Adidas Outdoor has started 2021 with a commitment to creating more eco-friendly, sustainable sportswear, entering into a partnership with fellow German sports apparel brand Megmeister.
Clothing brands have often been associated with wasteful practices, but in recent years that trend has slowly started to shift, as environmental concerns come to the fore. A supposed 88 per cent of consumers are asking for brands to become more environmentally friendly.
Adidas's goal is to use only 100 per cent recycled polyester in all products by 2024, reduce the brand's carbon footprint by 30 per cent by 2030, and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. In order to achieve this, Adidas signalled their commitments to eco-friendly clothing by unveiling a sustainable base layer at ISPO Munich in collaboration with Megmeister.
What makes this base layer eco-friendly is Megmeister's "Drynamo" technology, comprised of a fabric using merino wool combined with reduced synthetic yarns. The knitting process produces less waste, while the base layer is also 96 per cent biodegradable.
Designed specifically for high-performance athletes, the base layer's "Drynamo" technology has hypoallergenic qualities and superior breathability featured in the yarn. The brands claim that the focus on sustainability doesn’t compromise the performance of the base layer, with the comfortable fit coming from body-mapped targeted ventilation zones that provide climate regulation and breathability in a lightweight seamless knit.
Picking up ISPO's gold award in the outdoor apparel segment in the base layer category, the quality of the product is clearly maintained despite its emphasis on being eco-friendly.
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“At Adidas Outdoor, we’re focused on pushing product sustainability forward and in partnering with industry-leading brands like Megmeister we hope to create a catalyst for change in the industry. By offering a high-performance product with sustainable production at the core, we can serve the next generation of consumers with what they want and need, ” said adidas' Global Vice President of Product, Markus Kleber.
Megmeister's founders, Jos and Vanessa Ruiterman, have also been full of praise for the partnership, which should flourish as both brands share their expertise.
“Adidas is an innovative, global brand and we are excited to establish a partnership,” add Megmeister’s founders, Jos and Vanessa Ruiterman. “Both of our brands are pioneers in their fields and important drivers of innovation in the textile industry, especially when it comes to sustainability. We strongly believe that together we can push the boundaries of innovative, functional and sustainable garments to a new ‘ubergreen’ level, while continuing to further our mission to be the benchmark for generations to come.”
“A collective collaboration between Megmeister and Adidas is a win for each brand, as well as the environment,” said Vanessa Ruiterman. “We all share the common goal of reducing the impact of apparel on our planet.”
The Adidas TERREX x Megmeister Drynamo Merino ECO LS Crew Base layer is due to be released in Autumn 2021.
