The Man Who Changed How the World Runs
Intro: A Legacy That Still Moves
Before performance wear became an industry, there was one man solving problems on the run, and his name was Hank Barksdale, or as most people know him, Moss. Moss is both a man and a company, there is no separation. Moss was a track runner at Brown University when leather running shoes and cotton shorts were the norm. He continued running throughout his life and this love was inherited by his second son who went on to compete in the 1976 Olympic Marathon trials. Moss was a passionate, energetic, dedicated, and stubborn innovator fueled primarily by coffee, who, once he believed in something, became completely committed and immovable from that belief. So when a small sales team from W.L. Gore & Assoc. came into his humble camping and outdoor store with a problem, he accepted the challenge. The folks at “Gore” wanted a very lightweight fabric that could easily be sewn into garments, and they wanted the membrane sandwiched between two layers of fabric. After many prototypes and pattern iterations the 10-Miler was born.
Moss wasn’t chasing trends. He was building something that didn’t yet exist. Today, his name still carries weight, not because of nostalgia, but because the standard he set never left. Every piece we make is rooted in that same belief. Gear should work harder, last longer, and mean something
Relentless by Nature
Moss was not easy going. He was exacting. Opinionated. Driven. Uncompromising. He spent every weekend racing. Often grinding out six plus miles each race, always refining technique, and times, and pushing himself to the highest limit of personal excellence. Moss was always driving to beat his friends, staff members, business associates and ultimately himself. He took great joy in achievement. This same competitive spirit and drive was applied to the business of Moss Brown and Company which became legendary.
Moss believed in doing things right, even when it was harder, slower, or less understood. That mindset is what separated his work from everything else. He did not build for approval. He built his product to hold up under pressure to last for generations.
Shaping the Running Boom
As running surged in popularity, Moss was already ahead. That humble camping and outdoor store in Georgetown DC, quickly morphed into a running and outdoor store, with a booming mail order component. The 10-Miler running suit became a staple in the running community and was ultimately the foundation on which Moss built his running empire. He branched out into shorts, singlets (mesh tank tops with a nylon insert), T-shirts, running bras, shoes, and various accessories. Out of the basement of the 800 sq ft store with 1 in-bound 800-line number, 3 land-line phones, and handwritten orders, a mailing list of over 100,000,000 customers was built. Running during the 1980s had become more than a passing hobby; it was an immersive lifestyle. People thronged races, marathons, trade shows, and social calendars filled with running engagements. Clubs and magazines emerged, and marathon winners became superstars. And Moss was there through it all.
While others followed the wave, Moss helped define it.The ripple effect is still felt today. Much of what the industry calls innovation started with people like Moss refusing to accept limitations.
The Blueprint Others Followed
What came after, the explosion of performance wear brands, the evolution of technical fabrics, the shift toward function-first design, all traces back to the groundwork laid during that era. Moss was not just part of the movement. He was the blueprint. You can still see it in the details, the materials; in the way each piece is designed to stay in rotation, not just for a season, but for years.
This is not about looking back. It is about carrying something forward.
50 Years of Moss Brown
Moss passed away in March of 2026 at the age of 97. His legacy lives on through the company he built and the people who continue to enjoy his products. After 50 years of ups and downs, Moss Brown is still innovating performance wear for the new generation.
Experience what started it all.
