The Ultimate Knee Brace for Running

Running has a long list of benefits. Running supports your physical and mental health by building muscular strength, increasing bone density, helping with weight loss, reducing stress and boosting your mood. Running can also provide connection: connection to nature, connection to yourself, and connection to others. Whatever running unlocks for you, it is important to support your lower limbs to ensure you keep reaping the benefits that this activity provides.

When it comes to running equipment, there has been an incredible amount of research and development that has gone into designing footwear that will help you run faster, farther and without pain. Until recently, this level of innovation has gone unmatched in the running space. Here at Stoko, we were inspired by the drastic innovations that went into designing the world’s best running shoes and as a result, we decided to bring this same level of technology to the athletic apparel industry. 

The action of running itself is a repetitive one and it’s this repetitive action that can cause a slew of lower body injuries; most often knee injuries, which is why we decided to design a compression tight that functions as a medical-grade knee brace. A pair of K1 Tempo supportive tights, specially designed with runners in mind, will not only help you protect your body from injuries, but they can also help you push your limits and perform your best. Here’s a few more reasons why all runners need a pair of K1 Tempo:

Medical-Grade Bracing

A pair of K1 Tempos may look like regular athletic apparel, but they are most certainly not. We’ve created the world’s first Supportive Apparel. The K1 Tempo, like all of our K-Line products, leverages the Embrace System™, a proprietary technology which provides both medical-grade bracing and full lower body support. This system—an intricate network of cables, control dials and compression zones—is designed to provide similar support to a traditional knee brace.

Full Lower Body Support

While our products were originally designed to support your knees—specifically intended for moderate to severe ligament injury (ACL, MCL, PCL, LCL), general knee instabilities and sprains and strains—we have repeatedly received feedback from our athletes reporting that our K-Line products also provide additional support. Some have expressed that our tights have improved lower back and hip pain, while others have even even reported a decrease in patellofemoral pain (aka runner’s knee).

Natural Movement

Running requires mobility and a wide range of movement. Because of this, it’s not often that you see runners racing the streets or trails with a large, cumbersome knee brace. A traditional knee brace is not only restrictive but the added weight can slow you down.

Instead of relying on rigid material to create structural support, the Embrace System™ is made up of 90 feet (30 meters) of high-strength fibrous cables that are inserted into the fabric and designed to facilitate your body’s natural movement. This makes the K1 Tempo lightweight and comfortable, allowing you to have a full range of unrestricted movement while running. Not only that but the tights can help support imbalances in your stride. 

Faster Recovery

Innovative technical knitting within all K-Line products allows us to provide targeted compression zones throughout each pair of supportive tights. These areas of compression put pressure on your muscles to help minimize delayed onset muscle soreness. The K1 Tempos, similar to all Stoko products, are designed to increase blood flow and promote healing so that you’re able to benefit from faster recovery times between runs.

Protection for Both Knees

When wearing conventional knee braces, you are focusing on providing support for only one of your knees, completely disregarding the other one. Essentially, you favour your injured knee and disregard the other. Because of that, your uninjured knee is exposed to greater pressure, resulting in a higher chance of getting injured. Stoko products secure both of your knees - providing support for the injured knee while protecting the other as well.

Designed for Runners

Something we kept hearing time and time again from our athletes is that we needed to build a pair of K1s for runners. Running is a high intensity pursuit and therefore, runners need a garment that is specifically designed for warm environments. Also, less is more when it comes to running gear, so we needed to find a way to secure the essentials. In the end, we designed and released the new K1 Tempo with running, hiking and training in mind. The K1 Tempo is a lightweight, breathable outerlayer that offers a shorter ¾ length and knitted ventilation that both provide optimal temperature control, while the side and waistband pockets help secure your phone and keys.

Washability

As addressed above, running is a sweaty endeavour. Running in a conventional knee brace, without the ability to simply throw it in the wash, can be both stinky and unsanitary. The simple task of washing your knee brace isn’t simple at all; it’s daunting. Who wants to spend all that time taking it apart and putting it back together again? Luckily, you can forget all the hassle with the K1 Tempo. Just throw them in the wash, using the included wash bag, and your supportive tights will be fresh and clean for your next run.

Here at Stoko, we’re on a mission to change the way you protect your body, push your limits and perform your best and the K1 Tempo is your key to unlocking your full athletic potential. Unlock possibilities now.

Still got questions? Learn more about how our K-Line products work here.