ISPO Award Winner 2023: Biospeed by Winqs

) It's a shirt that has the potential to change the textile sports world: the Biospeed Shirt by Winqs. At least, that's the claim of Winqs, a young company from Berlin that has set out to enrich the sports world with products featuring genuine sustainability and consistently resource-friendly production. They aim to set impulses that change the industry, explicitly calling out greenwashing. Winqs counters this with new materials and absolute transparency, positioning itself with clear statements on the matter. With their running shoe Zerofly, the brand already made a statement, earning it an ISPO Award. "As the world's first running brand, we produce all our running shoes, textiles, and accessories with plant-based or recycled materials, transparently, with climate responsibility and a holistic circular concept," says Jan Kratochvil, one of the co-founders of Winqs, about the brand's fundamental concept.

After the successful launch with the running shoe, a complete collection of running shirts in long and short sleeves, tank tops, running pants, and socks now follows. The shirt from the Biospeed collection was submitted to the ISPO jury meeting, and it was successful. The founders, Jan and Marek, are particularly pleased with the award win: "The ISPO Award is the Oscars of the sports goods industry. Receiving the award for our Biospeed Running Apparel line shows that we have not only become a serious contender with our footwear but also with our sports apparel products for the traditional legacy brands."

The innovative Biospeed collection by Winqs, developed in collaboration with Nil-Textile, redefines sportswear by combining performance with sustainable practices. It is these very qualities that are meant to make a difference. To recognize this, it's worth taking a look at the common way of producing sportswear. Traditional sportswear is often divided into two categories: functional and lightweight, typically relying on petroleum-based materials like polyester, or environmentally conscious, using materials such as Lyocell, hemp, and organic cotton. The Biospeed collection by Winqs introduces a new paradigm by utilizing Nilpla material, which mimics the structure of petroleum-based fibers but is derived from sugarcane or corn residues.

The Biospeed Running Shirt features a versatile design suitable for various body types and is available in both men's and women's versions, as well as other product variants like tanks or long sleeves. It not only matches polyester in terms of weight and breathability but, thanks to its botanical origin and molecular recycling facilities, facilitates truly "eternal" recycling. Every Winqs product, including the Biospeed collection, comes with a dual digital product passport. This passport provides insights into the production process and calculates and transparently communicates the carbon footprint of each product.

The true game-changer lies in the concept of circularity. In contrast to polyester and its counterparts, Biospeed garments offer genuine recyclability. The use of Nilpla material not only enables the replacement of polyester but also allows for production in Europe, and, a crucial distinction, the recycling of worn-out or unsold products. Winqs is taking a new path and aims to inspire other brands, true to their motto: Better together than against each other.

• High skin-sensitivity
• Lower development of bacteria and odors
• Eco-friendly concept
• Real circular economy