We’ve seen fashion trends rise and fall over the years. Some have even made a comeback, while others are long gone. Athleisure is a new fashion trend that we have never seen before. This trend is about sporting stylish but comfortable outfits to almost any event and adopting a sporty life style. This is not just a trend these days, but also an industry segment that’s growing fast.
Sportswear generated a revenue of 414 Billion US Dollars last year. Statista predicts that the global sportswear market will grow to 479 billion US Dollars by 2025. This article will provide you with an overview of the complex and fast-growing world of athleisure.
Athleisure explained
Let’s first make sure we all understand what this trend means.
Street style has changed. Women like to wear sports bras as crop tops and leggings. Men can be seen wearing sweatpants and sneakers. The streets are awash with people who have just returned from the gym, and they’re out for coffee, brunch, shopping or going to work.
But the truth is, not everyone who wears sportswear works out. Everyone dresses in sportswear because it’s trendy and comfortable. Athleisure is a combination of athletics and comfort.
Athleisure, on the other hand, is more of a fashion statement than a lifestyle. It’s wearing athletic clothing and shoes that incorporate both fashion design elements as well as technical sports features. Athleisure is worn for running, sports, or even just to be casual.
What is driving the trend in HTML0?
Activewear provides comfort, which is what makes Athleisure possible. Since this trend started making its way onto the runways and covers of fashion magazines in the past decade, sports brands have improved the production of athleisure clothing, making it more lightweight, waterproof and breathable. Brands have made footwear and clothing for performance more affordable. Adidas coupons and promo code discounts are helping to attract more people into this trend.
Celebrities are driving the trend, not only by improving sports brands’ products but also by bringing this into the mainstream. Some celebrities are promoting this trend by collaborating with sport brands. However, other stars such as Heidi Klum and Rita Ora have launched their own line of athleisure clothing.
Fitness lifestyle is another major driver of the athleisure trends. The importance of an active lifestyle has been heightened by years of research into how exercising promotes physical and mental well-being. The fitness industry is the clear winner.
Fitness influencers and gyms are getting more attention online and offline as people become more concerned with wellness mindsets and healthy lives. All of them regularly promote sportswear, and their followers embrace this trend. Today, we are experiencing an athleisure trend, with sportswear worn on the streets, runways and in offices.
The athleisure shoe trend
In the US, the sales of sport and leisure footwear increased by 7% from August 2018 to August 2019 last year. High heels and other styles of fashion declined by 5% during the same time period. Sales of performance shoes and training sneakers have also fallen by 7%.
As consumers today demand comfort, designers of footwear have used this as a guideline for shoe design. Designers have also looked for solutions to problems such as sweating, unraveling laces and other issues. Today, sportswear can include embedded heating pads, massage pads and shoes that automatically fasten.
Brands such as MIT and NewBalance have developed a material named bioLogic that solves the sweating issue. This smart fabric is infused with bacteria which control the movement ventilation panels within the fabric in response to temperature changes. The bacteria, in other words opens the ventilation panels when the shoe temperature is too high and closes the panels once the temperature has dropped enough.
Another reason that sports brands and sport footwear brands have become so popular, is because they cater to the eco-conscious consumer. Adidas and Nike, for example, have committed to using recycled plastic only by 2024. This bold initiative will attract eco-friendly consumers, particularly those from the Millennial Generation.
Activewear is now suitable for many occasions. Today, you can go running in the park then move to your office. We don’t think athleisure will be a passing fashion trend, or at least, not as soon as forecasts for this segment suggest.
Statisticians suggest that the growth of the athleisure sector is on the rise. Globally, athleisure has grown by 42% in the past seven years. This year, we can expect a further 30% growth. Athleisure is a lifestyle that has the potential to be adopted by many.
