Runtastic CEO Florian Gschwandtner puts his suit and tie in the closet and encourages workwear that reflects your lifestyle.
Source: Athleisure: Here to Stay
I used Runtastic prior to it being acquired by adidas. It was a great app that allowed me to monitor my workouts and quickly share whatever stats I had to social media. The 240 million dollar acquisition was an eye opening event that was only one of a multitude of fitness apps being acquired and implemented into the fitness media of footwear companies.
This article from the CEO of Runtastic is discussing the shift in dress and uniforms in the workplace. Unless you’ve been under a rock, everyone knows that adidas has become the go to brand in fashion and fitness. This shift in tastes happened because of what has been labeled athleisure. A segment of apparel and footwear that transitions from work, to sport, to relaxing.
Before it was called athleisure about ten years ago a company named CLAE saw this trend shift and began creating shoe silhouettes that matched athletic outsoles with dress or casual footwear uppers. At that time those of us in the industry called it casual athletic. That label never really caught on and eventually someone labeled it athleisure and it stuck.
As more millennials enter the workplace it is becoming more and more common to see attire that consists of blazers and denim with Stan Smiths, or khakis and sportswear blended with running inspired silhouettes. As a professor I owned sportscoats and slacks, when I launched ARCH and stopped teaching I has already moved on to wearing my sneaker collection in the classroom.
In the article there is a quote,
“What matters to me is whether we see eye to eye and not whether he or she is forced to wear a suit.”
The uniform is still par in most situations. The suit and tie is still relevant, but as athleisure becomes more and more of a de facto dress, sports brands will begin to build less traditional sportswear and that is a good thing. Click the source link to read more.
