Like many textile and apparel sectors, sports and outdoor apparel struggled in 2024. Big brands were hit hardest. Here are the main trends in sports and outdoor apparel innovation we expect to see in 2025:
Designed with women in mind
We expect female-centric designs to get a boost thanks to this year’s Women’s European Championships and the Women’s Rugby World Cup. With the growing emphasis on women in sports, female-centric designs are becoming more popular and there is a greater demand for sportswear designed specifically for the female body and needs, rather than just for aesthetics. As a result, ergonomics is gaining importance and sportswear brands are now taking into account women’s different proportions and needs more than ever before. Muscle compression, temperature regulation and breast support, to name a few, are now on the agenda. With the sportswear market overcrowded, it’s important for brands to improve women’s comfort and freedom of movement to gain market share in this growing segment.
Durability
The EU’s ecodesign legislation, which comes into force in July 2024, has already had a significant impact on the industry, introducing concepts such as digital product passports, circularity, resource efficiency, etc., but it also incentivizes the industry to use high-quality materials and production techniques that increase value and longevity. This is particularly important in sports and outdoor goods, as these products have traditionally received more rigorous use and performance expectations are higher. It will be interesting to see how this will develop in the industry, though, as it conflicts with the industry’s need to sell more products to stay in business - at least in the fast fashion sector. In the performance sector, however, durability will be key to driving customer loyalty.
Additionally, the focus on durability in sports and outdoor, in turn, favors circular business models such as rental and resale, as products perform and last longer, and therefore command higher prices. Circular business models lower the barrier to entry to lower price points, potentially attracting a different consumer.
Environmentally friendly and recycled materials
The use of recycled materials in the sports and outdoor apparel industry will also increase by 2025, as brands work towards their own internal fiber transition targets, many of which have deadlines of 2025 and 2030. However, the slow pace of commercialization of textile recycling technologies and supporting collection infrastructure suggests that the required fiber volumes will not be available. Competition for recycled fiber volumes is therefore likely to intensify, highlighting the importance of proactive technology exploration to secure limited resources.
Waste and chemical reduction targets are also pushing the industry in a circular direction, and the increase in extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies that hold manufacturers accountable for end-of-life management is changing the design and sourcing decisions of brands, retailers and manufacturers.
Next-gen materials
The continued focus on new generation materials is driven primarily by upcoming legislation. While brands and manufacturers have been interested in these technologies in recent years, adoption has been low as alternative materials are seen as a risk – especially in such challenging financial times. However, with upcoming legislation and brands’ own sustainability targets (many of which are for 2025/2030), we expect to see adoption rates rise.
For example, the EU is moving towards a comprehensive Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework – with France and the Netherlands already having started implementation at a national level. EPR policies hold manufacturers accountable for the end-of-life management of products, thereby encouraging the use of more biodegradable and recyclable materials – away from traditional synthetics and traditional natural materials such as cotton. It also steers manufacturers away from traditional use of dyes and chemicals towards cleaner options. We expect to see a difference in the way products are designed – designing for circularity from the source.
The use of alternative polyesters and alternative leathers will be particularly popular. A good example is Swiss sportswear brand On, which expanded its circularity program last year with the launch of Cloudrise Cyclon and Cloudeasy Cyclon, using fiber-to-fiber recycling technology developed by Loop Industries. Cloudrise technology is a material made from castor beans, and the Cloudeasy upper is made from yarn from Loop’s 100% recycled polyester with Infinite Loop™ technology.
Temperature regulation / environmental protection
Temperature regulating technology plays a vital role in improving athletic performance and reducing health risks, but more importantly, it also improves comfort and increases enjoyment. We expect to see brands in this space work towards more environmentally friendly products that still regulate temperature. Is there a trade-off between performance and sustainability? It will be interesting to see how this shapes up.
Climate change may also drive consumer demand for this type of product – both in extreme heat and extreme humidity (floods, wildfires, etc.). Similar to how the coronavirus has sparked interest in antiviral products and the like, more regular and extreme weather events may spur consumer awareness of cooling and protection features inside and outside of traditional outdoor and athletic apparel.
