As always, the jury is made up of three industry experts and three consumer experts from the ISPO Collaborators Club, with the latter being newly selected for each meeting. This time, the six jury members met at Lake Achensee in Tyrol, Austria, to spend two days reviewing the more than 60 products that had made it into the final selection. The mountain backdrop was a perfect match for the task at hand, as the majority of products submitted came from the outdoor category and reflected the diversity of outdoor activities: from camping to trekking, from high-altitude mountaineering to long-distance swimming, and from trail running to biking.
Between the sessions, the team went up the surrounding mountains on bikes, which was rewarded with a magnificent view over the valley and a rapid descent.
Which trends did the jury spot this time? The range of new fabric and material developments was more than impressive. Even lighter yet robust and durable fabrics for backpacks, shoes, jackets and pants were presented, as well as new, extremely thin laminates for waterproof down jackets, and jackets with woven-in body mapping. In the area of protective equipment, too, there was a real material innovation with even lighter, flexible protectors.
Buy one - get more! Whereas in recent years product development was primarily concerned with gearing products to a clearly defined activity, the focus is now increasingly on multifunctionality. The products once again showed the creativity of the industry. The highlights included rain capes that can be converted into a tarp or hammock with clever details, sleeping mats with removable seat cushions, or swimming buoys with a cell phone compartment and camera adapter. In addition, headlamps, which are offered in a modular system to adapt to all needs.
Outdoor is a growth market that has shown itself to be enormously crisis-proof. The need for outdoor experiences has increased even further in recent years, which is also evident from the fact that new target groups have emerged. And they have new demands. Young people in particular, who have had little exposure to the outdoors, are often looking for gear with a more urban look. For example, jackets and pants were presented that are ideal for microadventures and don't have the classic outdoor look. There were also functional mountain boots in a sneaker style.
Camping and vanlife are another facet of the ongoing outdoor trend. Here, the main focus is on increasing comfort with new products, such as new bags or coolers.
Above all this is a mega-trend that plays an important role in almost every product: Sustainability. While textile brands have led the way with more sustainable products in recent seasons, the footwear category is now following. More and more footwear manufacturers are taking a critical look at their own carbon footprint and have started to convert their bestsellers to more climate-friendly products, thus reducing their impact. Recycled materials are often used for this purpose, but also new, plant-based materials. Circular shoes are still a long way off, but there are already initial suppliers in the case of bags. Even more exotic, and a real novelty in this field, are trekking poles whose shafts are made of hemp. The conclusion of jury member Sandra Spörl from the ISPO Collaborators Club: "It's great to see how sustainability is reflected more and more strongly and visibly in the products. Compared to just a few years ago, it's really striking!"
The concentrated sports power of the jury was once again complemented by the internationally recognized textile expert Louisa Smith, who is a jury member of the ISPO Textrends Award. To prevent greenwashing, she supported the panel with her expertise in the increasingly important and complex topic of sustainability.
These are the winners from the second round of the ISPO Award 2023
The award-winning products are shown in segments here for a better overview, but there are no winning categories for the ISPO Award.
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