From December 3 to 5, 2024, the ISPO Munich trade fair for outdoor products was held at the Munich Exhibition Center in Germany.
The Luxe.CO team, with a long-standing focus on the sports and outdoor industries, once again traveled to Munich for in-depth field visits and research at the exhibition, uncovering a range of the latest industry trends and innovative highlights. This article will provide a detailed introduction from the following three perspectives:
- Emerging innovators in more specialized segments
- Stronger presence of material and fabric suppliers, with rapid iteration by Chinese companies
- Numerous Chinese brands on the international stage at ISPO
Emerging Innovators in More Specialized Segments
Sports and health were key topics in the forum sessions at this year’s exhibition. Fiona Bull, a representative from the World Health Organization (WHO), revealed on-site that 81% of children globally do not get enough exercise. This data highlights the urgency of integrating outdoor activities and health while suggesting significant potential for children’s outdoor sports products in the future.
At the exhibition, Luxe.CO observed that children’s apparel was an important product category. Exhibitors included both emerging children’s wear brands and established brands promoting their children’s lines, such as:
—— Viking
A national heritage rubber boots brand from Norway, founded in 1920. Starting as a rubber factory, Viking was among the first to use GORE-TEX membranes in footwear, specializing in durable, waterproof children’s rubber boots priced between €45 and €140.
Viking’s winter boot product, Constrictor Warm SC GTX, won an ISPO Design Award at this year’s event.
In 2023, Viking launched a new winter children’s clothing line inspired by workwear, designed specifically for play, with products priced between €35 and €150, and one-piece suits priced up to €210.
Above: (Left) PinBina, (Right) Viking children’s line
—— PinBina
A Swiss children’s wear brand established just two years ago and headquartered in Bern, known for bold colors and designs that accommodate children’s individuality and rapid growth.
The brand has already completed collections for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, offering over 100 SKUs. Its winter outdoor apparel is priced around CHF 150 and is stocked in leading Swiss outdoor retail stores like Transa.
Outdoor footwear innovation was prominently showcased at this year’s event, with standout brands including:
—— NNormal
Co-founded in 2022 by Spanish trail-running legend Kilian Jornet and Camper, a Spanish family-owned shoemaking company established in 1975. The brand name “NNormal” reflects their philosophy of “Not Normal,” emphasizing high-performance trail running shoes.
NNormal is also a client of Gore-Tex, featured at their ISPO booth. The brand’s Kboix trail running shoes received an ISPO Design Award at the Outdoor By ISPO event in summer 2024.
—— GNL
A Swiss outdoor footwear brand founded in 2016 by engineer and athlete Jürg Braunschweiler, who previously served as an officer in the Swiss special forces. Jürg developed and patented Glide’N Lock, a shock-absorbing sole technology.
In 2009, this technology was sold to Swiss sports brand ON Running, allowing GNL to focus on health-oriented footwear products.
Above: (Left) Gore-Tex booth showcasing NNormal, (Right) GNL footwear and backpack products
In addition, the exhibition featured new and exciting product categories. Highlights included a dedicated zone for pickleball and padel tennis (Pickle Village & Padel Village) and a display of Teqball tables, a unique sport combining elements of soccer and table tennis.
Above: TEQBALL, invented in 2012 by three Hungarian creators, is a hybrid sport played on a curved table, where players use their feet to pass the ball. It can be played as singles or doubles.
Stronger Presence of Material and Fabric Suppliers, with Rapid Iteration by Chinese Companies
The ISPO Munich exhibition covered every aspect of the outdoor industry supply chain, including material and fabric companies, well-known brands, startups, and various B2B design and marketing service providers. Materials and fabrics have become increasingly prominent as the cornerstone of product strength and brand identity for outdoor brands.
Above: (Left) Fjällräven product using Gore-Tex Pro fabric, (Right) YKK AiryString technology in application.
At this year’s exhibition, leading suppliers such as Japanese zipper manufacturer YKK and American outdoor fabric giant GORE-TEX secured large exhibition spaces to showcase their collaborations with partner brands. These exhibits featured not only emerging outdoor brands but also new products from leading legacy brands.
GORE-TEX also unveiled its latest generation of GORE-TEX PRO, designed for extreme environments and highly challenging outdoor activities. Achim Loeffler, Global Business Leader of Gore, held an in-depth two-hour conversation with Luxe.CO on-site.
Above: Achim Loeffler wearing apparel made with the new generation GORE-TEX PRO at the ISPO exhibition.
In addition, Luxe.CO was pleased to discover several Chinese material companies showcasing their brands on the international stage, leveraging the strong advantages of China’s supply chain.
One representative is Shanghai Trend-Textile Co., Ltd., which launched its fabric brand Cool Fresh.
Launched in 2020, Cool Fresh is positioned as a high-end fabric brand suitable for various scenarios such as yoga, skiing, running, golf, cycling, and camping. Its clients include DESCENTE, HELLY Hansen, and HEAD. The brand has already received several ISPO TEXTRENDS Selection Awards and ISPO TEXTTRENDS TOP 10 Awards for its fabrics.
At the exhibition, Luxe.CO interviewed Sun Mingliang, General Manager of Cool Fresh, who shared candid insights on the challenges and opportunities faced by Chinese fabric companies:
“Chinese people are not skilled at storytelling or branding, but this has started to change over the past few years. Some Chinese companies are beginning to learn how to tell stories.
The bias that consumers trust overseas technology more is real, and we need to bring our best to gradually overcome it. This requires time—five or ten years of gradual iteration. More and more companies are becoming conscious—one part storytelling, another part technical expertise. For example, Cool Fresh is just two years old, so we don’t have much history or narrative to share. It’s harder for designers or brands to accept us, but we try to win them over with our products, showing them the real work we’re doing. For instance, we collaborated with Südwebs Group in Germany to develop Techno Wool fabric, which solves traditional wool problems like shrinking and pilling. German and French customers who saw it were very impressed.”
“Innovating in fabric in China is very convenient. China is the fastest country in the world for R&D in synthetic fabrics. No other country can compare with us. Innovation must happen in China because we have abundant resources, upstream and downstream partners, and a comprehensive supply chain. Whether it’s polymerization or spinning, there are factories here that can achieve differentiation. Fabric brands must control fabric innovation themselves. If you can’t, then add a ‘key’ (referring to technological innovation), or even two ‘keys.’”
At the exhibition, Luxe.CO also visited the collection “Fashion Meets Function” launched by Chinese designer brand RICO LEE in collaboration with Südwebs Innovation Hub (Germany’s Südwebs Group Innovation Center). This series creatively applies cashmere fabrics to sportswear, exploring the possibilities of various wool yarns. The designs combine different sports scenarios with wool, creating new synergies between athletic wear and wool.
China’s vast and diverse supply chain ecosystem is increasingly delivering high-quality manufacturing capabilities to the global sports and outdoor industry. Hundreds of supply chain enterprises from major industrial hubs such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Anhui provinces—including cities like Nanjing, Suzhou, Changzhou, Wuxi, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Jinjiang, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Jiaxing, and Shaoxing—exhibited at ISPO Munich. Examples include SAB, a leading domestic auxiliary material enterprise from Zhejiang, which has been a consistent exhibitor. Additionally, ISPO Munich attracted representatives from other Chinese supply chain companies who attended to explore manufacturing collaborations with global outdoor brands.
Numerous Chinese Brands Take the International Stage at ISPO
In Munich, Luxe.CO observed many familiar Chinese brands showcasing their presence on the international ISPO stage, with several winning prestigious awards:
1) Apparel Brands
Bosideng
The Chinese down jacket brand Bosideng received ISPO Design Awards for its Tech Shell women’s jacket and the parka developed for the Chinese Antarctic expedition team.
Septwolves
Chinese menswear company Septwolves earned ISPO Design Award nominations for its business travel down jacket and performance jacket.
Tanboer
Tanboer, a Chinese down jacket brand, won an ISPO Design Award for its Airbag Recycled N66 jacket, made from recycled down and discarded airbags from old cars.
Founded in 1999 in Qingzhou, Shandong Province, Tanboer integrates the design, production, and sales of down jackets, with two R&D centers in Shanghai and Shandong and an annual production capacity of 5 million pieces.
2) Sports and Outdoor Brands
ANTA
Chinese sports brand ANTA won an ISPO Award for its Heat Stream Down Jacket 3.0.
XTEP
Chinese sports brand XTEP won an ISPO Award for its high-performance marathon running shoes, 160X 6.0 Monxter.
KAILAS
Chinese professional mountaineering brand KAILAS received an ISPO Design Award for its Yan high-top waterproof hiking shoes.
Longym
Chinese sports protection equipment brand Longym won an ISPO Award for its patellar strap.
Overview of ISPO Munich 2024
Under the theme “LOVE EVERY CONTACT”, the 2024 ISPO Munich trade fair featured 12 exhibition halls (including the ICM International Congress Center). According to official ISPO data, this year’s event brought together nearly 2,300 exhibitors from 50 countries and attracted 55,000 visitors from 113 countries.
Over three days, the exhibition offered not only a wide range of products and experiences but also numerous roundtable forums and keynote speeches on global topics such as health, technology, and sustainability, in collaboration with brands like Patagonia. Highlights included six major innovation industry summits and forums:
- SPORT MARKE MEDIEN (Sports Brand Media)
- Sports Tech Nation
- German Trainers’ Summit
- Ski Industry Climate Summit
- therapie MÜNCHEN (Munich Therapy and Medical Rehabilitation Trade Fair)
- BIOTEXFUTURE Fall Forum 2024
In addition, the event featured appearances by prominent sports figures such as American tennis player Andre Agassi, German track and field athlete Malaika Mihambo, and German footballer Julian Nagelsmann, who joined discussions on sports, health, and innovation. These dialogues showcased the growing integration of sports, health, and lifestyle.
Above: German track and field athlete Malaika Mihambo (right) participating in a panel discussion on “Achieving Greater Equality and Inclusion in Sports.”
As in previous editions, the exhibition retained its signature themed zones alongside regional specialty sections, such as the French Village (below is the brand list) and the Scandinavian Village.
For the first time, the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF) partnered with ISPO to launch a dedicated section, showcasing more than ten unique brands combining Nordic design and outdoor elements.
| Image Credit: Luxe.CO on-site photography
| Editor: Xiaoyue
