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Running Apparel • January 12, 2022

Best Gear From the 2022 Tracksmith NDO Collection

ndo tracksmith 2022 cover

What You Need To Know

  • Cold weather gear ready for the darkest days of winter
  • Includes updates to a few classic Tracksmith designs
  • Available now from Tracksmith and bound to go fast

There are a few telltale signs that we’re in the middle of another winter. For starters, we haven’t talked about anything other than Winter Grit for over a month (this is your reminder to get your miles in). Another key reminder that the mercury is low is the return of the Tracksmith NDO collection. It comes around just in time for the new year with cold-weather versions of some of Tracksmith’s best pieces. The latest collection just dropped, and here are a few of our favorite pieces before they sell out.

We’ve tried to sprinkle in a few brand-new NDO designs as well as some old favorites. Oh, and the new Pelli Slip-Ons look like a dream for that recovery lifestyle — we’ll get there in a minute. We have a few pieces on the way to our Baltimore HQ for review, so keep an eye out for our thoughts soon.

Alright, let’s get to the good stuff.


» NDO Jacket

tracksmith ndo jacket

Let’s kick things off from the top, shall we? And by top, we mean the top layer. The Tracksmith NDO Jacket is the do-it-all outer layer for pretty much all of the worst days. It packs a windproof and water-repellent outer shell with Inverno Blend zones to keep breathability in check. Although the jacket is gray, the reflective details on the back and down the right sleeve will keep you visible if you run out of daylight. It also appears that they fixed the defections in last year’s jacket, which were totally unacceptable (the rear sash became unglued and fell off with any level of heat).

Tracksmith bonded its four-way stretch Schoeller Dryskin shell to a washable Merino layer, and we’re not here to argue with the results.

Look, it’s a pricy piece of gear, no doubt. But this jacket is magical in ways thanks the windblock properties of the shell and the temperature-regulation of the Merino. This allows for use across a variety of conditions and temperatures, ranging from zero-degrees F to low-thirties. Really, it allows for even lower if you layer properly.

Another nice bonus with this jacket is the inner stash pockets, which have saved us from losing beanies on plenty of runs. Lastly, this is a jacket that you could actually wear casually and look quite nice. Always nice when you can convert a piece of running gear to acceptable lifestyle apparel.

PRICE: $308

Shop NDO Jacket – Men Shop NDO Jacket – Women

» NDO Tights

ndo tracksmith 2022 tights

As above, so below, with the Tracksmith NDO tights taking inspiration from wetsuits for 2022. They don’t look too different from the Allston Tights at first glance, but the NDO version offers a water-repellent double-layer fabric for extra warmth. There’s no external softshell here, but the wind-blocking overlay is just about as good without limiting your range of motion. Pocket space shouldn’t be a problem, either, with rear envelope pockets and a larger zipper pocket to stash your phone.

As always, visibility is vital, and the thigh stripe and calf hits are reflective thanks to 3M technology. Again, the stripe on last year’s came off the pant due to the same quality control issues as the NDO jacket, but that’s been fixed with 3M reflective tape, which is essentially baked into the material and allows for stretch and 360-degree visibility. It’s akin to the same tech Brooks uses in its Carbonite running gear.

PRICE: $198

Shop NDO Tights – Men Shop NDO Tights – Women

» NDO Wind-Block Downeaster

ndo tracksmith 2022 downeaster

Now, there might actually be days where the NDO Jacket is too much warmth, and that’s where the Wind-Block Downeaster comes in. It’s more like a mid-layer with the wind-blocking of a full jacket, thanks to the overlay on the front panel. You can layer it over a base layer for those headwind-heavy days or wear it as your only layer if need be. Like the classic Tracksmith Downeaster, the NDO version relies on a double knit Merino blend to wick sweat and keep you cozy.

Just keep in mind that you lose a few of the reflective hits with the Tracksmith NDO Wind-Block Downeaster, so you might want to accessorize for visibility.

PRICE: $188

Shop NDO Wind-Block Downeaster – Men Shop NDO Wind-Block Downeaster – Women

» NDO Half Tights

ndo trackmith 2022 half tight

Race day always feels better in shorts, no matter what the mercury says. Half tights still count as shorts, and the Tracksmith NDO Half Tights are ready for your midwinter 5Ks or just a fast workout. Similar to the NDO Tights, the Half Tights are styled after their Allston sibling, though the thigh stripe is reflective for your evening miles. All of the design cues are the same, too — you get a few small envelope pockets and a larger zippered pocket, but this time you can show off your cold-ass legs. Changes to this year’s version include a bonded seam and the aforementioned envelope pockets.

Our reviewer Ben Johnson could fit his Pixel 6 into the pocket (barely), and could pack up to 15 gels as well (seriously though, who is hauling that much gel around… someone about to get type-two diabetes, that’s who).

Note that these shorts are almost compression-level tight. But you’ll feel fast as hell in them, no doubt.

PRICE: $138

Shop NDO Half Tights – Men Shop NDO Half Tights – Women

» NDO Merino Hoodie and Crew

ndo tracksmith 2022 merino

We’ve hit the Tracksmith NDO performance collection pretty hot and heavy so far, but there are some recovery options as well. We love almost everything Tracksmith does, and think the performance justifies the price in most cases, but the Merino Hoodie and Crew are quite simply– far overpriced. (FYI, the fellas get the Crew, while the ladies benefit from a hood on top).

Both versions are made from half Merino, half synthetic materials (more on that below). And while it’s not meant for running, Tracksmith added reflective thread to the hare logo and locker loop to match the rest of the collection.

These are pieces that we’re actually gonna advise against, as the price doesn’t match the quality in our opinion. In the past, the crew was a full merino, whereas it’s now a 45% merino/45% acrylic/10% nylon construction, which means over half of this crew is made from synthetic materials. Obviously, synthetic can still be comfortable, but it’s not carrying the same amount of quality, comfort, and performance as full merino. Nevertheless, Tracksmith is still slapping the NDO premium tag on it.

Cut the price in half and you may have something we’ll get in after a run, but we’re going to advise you pick up a better crew, and one of our favorite Tracksmith pieces altogether, the Offroads Crew, which has more merino and utilizes polypropylene, a synthetic material that far outperforms an acrylic/nylon blend. Oh, and it’s $50 cheaper. I’m actually wearing it right now as I type this, and it’s one of my favorite long sleeve shirts ever.

But when it comes to this year’s NDO crew, simply put– $188 is just too much. For anyone.

PRICE: $188

Shop NDO Merino Crew – Men Shop NDO Merino Hoodie – Women

» NDO Grayboy Long Sleeve

ndo tracksmith 2022 grayboy

If you’ve been around Tracksmith for a while, you probably know the Grayboy story — it’s the classic tee named after the Georgetown track team’s standard issue. That said, the Grayboy is anything but standard. It regularly drops in limited edition prints, including this one for the NDO collection. You’ll find graphics on both sleeves and the chest, and the Grayboy is made with Tracksmith’s Varsity Cotton. The most standard-issue feature of the whole shirt is that you can wear the Hell out of it, and it will keep coming back for some more.

PRICE: $75

Shop NDO Grayboy – Men Shop NDO Grayboy – Women

» NDO 2-in-1 Mittens

ndo tracksmith 2022 mittens

Are they gloves? Are they mittens? The answer is yes, and they’re warm as can be. Tracksmith’s 2-in-1 Mittens offer an inner glove layer to keep your fingers warm with a softshell mitten on top to hold off the elements. You can wear them as one for the coldest days (like this week, at least in the Northeast) or stick to just the gloves for the slightly warmer days.

The mitten layer adds a reflective hare logo and racing stripe for visibility, and there’s a hidden magnet inside if your hands get too warm.

PRICE: $58

Shop NDO 2-in-1 Mittens

» NDO Hat

ndo tracksmith 2022 hat

Alright, we have you warm up to your neck, but you lose up to 10% of your warmth from your head. The loss gets even worse when it’s windy, which is where the NDO Hat comes in. It offers a brushed back to keep you warm with a wide visor and earflaps to keep the elements out. Tracksmith topped off its brand-new cap design with a small reflective sash on the back to keep you visible, too.

Oh, and the whole shebang is lined with Inverno Blend nylon to wick sweat as you cover ground.

PRICE: $44

Shop NDO Hat
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