UTMB is the week when trail running takes centre stage in Chamonix. Part pilgrimage, part pressure cooker, pulling in the sport’s elite, a crush of fans and every brand that wants to get a foothold in mountain culture. The courses are brutal, the atmosphere is electric, and the town becomes a rolling showroom for ideas about what off-road running looks and feels like.
Into this fray, Parisian purveyor of alternative running apparel Satisfy parked a custom Fiat Panda 4x4 outside its Off-Road Supply set-up and let the boxy little icon do a lot of the talking. The Panda is basically an alpine folk hero at this point – light, simple, nimble – and it mirrors the label’s taste for technical minimalism that's, in the nicest way possible, a bit rough around the edges. It was less support vehicle, more anchor for the activation, a rolling mood board that pulled people in for photos, conversation and, inevitably, product. Most notably, a limited-edition colourway of the brand's new all-purpose running shoe, TheROCKER.
A Fiat Panda like no other
Crucially, the car was built by Garage Italia, which specialises in reimagining Italian classics with craft and a sense of fun. The Milan outfit treats heritage with respect but is not precious about it – period-correct cues where it matters, modern reliability and finish where it helps. On a Panda 4x4 that usually means a clean restoration, subtle upgrades and just enough attitude to feel trail-ready without tipping into cosplay. It suits Satisfy’s world view perfectly.
As brand theatre, the move was sharp. UTMB week is noisy, yet a humble Panda 4x4 cut through because it speaks to the realities of mountain life as much as the romance. It connected product to place, lent the pop-up an immediate local accent and showed that style in trail running can be pragmatic rather than shouty. In a landscape of carbon plates and neon, Satisfy used an old Fiat to say something new, and we're big fans of everything about it.
Next up: These are the alternative running brands you need to know.
