
That said, we built the brand around a couple of key words from day one and that will likely shape the early core of people who Amateur resonates with.
Performance: our matrix, product mix and customer strategy are all built around people in pursuit of it. Intentionality: Performance means something different to everyone. The person chasing their first Boston qualifier and the person chasing a clear head on a regular Sunday long ride each build their practice with a fair bit of intention. Progress is personal and I like the idea of using intention vs mile times, weekly training hours or race categories to shape our customer strategies.
How do you go about properly supporting, cultivating, and maintaining your community?
Mostly by remembering it's a dialogue, not a monologue. Community isn't a marketing channel, it's the whole reason the store exists.
Practically, that means showing up: at races (big and small), on the group runs, in the conversations already happening. It means service that's human - a follow on Strava, a hand-written note and remembering what shoe you wore last time you came by the shop. Early support can also look like restraint. In other words, we speak when we have something valuable to say, not because the content calendar demands it.
Specifically, we’re in some early discussions with some friends at local NYC teams (shout out Dashing Whippets!) to host them at the store, test some club run loops and get their feedback on what they would like to see more of from community hubs and event hosts.
Our mission is to equip athletes in pursuit of progress. Equip them, then get out of the way. Belonging can't be manufactured. It's earned, slowly and often in person. This is a long-term project for us and we’re not going anywhere.
What do your personal relationships look like to running (or cycling, hiking, etc.)? How often do you train? Any races on the calendar?
Cycling is my discipline of choice. I spend most of my time on a road bike but have recently picked up an XC MTB which is an absolute BLAST to ride. Learning new skills (especially in sport) is not something you get to experience a lot at 40, but I’m loving every second of it. It also helps that my son is ripping his MTB around too and we’re basically working the same drills together.
Running is pure flow for me. I get out 2-3 times a week, never with a goal outside of keeping my cadence up and my effort moderate. It’s the only time when I can truly tune out.
I’ve never been super fit, but I enjoy training and chasing progress.
I’m trying to fit a few cyclocross and MTB events onto the calendar for Fall, as well as a monster event in Brazil in September. I am wildly undertrained for all of it, but I’ve never been good about saying no to stuff that sounds cool at the time…
What's been the biggest challenge starting your own retail store?
20 years in retail has prepared me well for buying, merchandising and financial planning. Nothing prepared me for HVAC installation, permitting and Belgian cobblestone delivery (don’t ask).
The real challenge, though, is restraint. I am building the store I’ve dreamt about since I was 12. My temptation is to do everything at once. Saying no to good ideas so the right ones get done properly is harder than it sounds.
Tell us about the branding and identity- what was it inspired by and how do you hope it’s perceived?
We are building an identity that feels intentional but not “designed” for design’s sake. For example, the wordmark is a custom design and is a mix of upper and lowercase letters. A few letters are mirrored, some slightly off and some are more familiar.
That tension is the brand - I hope it feels familiar, but never seen before. Modern, but with a distinct personality that you get to know better over time.
What are some of your favorite brand and design references that you pulled from when creating the identity?
It’s funny, the early Amateur brand design process was completely different from anything I had ever worked on before. I credit that completely to the incredible designer we have worked with since Day 1 - Colin Doerffler at CDHQ.
We actually used 0 mood or brand references when we started building our design language. Colin sat with my partners and I and we talked, in great detail and specificity, about how we wanted Amateur to look, live, feel and operate. From there, we started building.
Once we had a spot to refine, it was validating that some of the design references I always wanted to reflect, BDDW’s whimsical modernity, Barneys’ wit and the best of the new challenger brand’s cultural connection, all felt alive in what we were building.
What do you hope for more in the world of running? What needs to go? Let's get some opinions here.
More “it depends” and “these two things can both be true.” Honest, contextual dialogue around product, brands, use case and, yes, styling is somehow harder to distill than ever before despite access to more information than ever before.
Shout out to the alpenglow sports reels. This guy is a legend.
More curation, less product. Shameless Amateur plug because this is our game, but what we don’t stock is arguably as important as what we do carry.
Less “the best shoe ever" review economy where everything is revolutionary every six weeks. If everything is a game-changer, nothing is. Running is beautifully personal and anyone selling you the one true way is selling you something else.
Less mileage? Maybe it’s just my feed but I’m not sure when the marathon became a pedestrian achievement and the cool kids only run ultra trail races these days. I obviously endorse all running disciplines but I do get the sense that the “more is more” mantra that dominates so much of our culture has hit the endurance sport in a weird way. Not to pander, but this is why I think the Bandit Grand Prix format is one of the best things that has hit cool running culture recently.
What's next for Amateur?
First: open the doors on July 18 and be genuinely useful to the people who walk through them and visit us online. Depth before scale.
From there: more events and pop-ups, longer-form content that actually informs rather than sells and deepening the partnerships with brands that share our standards. We think about everything through three words: performance, taste and community and we'd rather compound slowly on all three than sprint on one.
The long ambition is simple: build the modern home that “new” amateur sport deserves. Obviously easier said than done.
Finally — a speed round:
Favorite musician/artist to play when you're working out: I love and hate this question. It’s a constant shuffle. But right now…
Intervals = some random spotify algo mix of mid 2000’s EDM (don’t judge me)
Longer rides/runs: Radiohead/Godspeed/Sigur Ros or a millennial hip hop mix (Talib, Mos Def, Outkast, Jay Electronica, etc.)
Favorite place to get a coffee in/around New Canaan: Saisons Sucrees - I’ve got a simple order but the drip coffee and cold brew is excellent.
Favorite trail or route near the store: There are a ton of mixed surface rides toward Westchester County that I love. You can’t pick a bad one. New Canaan itself is famous for mid-century architecture and I recently found a great ride/run that loops through iconic homes in the area including the famed Philip Johnson Glass House.
Favorite running city (US or global): I was born in NYC and lived there the majority of my life. You can’t beat it.
Dream race to run, cycle, or spectate: Ha, racing and spectating are very different answers: The Nice - Cannes marathon is an invite I turned down and have regretted ever since.
I would kill to stand in the Arenberg Forest and watch the pro men and women race Paris-Roubaix.
