The Daily - February 20, 2020 - 18

The Pulse
H E A D L I N E S

Adidas Five Ten
Highangle Pro

TOP CLIMBING GEAR

Even at Snow Show, there was plenty of gear for climbers. Edelrid was
founded in 1863 but is leading the industry today with Bluesign-certified
ropes and cords, manufactured responsibly and sustainably. Bluesign
compliant pieces for 2020 include the women's Autana, a light all-around
harness that can be used for everything from sport to trad to ice. For kids,
Edelrid launches the full-body Fraggle harness. All of the brand's ropes
are Bluesign-certified, including its new triple-rated 8.9mm Swift Protect
Dry with "integrated cut resistance" technology. Special aramid fibers are
woven into the dynamic rope to help keep it from cutting. Adidas Five Ten
was showing its Highangle Pro, which was awarded best new gear by the
Gear Institute. Designed to excel in competition, the Highangle Pro is the
brand's most sensitive climbing shoe, with a unique 3D sole that offers grip
on volumes, the huge sloper holds that send many climbing shoe edges
skimming. "The soft inside curve allows climbers to roll their feet from
a smear to toe hook with the maximum rubber on the rock," says Dave
Kassel, Adidas Five Ten product manager. -C.V.L.

CAR CAMPING COMES HOME

The message from "The Growth of Overlanding" presentation
on Day 1 of the Show was loud and clear: We are all overlanders.
With more than 25 million consumers, the vehicle-supported
segment continues to expand. Add to that an aging demographic
with disposable income, and you can see why brands from car
makers to camping gear manufacturers are looking for ways to
cater to overlanders. "Their vehicle is just a bigger version of
a backpack, allowing people to load up more gear," says Scott
Brady of Overland Journal. -H.L.

18

/ OUTDOOR + SNOW SHOW 2020

"The way we were collecting data 20 years ago was
so horribly skewed," Harriet
Riley explained during her
presentation, "Future Proof
Your Brand," on Day 1 of the
Show. A senior digital content
strategist for Nemo Design,
Riley pointed to consumer
insights from the 2018 OIA
Participation Report that
she considers pivotal to the
outdoor industry: climate
change, urbanization, and demands on consumers' leisure
time. She urged brands to
update their business models
to include the urban explorer,
an overlooked customer.
"When you ask all these
people if they want to participate more, 80% say 'yes,'"
she said. "When you ask
how far they want to travel
to participate, [they say] 16
miles or less." Riley believes
companies that are willing
to engage with consumers
through cultivated content
portals have an edge, because they can listen and
hone their intuitions based
on conversations about the
customer's intent, motivation,
and desire to participate.
-L.G.

LOOKING TO NATURE

For the next two years, Pantone predicts customers will
be enchanted with colors
found outside.
At her presentation, "How
Nature and Today's Belief-Driven Consumers are Influencing
Color Trends Throughout Design for 2021/22," Laurie Pressman, VP of the Pantone Color
Institute, analyzed the thought
processes driving global color
trends for consumer goods in
the outdoor industry in front of
a standing room only audience.
"There is no question that
nature is a true innovator-one
that inspires our industry, from
creative design to medicinal
engineering-and that nature's colors and perspective
influence the way we relate to
the world around us," Pressman said. "Nature effortlessly
achieves the design goals that
humans strive to reach, whether beauty or functionality."
During Pressman's talk, she
pointed to several factors
driving the market's thirst for
goods that are organic and
made with natural materials:
current concern for the planet,
a renewed focus on health,
interest in self-care, and society's relentless 24/7 "always
on" lifestyle. -L.G.
F R O M TO P : A N D E E CO L L A R D, L AU R E N DA N I L E K X 2

TAPPING URBAN
EXPLORERS
The Daily - February 20, 2020

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