Try Before You Buy
— 4Ways to Test-Run
the BR-001 in Seoul
DARIMATI’s city running shoe is available to try at a coaching lab,
an indie magazine shop,
and along the Han River.
Running shoes should be tested on the road, not in a store.
No amount of spec sheets, cushioning ratings, or online reviews can replace five kilometers in the actual shoe, on actual pavement, at your actual pace. But most of the time, that's not how it works. You order online, try them on indoors, tear off the tag — and realize on your first real run that something feels off. By then, the return window is closed.
DARIMATI built something alongside the BR-001: an opportunity to run in them before you buy. Not a quick walk around a store, but a proper trial — 5km on real ground, at your own pace.
Right now, there are four ways to try the BR-001 in Seoul. Each offers a different kind of experience.
1. RunCop — Try with a Professional Coach
RunCop is an elite-level running class operated by former national team coaches. Korean celebrities including TV host Hyunmoo Jeon, artist Kian84, and Dex have all trained here.
This isn't a casual try-on. You join an actual coaching session — treadmill and outdoor course — and run in the BR-001 with professional guidance and real-time feedback on your form and landing.
Best for runners who want structured, data-informed testing, or anyone beginning a serious running practice.
2. The Magazine Club — Try in an Indie Bookshop
The Magazine Club is a curated space for independent and specialty magazines. Here, the BR-001 is displayed alongside magazine DARI — DARIMATI's English-language publication that documents Seoul's neighborhoods through the lens of the city's bridges. DARI is currently exported to five countries and sold at bookstores and independent shops across Korea.
Browse a magazine, try on the BR-001 at your own pace. This is for people who are curious about the shoe — and maybe curious about running — but aren't ready to commit to a class or a run just yet.
Best for lifestyle-curious visitors and anyone looking for a low-pressure, walk-in experience.
3. DARI CLUB Running Class
DARI CLUB is DARIMATI's own running class. Every Friday evening, a group gathers at a park along the Han River to run together under the guidance of a former professional-team running coach.
There is something about running along the Han River at dusk — the wind off the water, the city skyline softening into evening light, the rhythm of footsteps shared with strangers who are becoming something more like a crew. It turns a shoe trial into something larger: a culture forming around the act of running together.
You can join the second half of the current season with a multi-session pass and feel how the BR-001 breaks in over time, or drop in for a single Friday with no commitment — just come, run, and see how it feels.
Best for those who want to learn running properly, or anyone who wants to experience the vibe once.
4. One-Day Sessions
— No Commitment, Just Run
Separately from the weekly class, DARI CLUB hosts one-off running events. No season commitment — just sign up, lace up a pair of BR-001s, and run.
The format: BR-001 trial, a 5km group run, and a post-run social session. The most recent was a Picnic Run at a Han River park — participants tried on BR-001s, ran 5km together, and wrapped up with a riverside picnic. Everyone wrote about their run on a TELL YOUR RUN postcard.
Best for people who want to try without any ongoing commitment, and weekend runners looking for something new.
The BR-001 makes sense the moment you put it on.
In a coached session, over a magazine on a quiet afternoon, under the Friday evening breeze along the Han River, or after five kilometers with people you just met — the shoe speaks for itself in its own way.
For now, it starts in Seoul, in four places. But this is only the beginning. DARIMATI is expanding — more cities, more formats, more ways to experience the BR-001 on real ground before it's yours. Stay tuned for what comes next.
Pick the format that appeals to you, and come run.
