District Vision is a brand on a mission. Since it was founded in 2016 by best friends Tom Daly and Max Vallot (formerly of Acne Studios and Saint Laurent respectively), the Los Angeles-based label has been on a journey to make the world of sport a more mindful environment through each of its releases.

Born partly out of a shared passion for Japanese eyewear and craftsmanship — as well as a yearn for wellbeing and health — District Vision began creating innovative eyewear for which it soon garnered a loyal cult following. While eyewear still remains the brand’s core offering, its move into the world of apparel also earned its plaudits, alongside collaborations with names like Salomon and, more recently, and wander.

Collaborations remain on the menu for 2022 too as District Vision unites with New Balance for Spring/Summer to present a unique partnership centered around wellbeing. While the collaboration — which includes two iterations of the sneaker brand’s FuelCell RC Elite v2 — might seem like an obvious fit, for co-founder Daly, the meaning runs a little deeper.

“We both operate at the intersection of technology and spirit, one empowers the other,” he explains to HYPEBEAST. “New Balance understands that running can be an essential pathway to mental wellbeing if paired with a curious and open-hearted mindset — this is where we come in.”

“Running mindfully is not just a temporary patch or a form of escape, it’s a way of transforming our outlook on life by bringing awareness to everything we do,” Vallot interjects. “It’s not just about chasing waves, it’s about surrendering to the music of the ocean.”

The collection itself features a concise array of garments comprising organic hand-drawn designs from renowned artist Filip Pagowski (the creator of the COMME des GARCONS PLAY logo) housed on lightweight activewear including a packable jacket, long-sleeved tee, sherpa anorak, singlet and more.

While the product itself is undoubtedly an indispensable part of this toolkit, the two brands are also launching an array of micro-courses that aim to provide consumers with the ability to increase mental health awareness through running.

“We believe in a holistic approach to athleticism and the idea that, in addition to function-first and performance enhancing products, mental wellbeing is at the core of physical exercise, especially running,” explains Daly. “The courses are designed to build on our growing catalog of mindful athlete tools through DV Tapes. It’s an educational series introducing a range of entry points for a more examined life.”

The micro-courses focus on education through a range of mindfulness topics that aim to help runners explore their minds. The first of these micro-courses will feature Team New Balance athletes Emily Sisson and Brenda Martinez on what they do as professional athletes to get over mental hurdles. New Balance ambassador, rapper, actor and mental health awareness advocate, GaTa, will be featured as he discusses how his recent introduction to the sport of running shifted his approach to mental wellness.

The District Vision x New Balance collection is set to drop on March 17, while the micro-courses are available now via the District Vision webstore.