I’m a sucker for good design, and Half Sumo has me completely hooked. Over the past year, I’ve bought more from them than I probably should have. And while their products are solid, it’s not just the gear that’s pulling me in. It’s the design.
I started training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu about a year ago. Like a lot of beginners, I went down a rabbit hole of gear, tips, and communities, and one of those rabbit holes led me to a Reddit thread listing US-based companies that sell BJJ-related apparel and accessories. That’s where I first found Half Sumo.
Their site is a Shopify implementation. Nothing too wild under the hood. But the experience? Intentionally built to guide, entice, and convert. They clearly do a fair amount of ad spend, have an active social media presence, and sell through Shopify, which makes them accessible to the growing mobile-first market.
Brand Identity That Grabs You Immediately
From the first second, you know what kind of brand you’re dealing with. Gritty, witty, confident without being full of itself. It’s not just a logo and some colors: it’s a vibe.
- Textures, typography, and layout all carry the same DNA.
- Product names and descriptions are playful but purposeful.
- There’s just enough visual noise to feel tactile, but never cluttered.
Clean UX Disguised as Chaos
At first glance, the site feels rebellious. It is not sterile or over-polished. But dig deeper, and you’ll see:
- Navigation is frictionless. You always know where to click.
- Collections are curated smartly. No dead ends or weird category holes.
- Checkout is minimal and lightning fast. Just as it should be.
This balance, between visual edge and user clarity, is a design win. It draws in the curious but serves the decisive.
Product Pages That Don’t Get in the Way
A lot of e-comm sites try to oversell. Half Sumo doesn’t.
- Big visuals. Short copy. Fast info.
- No bloat. No unnecessary widgets or popups.
- You get what you need to know, and you’re invited to scroll a little more.
That restraint is a signal: “We know you’re here to buy. We won’t waste your time.”
A Unified Brand Voice
From product tags to 404 pages, their tone is consistent. It’s playful without being juvenile. Confident without being bro-y. That kind of voice continuity doesn’t happen by accident.
Good Design is Good Business
This is not about flashy visuals. It’s about clear organization, a cohesive design system, and a strong product line working together to reduce friction and invite interaction.
Half Sumo’s site sells because it’s:
- Well-designed
- Well-organized
- Well-written
And all of that is in service to what matters most: the product.
