Women's Running.com: Your Absolute Favorite Running Socks

Publish date: January 19, 2016
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OR Daily Day 4: Sock it to me

Publish date: January 10, 2016
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OR Daily Day 3: New Products Gallery

Publish date: January 9, 2016
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OR Daily Day 4: From Bootcamp to Backpacks

Publish date: January 10, 2016
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OR Daily Day 4: Green Giants

Publish date: January 10, 2016
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Vamp Footwear.com: From the Show Floor: Outdoor Retailer Recap

From the Show Floor: Outdoor Retailer Recap

BY DEBRA COBB • JANUARY 15, 2016 • TRENDS

Hot Socks

Winter footwear would not be complete without warm, cozy socks. Made-in-America brands dominated this category, from Farm to Feet to Fox River to Darn Tough Vermont. While merino wool ruled, new synthetics offered interesting benefits, particularly in the compression category.

Colorful graphic patterns proliferated, and digital or sublimation prints enabled patterns that were too complex to knit. With 13 styles and 50 options, Fox River’s merino AXT crossover collection was the most extensive.

Farm to Feet tapped into the mis-matched trend with its Hampton sock for women; the right and left have patterns that coordinate, but do not match. The company’s Damascus hike sock has transitioned to its Hunt collection; the new version is a bit thicker, warmer, and more durable, with an airflow instep and air chamber that runs up the calf.

Starting in February, the Damascus Elite and light weight Greensboro sport sock will be knit in a 19.5µ American-grown merino wool. Dave Petri, Farm to Feet vice president of marketing, explained, “The 19.5 micron wool allowed us create a sock with an extremely high wool content and enhanced durability. You feel the quality and softness of these socks as soon as you put them on.”

Lorpen’s new TR2 sock featured a high-tech blend of merino wool with PrimaLoft fiber. The hydrophobic, micro-polyester fiber (also used for insulation) is spun with merino wool to keep the foot both warm and dry.

CEP Compression chose Emana yarn, a high-performance nylon embedded with bioactive minerals, for its Ski Ultralight socks. The Emana fiber reflects the far infrared rays generated by the body, providing warmth and enhancing circulation.

While the latest footwear products are highly technical, the average consumer may not be making full use of the benefits—but wants them anyway. At an OR seminar on sports and outdoor trends, Matt Powell, The NPD Group vice president of industry analysis sports and leisure trends, told the audience, “The outside consumer seeks comfort, not extreme conditions. They’re seeking ‘good enough’ for moderate use.”

Perhaps it’s the cool factor consumers are responding to. Winter 2016 footwear has it in abundance.

Publish date: January 15, 2016
Circulation: 3,975
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Skiing: OR Sneak Peak

Publish date: January 15, 2016
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Inside Outdoor: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Earns ‘American Made’ Award

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Hyperlite Mountain Gear Earns ‘American Made’ Award

POSTED BY MARTIN VILABOY ON JANUARY 15, 

Hyperlite Mountain Gear was named the overall winner of the fourth-annual American Made Outdoor Gear Award. The award was announced during a ceremony at the recent Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Conceptualized and hosted by Kokatat Inc., the American Made Outdoor Gear Awards were open to all American manufacturers with a compelling story.

“Each year we are impressed by the amazing made in America stories from all our entries,” said Jeff Turner of Kokatat, the founder and host of the American Made Outdoor Gear Award. “Hyperlite Mountain Gear was a clear stand out this year with how they have focused on domestic manufacturing to drive their innovation and growth as well as their commitment to their local community

Hyperlite Mountain Gear makes ultralight packs, shelters and accessories using state of the art Dyneema Cuben Fiber in a repurposed mill in Biddeford, Maine.

“We maintain a high commitment to our customers, our employees, our community, and the innovations and quality that propel our growth,” said Hyperlite Mountain Gear Co-founder and CFO, Dan St. Pierre. “We are thrilled and honored to be recognized for our American-made manufacturing as it is a driving force behind that commitment.　

As winners of the American Made Outdoor Gear Award, Hyperlite Mountain Gear will take one-year ownership of the “Sassy” travelling trophy – a two-foot tall, hand carved, redwood Sasquatch from Humboldt County, Calif.

Kokatat’s hosting of the awards is rooted in its own history, as the brand’s founder and president, Steve O’Meara, recognized from the start that keeping production local was necessary in order to control quality and continually develop the finest and driest paddling apparel in the world.

In addition to the overall winner, winners in several categories based on company size were also awarded.　 The category winners received a miniature version of the Sassy award during the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market celebration.

Category winners of the 2016 American Made Outdoor Gear awards include:

　　100+ Employees:　 Farm to Feet of Mt. Airy, NC, a sock manufacturer.

　　50-100 Employees: Timbuk2 of San Francisco, CA, a bag manufacturer.

　　10 to 50 Employees: DPS Skis of Salt Lake City, UT, a ski manufacturer.

　　Under 10 Employees: Duckworth of Bozeman, MT, a wool apparel manufacturer.

In the four years of the program the American Made Outdoor Gear Awards has received 290 entries from domestic manufacturers. Past overall winners have included Liberty Bottleworks, Benchmade Knives and Sterling Rope.

Publish date: January 15, 2016
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Gear Junkie.com: American-Made: Repurposed Textile Mill A Factory For ‘Hyperlite’ Gear

January 20, 2016, 10:35 am                                                              By: Stephen Regenold

American-Made: Repurposed Textile Mill A Factory For ‘Hyperlite’ Gear

Under high ceilings, with workstations and sewing machines set on worn wood floors, the staff of Hyperlite Mountain Gear builds some of the market’s lightest and most-durable outdoors gear.

The materials lean space-age and expensive, including Cuben Fiber fabric, Spectra cord, mesh, and the tapes and agents required to make a line of boutique backpacks, shelters, tarps, and accessories used by hikers, climbers, and explorers around the globe.

This month, at a ceremony in Utah, Hyperlite Mountain Gear was recognized for its made-in-America story. Founded in 2010 by Mike St. Pierre, a former New York chef turned designer and gear-head, and his brother, Dan St. Pierre, Hyperlite Mountain Gear now employs 24 people and makes all its goods in Maine.

The company won the fourth-annual American Made Outdoor Gear Award. The recognition, conceptualized and hosted by Kokatat Inc., has gained buzz in the outdoor industry for its refocusing on domestic production and gear design among a glut of products made overseas.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear is a callout success story, doubling in size every year since its inception and creating lauded products. It was cited in the award ceremony as driving domestic manufacturing, innovation and growth, as well as a commitment to a local community in Maine.

Past overall American Made Outdoor Gear Award winners are Liberty Bottleworks, Benchmade Knives, andSterling Rope. This year, other U.S.-based brands, including Farm to Feet, Timbuk2,DPS Skis, and Duckworth, were category winners at the event.

We caught up with Hyperlite Mountain Gear to get details about its operations and its plans for expansion. Lizzy Scully, marketing director, shared the company’s award application for background on the company’s commitment to made-in-USA.

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Why is domestic production important to your company?

Originally, as a young start-up, we didn’t really see any other way of doing it. But as we grew, we realized there were many benefits to producing domestically. First, our products are made using [some of the] most advanced materials technology available to the outdoor industry, Dyneema and Cuben Fiber. These materials are much different than any other traditional woven fabric used in our industry. We had to develop unique production, sewing and bonding techniques in order to make ultralight gear that could withstand the harshest demands of our customers. Our fabrics are 100% waterproof, meaning we had to develop unique methods, by hand, for “re-sealing” stitch holes that occur during production. We also primarily work with laminate fabrics, meaning precision stitching is much more critical than when working with woven fabrics.

All of this process development and training took tinkering, time and ingenuity before finding the right production recipes to create high quality gear. There is just no way we could have sent off designs and raw materials to Asia and have ended up with a product that worked. In-house manufacturing gives us much more control over our quality, which is critical.

Does producing domestically make your company more nimble?

We are in a new era where customers provide feedback quickly, and to maintain a strong business you must listen to your customers as some of them have really great ideas. If we see a problem with a product, or receive an incredible suggestion from a customer that we just haven’t thought of, we can very swiftly make in-line improvements or changes. If we were outsourcing our production, we’d be placing much larger production run orders and would be much slower to incorporate innovation. In this day and age, we feel it is very important to be nimble.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear packs are minimal and lightweight, but durable due to high-end materials

We also have one of the most competitive lead times in the outdoor industry. Many of our competitors are sourcing materials and manufacturing overseas, and they experience long lead times when they deplete supply of outsource manufactured product, or they have a six to twelve week lead time when building to order. We ship most products immediately upon order, in just a week when stock needs to be replenished, and we can also build to order in less than two weeks for customizations.

Are there financial advantages to a domestic production model?

We eliminate third-party manufacturing mark-ups, which would be significant due to the high cost of our advanced material technology and the increased production time it takes to work with these high-tech materials. It seems counter-intuitive, but in our case, domestic manufacturing actually helps keep the costs down for the consumer. We are also able to operate “just-in-time,” which means we can somewhat predict our short-term growth and manage both raw material and finished goods inventory. The positive cash flow effect, compared to holding large inventories from an outsourced manufacturer, is very important to us.

You are a significant employer in a midsize town. How does that affect your view of business?

We are proud to be manufacturing here in Maine and to be providing manufacturing jobs in an old mill town that nearly died following America’s manufacturing exodus to Asia decades ago. And we are proud of our employees who are dedicated craftspeople ensuring that the products we sell all around the world, and that are used in some of the harshest environments on the planet, work well and hold up for our customers. This is all very important to us and our brand.

Has domestic manufacturing helped Hyperlite Mountain Gear gain market share in your category?

We certainly think so. While our biggest gains in market share come from our innovative product designs and innovative materials technology we don’t think it would be possible without domestic manufacturing. Additionally, our market share increases as more and more people recognize the benefits of American-made products. American manufacturers make high quality products that last. They contribute to economic growth and consumers can have a direct connection to the products they consume.

What is the biggest challenge of producing domestically?

Many outdoor gear companies outsource their manufacturing, meaning they don’t have to deal with hiring, training, procurement or the management of production staff, thereby allowing them to focus solely on R&D, marketing and sales. But domestic manufacturing, compared to overseas manufacturing, has its own set of unique challenges. They are, primarily, the financial costs associated with the higher labor costs of a U.S. labor pool compared to the low costs of Asian labor. In any industry, not only ours, where similar products are being made both domestically and overseas, it almost always means the domestic versions will be more expensive to the consumer. We’re okay with this as we have a premium brand offering premium products and the trade-off, in our opinion, is a higher quality product.

In the flesh: Made in USA at Hyperlite Mountain Gear’s HQ and production facility

A second challenge with domestic manufacturing is finding skilled labor from a pool that has lost much of its manufacturing experience over the past 20 to 30 years. There’s a skilled labor experience gap of an entire generation and finding high-value, quick learning, dedicated production employees and craftspeople will always be a challenge until more and more insourcing occurs. And when we find these high-value employees, it most often means they must be trained, which again has associated costs and time.

What are the challenges and barriers to using domestic materials?

The main challenge or barrier to using domestic materials is very similar to the main challenges of a domestic labor force; they are more expensive. Domestic materials are produced using a local labor force at higher wages compared Asian overseas labor and are understandably higher priced. But once again we consider there to be a trade-off in price versus quality. American-made goods have traditionally been associated around the world with high quality and we don’t view it any differently now despite the past several decade trend of outsourcing American manufacturing to Asia.

Ultra-light shelter from Hyperlite Mountain Gear

We believe in the quality of our American-made products and the benefits we provide to our local economy by producing here. We also believe that after 20-30 years of declining American manufacturing and increasing consumerism of disposable products, Americans are remembering, and the younger generations are learning, the importance of high-quality products that perform and last, which is why, we think, there is a new growing trend toward American insourcing. At the end of the day, the main challenge is competing with lower priced, internationally produced goods. But again, consumers seem to be starting to remember that you get what you pay for.

What is the furthest distance you source a domestic material?

Being located in Maine means many of our suppliers are far away. But those furthest away include our primary raw material supplier located in Arizona and a small raw material supplier in California. But we are also fortunate to have some suppliers right here in Maine and in the neighboring state of New Hampshire. Maine has a respectable rope industry due to its rich fishing and boating industries, and we do source our rope and line needs locally whenever applicable.

How does domestic manufacturing support your business outside the U.S.?

A growing number of countries are aware of the high quality of American-made products, both in the past and now that there is a growing resurgence in American manufacturing. We are raising the bar for product quality compared to our offshore competitors, and consumers in Asia and Europe recognize this. We do see this reflected both in a growing interest in our products and in increasing shipments to these areas. We expect continual growth in the Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.

What advice would you give to a company thinking about producing their product domestically?

Build a stable of domestic suppliers to maximize your agility in serving whatever market you enter. Then make only the highest quality products that last in order to differentiate yourself from the competition and thus maintain the reputation of the American-made label. We would also advise that there is a lot of opportunity in domestic manufacturing, however, given the manufacturing skill gap that was created in the last three decades, be prepared for the challenges of finding a strong workforce. Know your own product, and how it is produced, because you will likely have to train your staff.

–See the Hyperlite Mountain Gear product line and learn about the company at hyperlitemountaingear.com.

Publish date: January 20, 2016
Circulation: 101,340
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Knitting Industry.com: Outdoor Knits Exhibit More Sophistication for 2016

Debra Cobb

Expert Opinion

20th January 2016, Salt Lake City, UT

Outdoor Knits Exhibit More Sophistication for 2016

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If there is one thing the winter outdoor enthusiast can rely on, it’s the performance of knitted textiles, from cozy base layers, hats and socks for layering, to fleece and stretch synthetics for more aerobic activities. At the most recent Outdoor Retailer Winter Market (ORWM), the semi-annual industry-wide trade show held in Salt Lake City, knits took a more sophisticated turn, combining functional fibres with innovative constructions and elevated styling.

“Wick-it Good”

With colourful graphic prints and elegant fabrics, base layer and hosiery have come out from underneath. Melange and space-dyed yarns, mis-matched patterns, and prints as well as knitted jacquards are definitely meant to be seen. Kari Traa, a Norwegian line, featured stretchy merino wool performance base layer in fun patterns designed to appeal to young women.

Terramar® Sports promised to “wick-it good,” adding melange effects and trendy camo prints to its line of brushed, wickable Cloud 9 polyester base layer, while going upscale with luxurious plaited MerinoSilk stretch pieces. The brand’s Thermawool base layer utilised a poly/wool melange yarn with a brushed interior; Climasense™ technology promoted wicking and breathability, as well as odour control.

 A new line of base layer clothing called Kora™ was knit in silky 18.3µ yak fibre, said to be warmer and more breathable than merino, due to the higher elevation of the yak’s habitat. The line supports the nomadic herding communities of the Himalayas, who live with their animals, and collect the wool as it is moulted.

Engineered for comfort

Socks were not only more colourful, but more technical as well. A winner of the Kokatat American Made Outdoor Gear Award at ORWM, knitter Farm-to-Feet™, which uses only US-grown wool, added a newly-developed 19.5µ merino to its line of 200 needle hosiery. The highly-engineered Damascus Elite hiking and hunting sock also featured micro-channel ventilation and LYCRA® comfort compression.

Inspired by current trends, the Farm-to-Feet™ Hampton sock for women sported deliberately mis-matched patterns on right vs. left socks within the pair.

The new PhD® Outdoor Mountaineer sock at SmartWool®, also made in the US, featured the brand’s Industractawool durability technology, along with mesh zones for venting, and a compression heel cup.

It all starts at yarn level

Lorpen North America’s TR2 crossover sock introduced a performance blend of PrimaLoft® fibre with merino wool. The same micro polyester fibre used in PrimaLoft® insulation is spun with merino wool to create a yarn that is soft, warm, and dry.

PrimaLoft® recently partnered with Mitsui Bussan Techno Products to develop the fibre into yarn and performance textiles, focusing on base layer and fleece, hosiery, and technical T-shirts. Woven flannels and performance denim are also in development.

“We’re taking the PrimaLoft® story into new product categories with performance lifestyle fabrics to provide comfort solutions,” explained John Mitchell, head of sales and product development for the project.

Hyosung’s introduced its latest comfort solution, Heat On™ polyester, at ORWM. The heat-generating fibre contains a proprietary mineral that absorbs solar energy and radiates it to warm the body. “Heat On™ development was inspired by consumer demand for garments that offer enhanced warmth in cold weather outdoor activities whether it is hiking, skiing, cycling, climbing, running, or camping,” shared Ria Stern, Hyosung global marketing director.

Unifi’s latest innovation, XS cross-section technology with dynamic tunability, was also developed with thermal comfort in mind. The fibre can be customised for a variety of attributes, including resiliency, thermal capacity, air and vapour permeability, bulk, and aesthetic effects.

“People forget that innovation starts at the yarn level,” remarked Unifi marketing manager for retail branding, Christine Spiegel.

Fleece flashback

After falling out of favour at the hands of lightweight insulated jackets and vests, soft, stretchy, mid-layer fleeces are making a comeback. At Polartec®, where polar fleece was first developed in 1981, “throwback” fleece was trending with brands such as Patagonia and Ducky Stephens.

“Despite all our innovations, we still have fleece at the heart. Today fashion is turning back the clock to heritage textiles,” reported Tim Morin, PR director of Breakaway, for Polartec®.

Polartec® continues to drive innovation in knits, such as their collaboration with The North Face on the Summit Series L2 jacket, launched in 2015. The jacket’s proprietary version of Polartec® Thermal Pro® hard face fleece pushed the limits of 3D knitting in a garment with a one-piece, engineered jacquard construction that cut waste while promoting warmth and moisture management in key areas.

The search for the perfect fleece was the objective of the 4EVER™ Fleece project, introduced at OR by CORDURA®, in collaboration with Struktur Studio and the Portland Garment Factory. The line of hoodies and sweatpants featured Cordura® 4EVER™ Fleece Soft Comfort performance fleece fabrics knitted by Cyberknit, Yoonia, and Ifateks mills.

“To meet the continued desire for apparel that suits both active and casual lifestyles, we’ve expanded our performance knit portfolio into an exciting new collection of light, mid, and heavy weight fleece constructions,” explained CORDURA® global brand and marketing director, Cindy McNaull. “Once you break fleece in, you want it to last.”

The Carhartt consumer is also looking for more technology and comfort, according to Lindy Mueller, associate public relations manager for the workwear brand, whose reputation for hard-wearing comfort is winning fans in the outdoor space. The Force Extremes™ signature graphic hoodie featured a rugged polyester fleece armed with 37.5® technology, which speeds up the conversion of moisture to vapour and traps odours, keeping the wearer warm, dry, and comfortable.

A new outdoor aesthetic

There’s a new wave of brands at Outdoor Retailer, including those housed in the show’s Venture Out space, combining an outdoor heritage with elegant materials and a younger, urban aesthetic. Duckworth®, which sources its American Rambouillet merino wool from the Helle ranch in Montana, continued to elevate its line of knitted base layer, mid-layer, and outerwear pieces with the addition of wool blend fleece, bi-ply, socks, and worsted merino knitwear.

Duckworth® was also a winner of the Kokatat American Made Outdoor Gear Award at ORWM.

Colorado-based Voormi® sources Rocky Mountain High Country Merino™ for its proprietary constructions, including a plaited wool/poly wicking base layer; a wool/nylon mid-layer with a DWR finish; and their Core Construction™ knit featuring a waterproof, breathable membrane.

Voormi®’s latest innovation is their camouflage knit, developed with space-dyed wool yarns using a biomimetric pattern. The fabric’s nature-inspired colors and lack of synthetic shine is designed to appeal to outdoor enthusiasts in general, as well as to the growing market for hunting and fishing performance apparel.

The performance attributes and sustainable benefits of alpaca wool have been beautifully utilised in Nau’s new range of sweaters. According to the company, the alpaca wool is GOTS-certified and sourced from Peruvian farmers, with a focus on social and ethical awareness.

The alpaca pieces complement Nau’s Randygoat merino wool and recycled polyester collection of knit pieces, including base layers and refined casual wear, all part of the brand’s elevated aesthetic and commitment to sustainability.

Publish date: January 19, 2016

Circulation: 7,995 

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