British brand inov-8 has announced the creation of its first clothing range for hikers. Already well-known to runners, the company has added to its hiking footwear with a lightweight apparel collection called Venturelite.
The clothing takes inspiration from inov-8's trail running clothing collection, including the Speed Sock, and aims to meet the demand for faster-paced hiking.
Helen Stuart, inov-8’s head of clothing and equipment, said that Venturelite will provide the same "speedy feel" that trail runners enjoy, but with some necessary hiking adaptations.
"We’ve kept all the garments super-lightweight by removing unnecessary features and instead sharply focused on the things that hikers really need to safely go faster on trails and chase down mountain summits," she said.
Venturelite clothes have an ergonomic fit that are designed to work with the body’s natural movements when hiking. The range includes comfortable mid-layers, hoodies, tees, trousers and shorts. A three-layer waterproof jacket with high levels of breathability will launch in time for winter.
Stuart said: "The hike collection has been designed with layering in mind, with each style working in sync with the other. This mirrors our trail running range, but with the overall feel being less athletic and more relaxed.
"While it is all light and fast, no compromise has been made on protection or durability, with each garment designed for multi-day use and materials carefully chosen to enhance a longer lifespan."
The collection was researched and designed in and around the British Lake District where the brand is based, and has taken two years from concept to launch. A team of experienced hikers were used as testers throughout.
Sustainable matierals
Some 66% of inov-8's hike and run clothing contains recycled yarn. All the recycled yarns are certified by the Global Recycled Standard, which verifies recycled content and ensures responsible production.
All main fabrics also carry the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX guarantee, which means they do not use substances that are harmful or may present a risk to health. Packagin gis polybags featuring biodegradable organic technology.
You can find out more about inov-8’s new hike clothing collection.
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