There is a profound connection people have with their immediate surroundings. This is the place we are most comfortable, the place we can truly be ourselves, it is where we can combine our passions with our purpose. Through the eyes of co-founder Jedd Rose, this story builds itself. It’s riding bikes on familiar streets to the favorite local spot. It’s learning the local spot to catch the trophy fish in an urban landscape. Aiming to inspire all skill levels to become just as creative to integrate the outdoors into aspects of their lives not seen to be possible.
THE NEW OUTDOOR™: URBAN FISHING
JEDD ROSE, CO-FOUNDER
What is The New Outdoor™?
We know the old outdoor. It’s focused on hyper-specialized gear, the pursuit for once in a lifetime activities, and the desire to be part of an exclusive club that few can join. We’ve been there, and it’s one of the reasons we started Topo Designs. For over a decade, we’ve been charting a new path, to inspire people to continuously redefine what the outdoors means to them, how they integrate it into their life, and be an inspiration for others to do the same.
We see a New Outdoor, one that expands the very definition of being outside. It’s an inclusive place that allows us, regardless of who we are, to be both the outsider and the insider, the novice and the pro. We’re rooted in versatility which allows us to do more with less, and blur the boundaries between life and outdoor. Ready to be repurposed and never retired, we design for longevity and timeless utility.
Find your kit. Live in it. Meet us in The New Outdoor™.
Our Core Elements
The New Outdoor™ is an endeavor we’ve been channeling since day one. These elements are what we believe a more utilitarian, sustainable, and inclusive approach to the outdoors can be.
Utility
Sustainability
Inclusivity
Utility
We’ve been about utility since we started—striving to create a line as versatile in the outdoors as it is in the city, or any travels in-between. We design our line to be the ingredients that can be mixed and matched, reconfigured and reimagined by you, our #TeamTopo community, to best represent who you are as individuals.
Sustainability
We believe sustainability is a never-ending work in progress. By building durable products that stick around for the long haul, researching and implementing recycled materials and lower impact manufacturing, and beginning with design to constantly work towards a more sustainable product line.
Inclusivity
Think approachable, not exclusive. We want a new outdoor to exist in which we can all benefit, not just one specialized group. Inviting both the outsider and the insider, and blurring the boundaries of life and outdoor together.
Our Core Elements
The New Outdoor™ is an endeavor we’ve been channeling since day one. These elements are what we believe a more utilitarian, sustainable, and inclusive approach to the outdoors can be.
Utility
Sustainability
Inclusivity
Utility
We’ve been about utility since we started—from the products we make, to the people we work with, to you, our #TeamTopo community—we strive to create a line as versatile in the outdoors as it is in the city, or any travels in-between. Do more with less.
Inclusivity
Think approachable, not exclusive. We want a new outdoor to exist in which we can all benefit, not just one specialized subset group. Inviting both the outsider and the insider, and blurring the boundaries of life and outdoor together.
2022
Ambassador
Team
2021
Ambassador
Team
SARAH STURM
Bike racer, designer, and cycling mentor. Sarah’s talent as an athlete and artist is matched only by her humanity and sense of humor. Find her on cyclocross, mountain bike, and gravel podiums around the country. She’ll be the one wearing the brightest colors and the biggest smile.
Caziah Franklin
Musician, producer, writer, book & coffee lover, and an avid outdoorist. Caziah (Caz) aims to spread inclusivity and diversity in all that he does. Whether he’s in the studio tracking drums, or cycling on the local greenways and back roads, he does it all with a grin on his face, and a hat on his head.
“I ride close to home to maintain contentment. It’s so easy to take for granted how instantaneous the simple things in life can be, and sometimes driving 5 miles when I could’ve walked or cycled can hinder myself from letting my body and mind achieve a goal.”
— Ambassador Caziah Franklin on keeping things local.
#TheNewOutdoor
KC BADGER
Angler, artist, and BMXer. KC has a knack for catching big fish and even bigger air. He wears a lot of different hats, both literally (outside) and figuratively (at a production house). He’s been on our team longer than he’s relied on our Duck Camo Daypack for fly fishing.
Leo Rodgers
Bicycle advocate, bicycle mechanic, and dad. Leo competes in some of the biggest gravel races in the world with an unforgettable sense of personal style and a drive to get more people on bikes, no matter the obstacles.
“Everything doesn't always have to be some grand adventure, you can fit in a micro-adventure after work, or beat the heat on a summer weekend. It also lets you grab breakfast burritos on the way to the crag, ditch the car at home, or make a seamless transition into happy hour.”
— Ambassadors Kersten Vasey & Matt Bowers on the benefit of staying close to home.
#TheNewOutdoor
KERSTEN VASEY
Climber, backcountry skier, photographer, and digital creative. Kersten is as skilled of an athlete as she is a creative (often combining the two). She and her husband Matt Bowers have been with us since the beginning, bringing our products to life simply by living theirs.
MATT BOWERS
Multi-sport wonder, photographer, and scientist. Matt’s approach to the outdoors can be summed up with one word: Fun, with a capital “F”. But don’t let that throw you. He can shred with the best of them whenever he’s not teaching molecular biology at Colorado College.
KINA PICKETT
Airstream adventurer, former pro skier, entrepreneur, and family man. Kina and his wife Nellie decided to use the pandemic as an opportunity to take their family on the road for months at a time. They’re blurring the lines between their outdoor and everyday lives, and taking us along for the ride.