ACT Running: sustainable performance, from BioPerf to the Carbon Label

ACT Running is a French running apparel brand launched in February 2025 by the three founders of Odaje, the Paris sneaker brand formerly known as M. Moustache. B Corp certified, it builds its wardrobe around a simple principle: every piece must perform as well as a conventional technical garment, but be made from plant-based materials, and display its carbon footprint as visibly as its price.

What makes ACT interesting is not its message, it is how that message translates into the product: a nylon made from castor seeds for the t-shirts, a polyester derived from cocoa husks for the shorts and the fleece, a figure in kilos of CO2 on every label. The question the brand raises is the one more and more runners are asking: can running apparel be rethought without sacrificing performance? This article explains ACT’s answer, technology by technology, and how to choose your pieces from the selection available at AURA, in Rennes and online.

ACT Running, a new generation of French running

ACT Running was born in Paris and opened its online store on 14 February 2025. Behind the brand, three partners: Antoine Vigneron, Guillaume Alcan and Thibault Repelin. They founded Odaje, a French footwear brand already B Corp certified, and have some fifteen years in fashion between them. ACT is therefore not a beginners’ project: it is a team that knows manufacturing, sourcing and distribution, applying that know-how to running.

The starting point is a runner’s observation. According to the brand, no label ticked all the boxes at once: performance, sustainability, accessible price and style. Technical running apparel is still mostly made from petroleum-based polyester or nylon, with a design that is often highly codified: logos, bright colours, fitted cuts. ACT wants to offer something else, without becoming a “lifestyle brand that pretends to run”.

The first collection dropped in spring 2025, initially for men, then the brand quickly expanded its wardrobe: a women’s line, accessories, the Rise collection, then a first road shoe, the C1, also built around bio-based materials. The positioning was clear from day one: real running, sold at reasonable prices (t-shirt at €60, shorts at €50, windbreaker at €150), with a demand for transparency on impact.

Sustainable Performance: what ACT really means

“Sustainable Performance” is the brand’s signature. On its own, the phrase does not say much. What ACT puts behind it is more precise: performance should no longer come at the expense of the environment, and textile innovation is the way to hold both at once.

Concretely, the brand works on three levels. The first is material: replacing petroleum-based fibres with plant-based polymers that keep the properties expected of a running garment, namely lightness, breathability, fast drying and resistance. The second is measurement: calculating the carbon footprint of each product and displaying it, rather than talking about commitment in vague terms. The third is length of use: understated pieces, designed to be worn for several seasons, not just for the Sunday run.

It is also worth saying what Sustainable Performance does not mean. ACT does not manufacture in France: its garments are made in Vietnam, and the BioPerf fabric is produced in Taiwan. Nor does the brand claim to be carbon neutral. Its argument is comparative: do better than standard equipment, with figures to back it up, and say so honestly. It is a more modest position than some of the industry’s rhetoric, and probably a more credible one.

The Carbon Label: measure before you communicate

The Carbon Label is the brand’s most distinctive feature. The principle: every ACT product displays its carbon footprint, expressed in kilos of CO2 emitted, alongside a comparison with a standard running product in the same category. The brand’s own wording sums up the intent: “analyse, measure, display”.

A few values published on ACT’s official product pages give the scale:

• BioPerf t-shirt: 2.03 kg of CO2, 46% less than a standard running t-shirt according to ACT.
• ShellLight shorts: 2.94 kg of CO2, 22% less than standard shorts.
• ShellLight 2-in-1 shorts: 4.85 kg of CO2, 19% less.
• BioRip windbreaker: 5.80 kg of CO2, 38% less than a standard running jacket.
• ThermoShell fleece: 5.65 kg of CO2, 8% less than a standard jacket.
• BioFlex tights: 3.02 kg of CO2, 16% less.

At fibre level, ACT states that its BioPerf nylon has a carbon footprint 59% lower than conventional nylon, and that across the collection the impact would be 47% lower than traditional equipment.

This system has two merits. It forces the brand to look at its products one by one, and it shows the runner that not everything is equal: a thick fleece is still a fleece, and its saving (8%) is far smaller than that of a light t-shirt (46%). The Carbon Label also has a limit that needs naming: to date, ACT does not publish the detailed methodology of its calculations, the exact scope of the analysis, or the name of any third-party body. The figures are the brand’s own. They are consistent with each other and with what is known about bio-based polymers, but they remain ACT’s statements, not independent measurements.

BioPerf, ShellLight, BioFlex, ThermoShell: understanding ACT Running fabrics

ACT names its fabrics like technologies. Behind these names are two families of materials: nylons made from castor seeds (BioPerf, BioRip, BioFlex) and polyesters made from repurposed cocoa husks (ShellLight, ThermoShell). The brand also develops AirShell, a light, breathable jersey, not stocked at AURA to date.

BioPerf™: the running jersey

BioPerf is a 100% plant-based nylon, polymerised from castor oil, a non-edible plant grown in semi-arid regions. The fabric is produced in Taiwan. For the t-shirt, ACT claims 113 grams, drying 50% faster than conventional nylon, and natural odour control linked to reduced bacterial growth. To the touch, the fibre is very soft, almost silky, which is surprising for a technical t-shirt.

It is the fabric of the t-shirts, long sleeves and tank tops: the first layer in hot weather or for intense sessions. One precaution, stated by the brand itself: this softness makes BioPerf sensitive to repeated friction from a pack or hydration vest. For long trail runs with a vest, it is not the right choice.

ShellLight™: the light fabric against wind and light rain

At ACT, ShellLight refers to a plant-based polyester made from repurposed cocoa husks, a by-product of the chocolate industry. It is water-repellent and windproof, and is used for shorts, caps and light jackets. The plain shorts weigh 106 grams, the 2-in-1 shorts with built-in liner 139 grams, the quarter-zip jacket 220 grams according to ACT.

Note that the composition varies by model: the ShellLight windbreaker sold at AURA lists on its label a blend of 51% nylon and 49% bio-based nylon, at 295 grams, whereas the shorts are in cocoa-derived polyester. The name therefore describes a function (light, water-repellent, windproof) more than a single composition. The exact details are on each product page.

BioFlex™: support

BioFlex is the brand’s stretch nylon, also derived from castor. It is the fabric of the tights, half tights and base layers. ACT does not communicate a compression rate: the argument is not muscular support but construction, with an ergonomic three-dimensional pattern that reduces friction zones, side pockets on the tights, reflective logos and, on the underlayer, a discreet opening at the left wrist to read your watch. For the underlayer, the brand gives a usage range of -10 °C to +40 °C.

ThermoShell™: warmth that breathes

ThermoShell is a 100% plant-based polyester fleece, also made from cocoa husks. Its particularity lies in the construction: alternating fleece zones, which retain heat, and open-knit mesh zones, which let moisture escape. It is ACT’s answer to the classic problem of the running fleece, too warm as soon as the pace picks up. The fleece weighs 320 grams and is worn as a second layer in cold weather; the same fabric is used for the gloves (18 grams) and the lining of the women’s windbreaker vest.

BioRip™: the ripstop

A fifth name completes the range at AURA: BioRip, a castor-based nylon woven in ripstop, the grid weave that stops a tear from spreading. Windproof and water-repellent, it weighs 115 grams on the windbreaker with adjustable hood and 82 grams on the shorts. It is the lightest fabric in the ACT wardrobe.

In short: BioPerf for sweating, ShellLight and BioRip for protection from wind and light rain, BioFlex for the fitted first layer and the legs, ThermoShell for the cold.

Garments built around effort

The ACT wardrobe available at AURA reads like a layering system. Each piece has a role, and the technologies answer one another.

The BioPerf T-shirt is the entry piece: 113 grams, fast drying, straight cut. It is the t-shirt for interval sessions, summer runs and road races. Available in black, terracotta, pink and brown. The long-sleeve version (142 grams) takes over as soon as the mornings turn cooler.

The ShellLight 2-in-1 Shorts combine water-repellent shorts with a built-in liner featuring a patch pocket for the phone, plus a zipped back pocket for keys or a gel. These are the all-round shorts: training, long run, race. The plain shorts, without liner, at 106 grams, suit those who prefer to wear their own technical underwear.

The BioRip Windbreaker is the third layer: 115 grams, adjustable hood, windproof and water-repellent ripstop. It folds into a pocket and comes out when the wind picks up or a shower passes. It is not a membrane rain jacket: in continuous rain, it will eventually let water through, like any water-repellent windbreaker.

The ThermoShell Fleece is the winter mid layer. Its ventilated mesh zones make it wearable while running, where a classic fleece comes off after ten minutes. In very cold weather, it pairs with the BioFlex Underlayer, a fitted base layer with 3D anti-chafing construction, watch opening and reflective logos for night runs.

The ShellLight Windbreaker, more structured (295 grams), and the ThermoShell gloves complete the system. Worth noting: the shorts and the 2-in-1 shorts also exist in BioRip, in an even lighter burgundy version.

An aesthetic unlike traditional running

Most running brands signal their technicality through design: fluorescent colours, oversized logos, contrasting panels. ACT takes the opposite path. The pieces are plain, the logo is discreet, the palette mixes black and white with shades that come from the everyday wardrobe instead: terracotta, beige, burgundy, brown, storm blue, ochre.

The volumes follow the same logic. The t-shirts are straight, neither tight nor oversized. The shorts fall mid-thigh. The windbreaker has a real hood and a clean silhouette. The technical details are there, but they are functional before they are visible: zipped back pocket, patch pocket on the liner, reflectors, watch opening.

This choice has an interesting consequence: the fleece, the windbreaker, the long sleeves or the gloves move effortlessly from the morning run to the day that follows. The brand claims as much, it wants to be worn “in everyday life too”. But make no mistake. The BioPerf t-shirts, the shorts and the tights are running garments first, cut and weighed for effort. The line ACT explores is not that of street sportswear, it is that of a technical wardrobe that does not need to shout to be taken seriously.

How to choose your ACT Running apparel

The simplest way to find your way around is to start from the conditions you run in.

• Hot runs and intense sessions: BioPerf t-shirt or tank top, plain ShellLight or BioRip shorts. Weight and drying make the difference.
• Wind and light rain: BioRip windbreaker (the lightest) or ShellLight windbreaker (more structured), over a BioPerf t-shirt.
• Cold: BioFlex underlayer as first layer, ThermoShell fleece as second, ThermoShell gloves. Add the windbreaker if the wind is strong.
• Support and covered legs: BioFlex tights or half tights, with their 3D construction and side pockets. ACT does not promise compression, worth knowing.
• Versatile first layer: the BioPerf long sleeve, at 142 grams, covers most of the year in mid-season.

On sizing, ACT’s official product pages give references by model: the BioPerf t-shirt fits true to size (a 1.80 m model wears an M), as do the ThermoShell fleece and the BioFlex tights. The ShellLight shorts run slightly small, ACT advises taking the size up if in doubt. The ShellLight quarter-zip jacket runs large. These indications are carried over on each AURA product page when we have them.

Why AURA selected ACT Running

At AURA, we are interested in brands whose technology answers a real use. ACT convinced us first through the product: a 113-gram t-shirt that dries fast, well-built shorts, a windbreaker that fits in your hand. The fact that these pieces are made of castor nylon or cocoa polyester is an additional argument, not the only one.

We also like the way the brand talks. A CO2 figure on a label, with its limits, is worth more than a green slogan. And a sober design, in colours that already exist in our selection, lets ACT talk to the rest of the store: the caps and training wardrobe of District Vision, the Merrell shoes for the outdoors. ACT is the running brand of our selection in the strict sense, the one for those who really run, several times a week, and who want equipment that measures up without giving up a certain idea of clothing.

ACT Running at AURA

AURA is an ACT Running stockist in Rennes, at 2 rue Châteaurenault, and online with delivery across France and Europe. The selection covers the core of the system: BioPerf t-shirts and long sleeves, ShellLight and BioRip shorts and 2-in-1 shorts, BioRip and ShellLight windbreakers, ThermoShell fleece and gloves, BioFlex underlayer. Colours change with the seasons.

Discover the ACT Running selection at AURA →

Frequently asked questions about ACT Running

What is ACT Running?

ACT Running is a French running apparel brand launched in 2025 in Paris. It designs technical pieces (t-shirts, shorts, windbreakers, fleeces, tights) in plant-based materials and displays the carbon footprint of each product through its Carbon Label.

Is ACT Running a French brand?

Yes. The brand is based in Paris and was founded by Antoine Vigneron, Guillaume Alcan and Thibault Repelin, the creators of the footwear brand Odaje. ACT is B Corp certified.

Where are ACT Running garments made?

The garments are made in Vietnam, as stated on the brand’s official product pages. The BioPerf fabric is produced in Taiwan. ACT does not manufacture in France.

What is BioPerf?

BioPerf is ACT’s 100% plant-based nylon, obtained from castor oil. It is used for the brand’s t-shirts and tank tops. ACT claims a 113-gram t-shirt, drying 50% faster than conventional nylon, and a fibre carbon footprint 59% lower than standard nylon.

What is the ACT Running Carbon Label?

It is the label that displays, on every ACT product, the amount of CO2 emitted in kilos and the gap with an equivalent standard running product. The figures are calculated and published by the brand, which does not detail its methodology on its website.

How does ACT Running fit?

It depends on the model. According to ACT, the BioPerf t-shirt, the ThermoShell fleece and the BioFlex tights fit true to size, the ShellLight shorts run slightly small and the ShellLight quarter-zip jacket runs large. If in doubt, the product page guide is the reference, and trying on in store in Rennes remains the safest option.

Where to buy ACT Running in France?

On the brand’s official website and at its specialist stockists, including AURA in Rennes and on aura-estore.com. The AURA selection is presented on the ACT Running collection.

Sources: ACT Running, About page, official ACT Running product pages (BioPerf T-Shirt, ShellLight Short, ThermoShell Fleece, BioFlex Tights), FashionNetwork, February 2025, Comme un Camion, February 2025.