Runaway Hits

Fabric stories to watch in performance running for Fall 2010.

The “less is more” approach has been a key focus of performance running products in recent seasons. Lighter weight styles with a minimalist approach have driven sales in footwear and apparel. Materials have played a large role in making these trends a reality, because while runners may be looking for the lightest possible products, they also have fabric demands that include durability, feel, sustainability, UV protection, and more. Fabrics aren’t just a part of the story in running, for many products, the fabrics are the story.

“Fabrics technology drives just about every tier for us,” says Michelle Ave, apparel director for Brooks, a leading running brand. “It’s the clay you mold your styles/stories out of. The fabric technology is the base line for where we start.

In the outerwear for Fall 2010, it’s a balance of protection and breathability. In the lower tier – less wind and rain protection – it’s UV protection and moisture management. We’ll be working anti-microbial [fabrics] into this tier going forward.”

An innovative fabric story from Brooks for Fall 2010 can be found in its HVAC Synergy 1/2 Zip Top, which combines heat-conductive antimicrobial X-Static and a super-soft DWR treated fabric. The main body is made with 100 percent recycled moisture-transfer polyester and the HVAC side panels are a 96 percent poly/4 percent X-Static combo. The garment is water resistant and both moves moisture and regulates body temperature.

Meanwhile, in its Fall 2010 apparel, Asics performance running ARD collection will incorporate ThermoCool by Advansa. ThermoCool fabrics use an exclusive fiber mix that yields two important benefits for temperature regulation: Evaporative cooling - the fabric allows the perspiration to move faster through a multi-channel evaporative surface; and Thermo-buffering - when cool outside, hollow fibers in ThermoCool provide lightweight protection from temperature changes. In addition, the fabric has a UPF rating of 50+ and the fibers are environmentally-friendly with 37 percent made from corn.

In footwear, Asics is also keying in on new materials. This Spring Asics is launching product in the performance running category that incorporates some new mesh materials on the uppers that are lighter, more durable, more cost effective and more environmentally-friendly than the current uppers. Footwear styles such as the GEL-Nimbus 12 and the GEL-3020 will feature overlays made from recycled synthetics.

Saucony’s major apparel story for Fall 2010 centers around the launch of a high-end compression line called Saucony AMP PRO2. Saucony will feature the polyester fiber Celliant in the collection. Celliant is infused with natural minerals, and has been proven to help relax tissues in the body and aid oxygenated blood flow. A crucial story in compression apparel revolves around compression’s ability to increase oxygenated blood flow, which enhances both performance and muscle recovery for athletes.

Saucony believes its use of Celliant in the garments will bring an added edge to those benefits.

“We believe we have a new point of entry into compression that is completely revolutionary and different from how every other brand in the marketplace has approached compression,” says Todd Dalhausser, GM Saucony Apparel. “It all relates back to oxygen, and what we are claiming, through test results that we have done with competitors product, is that by wearing our AMP PRO2 product, oxygen levels in the body will increase between 15 and 30 percent faster than by using any other compression product.”

Meanwhile, from Wacoal Sports Science Corp., the
CW-X Conditioning Wear Revolution Tight, set to retail for $195 when it launches in Fall 2010, features new, seamless, EXO-Lite Support Web technology. It is designed to improve athletic performance in an extremely lightweight tight. Weighing 14 percent less than regular performance tights, Revolution provides targeted support to the knee joint, hips, quads, glutes, lower back, hamstring and calves, providing greater stability and balance, and reducing impact to the knee joint by helping muscles and ligaments band together. The tights feature a moisture wicking, CoolMax/nylon blend with UPF 40+ UVA/B protection.

Lightweight in the Extreme

The Apex Climateblock jacket from The North Face is an example of a lightweight piece that performs in extreme conditions. Weighing in at 11–14 oz, the jacket is designed for mild levels of aerobic activity or for use in more severe cold weather conditions. With its waterproof, breathable laminate, it has the most protective of The North Face softshell fabrics. It is 100 percent windproof and highly water-resistant, and is a stretch alternative to hardshell outerwear. It also has reflective seam tape for maximum visibility at night.

“Our Apex Climateblock technology offers wind and
rain protection and the hybrid construction allows for temperature regulation,”explains Liz Braund, performance product director, The North Face. “Our athletes came to us with the request to make a highly-breathable, comfortable jacket that protects them from the elements. We worked closely with them to develop a technology and textile that allowed for this weather protection and breathability.”

Headsweats’ new UltraLite Hat utilizes the attributes of Eventure Fabric with CoolMax. Eventure is a proprietary woven material that wicks sweat, provides UV protection and is extremely lightweight. The center panel of the hat, comprised of Eventure, is ultra light and has significant UV protection where sun exposure is most extreme. The side panels are constructed of CoolMax enabling enhanced breathability by transferring moisture rapidly to the outer layer of fabric. A new high-performance lightweight headband inside the hat offers a blend of CoolMax knit and CoolMax terry to keep sweat out of user’s eyes and wick it off their brows. The total weight of the UltraLite Hat is 1.6 ounces.

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