We Built the Gear We Couldn't Find.

Built by trail runners,
for dogs that keep up.

stridebark started the way most good things do — out of frustration. In 2019, Marcus Reid and Dana Kowalski were logging 40-mile weeks on the trails outside Bend with their dogs Koda and Roux, two high-drive Australian Shepherds who treated every run as a race they intended to win. The harnesses, leashes, and boots on the market looked the part but fell apart under real use: chafed shoulders after 10 miles, busted buckles on rocky descents, fabrics that held odor and moisture until they were unwearable. The gear designed for dogs doing actual athletic work simply didn't exist — so they decided to build it.

The first Apex Running Harness was prototyped on Dana's kitchen table using military-spec webbing sourced from a climbing supplier in Portland. Marcus, a product designer by trade, spent six months iterating the chest plate geometry until Koda could run a full half-marathon without a single hot spot. They tested pre-production samples with a small group of trail-running friends and their dogs — ultra runners, agility competitors, backcountry hunters — refining every stitch, clip, and reflective strip based on real miles in real conditions. When they finally felt confident, they launched with a single product and a waiting list of 400 customers.

Today stridebark ships gear to active dog owners across North America, and the ethos hasn't changed a step. Every product is designed in Bend, stress-tested on local trails, and built to outlast the adventure. We don't chase trends or chase volume — we chase performance. If it doesn't hold up when Koda and Roux push it to the limit, it doesn't ship. That's the only quality standard that has ever mattered to us, and it's the one we'll keep.