Outdoor brand Kathmandu says it wants to push sustainability boundaries and create kits that "act like an extension of the athletes themselves," as it supplies New Zealand's Olympic gear for the next two games.
Kiwi athletes will be suiting up in Kathmandu kit in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. They'll also supply the kit for the team's 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Olympic Youth Games in Dakar - also in 2026.
"Our innovative and responsibly-made gear and apparel will empower our country’s elite athletes to excel, perform at their best, and proudly fly the New Zealand flag on the global stage," said CEO Megan Welch.
Kathmandu prides itself on the use of sustainable, environmentally responsible materials, a tradition it's keen to keep up with the latest Kiwi kits.
“Our product team has a long history of pushing industry boundaries – particularly when it comes to sustainability and innovation," continued Welch.
"In the 1990s, they were one of the first to develop a fleece made from plastic bottles. Now we’re creating world-leading, high-performance garments using fabrics made with recycled car tyres and captured carbon emissions."
Kathmandu has made significant strides towards sustainable production in the past decade.
The brand, which hails from New Zealand itself, uses recycled down and polyester materials in multiple garments and has even opened an entirely solar-powered store in Victoria, Australia.
New Zealand Olympic Committee CEO Nicki Nicol said: "New Zealanders care deeply about where their products come from and how they’re made – we now have a leader in sustainable product innovation backing our team."
Kathmandu is best known for creating sturdy hiking and trail running gear.
Here at Advnture, we've been consistently impressed with its snug line of windbreakers and down jackets - like the Heli R Down jacket, which reviewer Pat Kinsella described as a "responsibly made, reasonably priced duck-down jacket," in his four-and-a-half-star review.
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