For many, sport is one of the most important activities in our lives. Whether it is to have fun with friends, overcome personal challenges or reduce t
For many, sport is one of the most important activities in our lives. Whether it is to have fun with friends, overcome personal challenges or reduce the stresses of our day to day, it is an activity that allows us to feel fit and in a good mood.
But to play sports, especially those that require special preparation and conditioning (climbing, diving, extreme competition, etc.) we must use certain specific materials that, if not produced in a sustainable way, can cause great damage to the environment.
That is why today we bring you a selection of sportswear brands, both national and international, that have a high commitment to environmental sustainability in the development of their products.
International sustainable sportswear brands
Iron Roots
Over 90% of all sportswear is made from plastics like polyester and nylon, and every time you wash them, tiny pieces of plastic come loose, which we know as micro-plastics.
Iron Roots is the first microplastic-free sportswear brand. They manufacture their sportswear from natural materials such as hemp, eucalyptus and beech wood, and they produce it locally in Portugal and Greece.
By combining design, functionality and sustainability, they want to show that we don’t need plastic to make sportswear.
Go to Iron Roots’ website
Patagonia
Our benchmark brand par excellence. We do not know what we like the most: if the transgressive spirit and charisma of its founder, Yves Chouinard, capable of building a business that has crossed borders and whose only investments in television advertisements have been to encourage people to be more responsible with the Planet, or that they have been one of the most innovative companies in the production of sustainable pieces, creating new materials and asking their consumers to repair the garments.
For those interested in knowing how the Patagonia company works, you can read the book written by Mr. Chouinard, «Let my people go surfing».
Go to Patagonia’s website
Vivo Barefoot
Born in Great Britain, Vivo Barefoot is one of those brands that show us that another production is possible. and one of their mottos is that «they are not here to make money, but to make shoes», minimalist shoes, to be able to give your foot the necessary support so that it can express all its organic form and we do not weaken it with the use of shoes that hurt and atrophy us.
In addition, all its pieces are made with vegan materials, thus eliminating the use of animal parts in the process.
Go to Vivo Barefoot’s website
Lili Lotus
Another of the brands specialized in yoga, Lili Lotus was born in Hawaii in 2001, betting on sustainable fashion with the planet and full of color to enjoy day-to-day activity. All their materials are eco-friendly, and they are produced entirely in the United States.
Go to Lili Lotus’ website
Engel Sports
«Feel the nature» is the emblem of this sustainable sportswear brand born in Germany. Its products offer maximum functionality and comfort of use, its materials follow ecological criteria, are certified by GOTS and are made with fine merino wool and soft and exquisite silk.
Go to Engel Sports website
Starseeds
Another brand from the UK. Starseeds is a «Slow Fashion» brand at the forefront of the «ethical clothing» movement. They are committed to making more conscious decisions in all aspects of life, while inspiring others to do the same. Their mission is to demonstrate how a balanced and organic approach to life shouldn’t stop at what we wear to dress our bodies, as they strongly believe in the power of spending less and recycling more to find eco-friendly solutions for fashion. Its production model is ethical and responsible, these being its fundamental values. Starseeds also uses carefully selected natural fabrics to create beautiful pieces that will make anyone who wears them feel good inside and out.
Go to Starseeds website
Kusaga Athletic
Kusaga Athletic is a forward-thinking, innovative and constantly evolving Australian brand that cares deeply about having a positive impact on the environment. They represent those who change the rules, the adventurers and those who take risks. People who seek to make our planet a better place to exist. They are part of a new wave of companies creating economic and environmental benefits through collaboration, communication and innovation.
Its fabrics allow environmentally conscious people to directly impact climate change. They not only dedicate themselves to design, marketing or sales, but they are in charge of recovering excess fabrics, sewing, producing and giving a second life to the waste they generate in their production. Unlike many other sports brands in the world, they have manufactured a fabric from the ground up, turned it into a garment, and followed it until it returns to Earth. It is a true «craddle to craddle» system.
Go to Kusaga Athletic website
Vaude
Another brand of ecological sportswear focused on mountain sports. And another brand born in Germany, specifically in 1974, founded by the visionary Albrecht von Dewitz. One of the pioneers in implementing sustainability in sportswear, and who followed and improved his son, current CEO Antje von Dewitz.
Go to Vaude’s website
Sustainable sportswear brands in Spain
The Running Republic
This newly created sustainable sportswear company comes to us from Barcelona. Led by Paolo Quagliotti, The Running Republic is a brand specializing in ultra-technical sportswear for runners of all specializations. All its products incorporate a very high percentage of recycled material (between 70 and 80%), and its fabrics are made with local suppliers located in Italy, Spain and Portugal. This allows to control the traceability of the product and the good treatment of workers.
In addition, I have directly tested their products and I can confirm that they are like a silk glove on the body, and comply with all the characteristics required of these technical garments.
Their project also has a social impact part, being partners of the Belgian NGO WEFOREST, which is dedicated to reforesting regions of Ethiopia, one of the cradles of the world’s runners, with a tree planted for each garment sold.
Go to The Running Republic website
Ternua
This brand was born inspired by the adventurous, self-improvement and respectful spirit of the Basque whalers. These people stood out for being very intrepid, brave and friendly with other cultures, especially in Newfoundland (Ternua, in the Basque language). All this served to inspire, in 1994, its founders, who from the beginning opted to create a brand that spoke of mountains, nature, adventure, solidarity and respect for the environment.
Important are the advances in sustainability that they have achieved in their products, such as the introduction of organic cotton, recycled feathers for their jackets or the almost total reduction of the PFCs of their products, a milestone that they intend to achieve 100% soon.
Go to Ternua website
Mobel Sport
Coming from Murcia, this sports products company (although with great emphasis on cycling and triathlon) focuses on manufacturing 100% in Spain, betting on minority sports, and on the most sustainable materials possible in its production.
Go to Mobel Sport’s website
Fashion Bindu
Fully focused on yoga practitioners, Bindu was born to offer the best timeless garments to lovers of this ancient discipline. Its editions are limited, and do not follow the pressure of the seasons. In addition, all the materials with which the pieces are manufactured (cotton, linen and wool) are organic, produced in an ecological and socially responsible way.
Go to Fashion Bindu website
Lindíssims
Lindissims is a brand that manufactures and sells locally produced leggings for all types of women. This company was born thanks to the dedication of a group of textile professionals and passionate about the sustainable revolution.
Leggings are especially comfortable and of great quality. Both the fabric and the clothing are 100% national, we bet on fabrics made with recycled polyester yarns, recycled polyamide and organic cotton. What are you waiting for to discover its eco-sustainable fabrics?
Its main objective is to be respectful with the environment. The garments adapt to the body to achieve maximum mobility, elasticity and comfort, and that you can also use them as a casual garment in your day to day.
Go to Lindissims website
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