The Daily - Day 2 - June 19, 2019 - 34

Ideas
B I G

T R E N D S

Clockwise from top left: Outdoor
Research's Astroman Hoodie,
La Sportiva's Theory, Scarpa's
Veloce, and Patagonia's
Chambeau Rock Pants.

Hit the Wall

From high-performance shoes made for
the gym to apparel that's built for the rock
but still comfy for the trail, new climbing
offerings at the Show will have broad appeal.
By Chris Van Leuven
CLIMBING CLOTHING AND FOOT-

wear is hitting the Show with hot
new styles, each tailored for a specific purpose but versatile enough
for everyday use. These new items
are made for pushing the limit at
the gym and on the stone-and
they're designed with a changing
demographic in mind.
GYM RATS
Modern bouldering gyms are
drawing in climbers by the thousands. Inside, broad open spaces
with overhanging walls feature colorful holds, where men and women, young and old, line up to try
their hand at expertly set routes.
Just any shoe won't do here-gym
climbers need a downturned,
snug-fitting pair that drives power
to the front of the shoe.
"Clearly the hot trend right now
is gym climbing and bouldering,
which is bringing a ton of new people into the sport," says Kim Miller,
CEO of Scarpa North America.
"And despite the fact that a lot of
these people are newer climbers,
many of them don't necessarily
want a flatter-lasted beginner
climbing shoe. The type of climbing they're doing doesn't necessarily lend itself to your typical
beginner climbing shoe."
In response, Scarpa is debuting
the Veloce, which offers the kind
of soft, downturned performance

found in the brand's high-end
climbing shoes, like the Furia,
but in a way that's both more
comfortable and more durable.
Comfort is further bolstered with
details like a seamless toe panel
and Scarpa's Pressure Absorbing
Fit (PAF) heel, a design that reduces pressure on the heel without reducing performance, thanks
to a sophisticated construction
that creates a soft, form-fitting
heel pocket. The Veloce is also
well-suited to more advanced
gym climbers who stay in their
shoes for long periods of time.
"Gym climbing continues to
boom, with new climbers entering the sport and new gyms
opening on a regular basis," says
Jonathan Lantz, president of La
Sportiva North America. "With
climbing joining the Olympics
in 2020, we anticipate this trend
will only continue to accelerate,
and we've built shoes specifically
to excel in indoor climbing and
competition environments." La
Sportiva has doubled down on the
coming Olympics with three new
competition-specific shoes that
correspond to the three disciplines
that will be featured in Tokyo. The
low-volume Solution Comp has
increased toe-rubber coverage for
bouldering; the soft and sensitive
Theory has an all-new hybrid sole
that combines edge and no-edge

/ SUMMER MARKET 2019

features for sport climbing; and
the super-light Cobra slipper is
built for speed.
OFF-THE-ROCK COOL
Climbing apparel is becoming
less niche. Instead, consumers are
looking for multipurpose pieces.
"What we're seeing as a trend in
climbing apparel is a lot of crossover from core activities like cragging to more general outdoor uses,"
says Outdoor Research sportswear
product manager Kylene Wolfe.
Outdoor Research's new Astroman Hoodie, named for the famed
Yosemite route, is a prime example. Lightweight, breathable, super
stretchy, highly abrasion resistant,
and with UPF 50+ sun protection,
the hoodie is perfect for a hot day
on the rock, but those same fea-

tures will translate to the trail or
the coffee shop.
WOMEN'S COMFORT
Women demand comfort and a
performance fit that's tailored to
their needs on the rock. At the
Show, Patagonia will have four
new styles of pants designed by
women for everything from bouldering to alpine rock climbing. The
synthetic and stretchy Chambeau
Rock Pants have an elastic contoured waistband and a slim fit.
Ultrasonic seams are taped in key
areas for extra durability. "These
styles have been crafted with the
help of Patagonia's ambassadors
and specifically built to fit and perform better than any of its previous
climbing pants," says Patagonia's
Tessa Byars.

The Daily - Day 2 - June 19, 2019

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