From Run Club to Running Brand: How Palmetto Running Company Built Something Worth Wearing
Some stores sell apparel. Palmetto Running Company has built a brand around it.
Based in Bluffton, South Carolina, PRC has been a fixture in the active community since 2009 — and what started as a run club founded by Christian's father has grown into one of the more intentional retail operations in run specialty today. We sat down with owner Christian to talk about the evolution of the business, what it actually means to build a private label apparel program, and why the partnership between PRC and Sky MFG has become central to how the brand shows up.
It Started With the Run Club
Before there was a store, there was a community. Christian's parents moved from Long Island to Bluffton in 2009 and noticed what was missing — a place for active people to gather, move, and connect. The run club came first. The store followed in 2011.
"A lot of people are surprised that it all started with the run club," Christian says. That origin shapes everything PRC does. The store isn't just retail — it's a gathering point. And the apparel reflects that.
Values Aren't a Tagline. They're a Filter.
When Christian stepped into a leadership role, he saw a run specialty industry full of sameness. His response was to build around values, specifically PRC's commitment to community, people and the planet.
That commitment changed how they approach product. "I have found and continue to struggle in finding customizable and truly custom products that fully meet our values," he explains. The search for responsibly made, fully customizable apparel — from bamboo socks to bio-based fabrics — has defined the PRC x Sky MFG collaboration from the beginning.
It's also what keeps the partnership evolving. When Christian pushed for more transparency in manufacturing, Sky responded. When he wanted bamboo socks and an eco-conscious fabric option, Sky built toward it. The collaboration isn't transactional — it's iterative.
From Store to Brand
Apparel now accounts for nearly 30% of PRC's total business — a number that reflects years of intentional merchandising. Within that category, Sky is the engine behind their custom program.
"The apparel that we print on is 99% Sky," Christian says. "So if it's a PRC thing, it's on Sky."
That commitment shows up in how PRC approaches their selling floor. Rather than stocking the same styles season after season, they've moved to a drop model with limited collections released at a cadence designed to keep customers coming back for what's new. The 15th-anniversary collection, released in February, was the first major drop of 2026.
"I like the idea of having this limitedness," Christian explains. "Get it while you can. Keep the fans coming back."
The Moment It Clicked
Ask Christian about the first time he saw a stranger wearing PRC gear and the answer isn't what you'd expect.
Disney World.
"I was with my wife and our daughter — it was her first time going. We're in line and there was someone wearing a PRC shirt with the palm on the back. You could be wearing all the Disney clothes that are out there, but they're wearing a PRC shirt. It was just unreal."
He paused, then added: "And to be real with you — if it happened in the last couple of years, it was on a Sky shirt. Because that's who we're printing on."
The Partnership Behind the Brand
What makes the Sky x PRC relationship work isn't just product — it's the infrastructure around it. Design support, vectorization, graphic collaboration, and professional photography have given PRC tools they wouldn't otherwise have access to.
When Sky's team photographed PRC's 15th-anniversary collection in-studio, it changed how they were able to market the drop. "The photos that you took in the studio — I was not expecting that, nor did I ask for that," Christian says. "You don't get that from anywhere."
That support has allowed PRC to execute a brand vision that outpaces what a typical run specialty store can produce internally. Collections with narrative, drops with design intention, products that speak to a community's identity and values.
"You're helping us build our brand," Christian says plainly. "We've been able to evolve from a running store to a brand. And if we're going to speak to it, we need to speak to it with our values — and you help us do that."
What's Next
PRC's 2026 calendar is full. A performance collection built around Sky's Technical Blaze fabric is scheduled for April — the lightweight, race-ready material Christian believes will unlock a new customer for their custom program. A destinations collection drops in June, featuring illustrated call-outs to local running spots with a map graphic on the back.
The partnership continues to build. And the brand gets clearer every season.
To get started building your own private label apparel program, apply for an account.
