Ethical sports gear (1 Viewer)

[jane]

Someone on a running forum I'm on asked about ethical sporting goods companies, and it's got me thinkin'. I know that New Balance and Brooks (the former being a shoe I've never liked, but thankfully, the latter being my most-loved brand of shoe) are a bit more ethically conscious on the shoe front, but does anyone know of companies who make really good quality sports clothing but don't make little baby children work themselves to death for it?

The thing that sucks is that I have a couple of Nike running tops, and they're supremely comfortable, don't chafe, and have handy little pockets for stuff like my nano and gel packs. I would prefer to buy them from someone who doesn't have shitty ethics, but I also don't want their clothes to make my nipples bleed.

Basically, I'm thinking of cycling gear, since there are a fair few cycling heads on here. Some of the cycling stuff is actually much better for running than a lot of running gear, and maybe some of you lot can recommend some companies to check out?

 

[broken arm]

i'm not sure of a company that specifically makes sports clothes for running but I could look into it.

on another note, Nike have pulled up their own socks quite a lot in recent years because their brand was decimated by unethical practices. They have published their entire supply chains to highlight where they have sought to improve on past mistakes but also to highlight where they feel they can also improve.

The issue really is less about specific brands but on materials, dyes, fixatives, production systems etc used.

also, you are entering a minefield.

 

[theweeyin]

controversial?

 

[Space]

Howies gear is all ethical, organic/recycled cotton, no chemicals etc.

Vans and Circa both do vegan skate shoes but I've no idea about any other ethics on their part, also they're a bit sweaty side.

Fenchurch and Road clothing is made in the EU so no asian sweatshops.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[therealjohnny]

To my shame I just bought a new pair of Converse the other day, I know, i know Im a cunt

but the karmic wheel has turned agianst me and, unusally for converse they make a stupid squeaky flapping sound, not unlike the noise Fethers McGraws flippers make in The Wrong Trousers

serves me right

 

[jane]

Thanks, everyone. Yeah, I know it's a minefield, but I figure if I buy a range of stuff from companies who have DIFFERENT ethical dodginess, but also different ethical okayness, maybe that's some improvement.

Thanks, Moose. That Howies company looks like they have some decent stuff. Hard to tell where it's actually made, though.

BIG BIG MINEFIELD, anyway.

 

[broken arm]

Thanks, Moose. That Howies company looks like they have some decent stuff. Hard to tell where it's actually made, though.

Howies are based in Wales. Cardigan Bay.

They are a good company - a little expensive though. I have some of their organic cotton jeans and t-shirts. We have done work with them. I didn't mention them because i didn't think they had what you were looking for. could be wrong.

i don't mean minefield in a bad way. jump in!!!

I'm doing some work with the fashion and textile industry at the moment. trying to mainstream ethics and ecodesign. It's fun.

 

[jane]

Howies are based in Wales. Cardigan Bay.

They are a good company - a little expensive though. I have some of their organic cotton jeans and t-shirts. We have done work with them. I didn't mention them because i didn't think they had what you were looking for. could be wrong.

i don't mean minefield in a bad way. jump in!!!

I'm doing some work with the fashion and textile industry at the moment. trying to mainstream ethics and ecodesign. It's fun.

Your job sounds awesome. Yeah, Howies look a little expensive, but if the quality is as good as it looks, then it's not much more expensive than decent quality stuff from a big name. They have a very small line of athletic/winter gear that I might check out, though I'd like to try it on first. Not running-specific, but in general, what's good for the mountain biker is good for the runner. Maybe I'll see if they have any retail outlets in the UK. One of the problems is that ethical shopping does cost more, and right now, I just can't afford to do as much of it as I'd like.

Often, too, the ethics might be sound but the design and quality are just not what I need (especially when I do need some high-performance gear), so even though I don't mind paying a bit more if I can afford it, and if I know that money is not just going into the executives'/shareholders' pockets, it can be disappointing to have to go back and end up with another sweatshop running top because the ethical one gave me a blister under my booby.

 

[c0De_n1NjA]

on another note, Nike have pulled up their own socks quite a lot in recent years because their brand was decimated by unethical practices. They have published their entire supply chains to highlight where they have sought to improve on past mistakes but also to highlight where they feel they can also improve.

as usual, i'm way ahead of the crowd. i never stopped wearing nike, and now i'm part of the solution.

 

[broken arm]

Often, too, the ethics might be sound but the design and quality are just not what I need (especially when I do need some high-performance gear),

that is a big issue and has been a major stumbling block for years - in terms of sustainable design. All the howies gear that I have is really wellmade - their market is predominantly ourdoorsy/surfer/biker types so they need to be hard wearing. There are a large number of non-sportsy companies doing really well designed "ethical" clothing. it's refreshing.

 

[broken arm]

oh and the cost issue has a lot to do with company scale, material selection and purchasing power - as opposed to ethics.

i think organic cotton is about 30% more expensive on the market. increased demand will change this.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

you cant get more ethical sportwear than 1980s o'neills polyester gaa jerseys, modelled below by mayo ledgend willie joe padden





( I did hear a rumour they were made from dead protestants tho)

 

[jane]

that is a big issue and has been a major stumbling block for years - in terms of sustainable design. All the howies gear that I have is really wellmade - their market is predominantly ourdoorsy/surfer/biker types so they need to be hard wearing. There are a large number of non-sportsy companies doing really well designed "ethical" clothing. it's refreshing.

Hmmmm....I wonder if any of these companies need product testers...

I think the a lot of these companies need to look at the reasons people who buy sports gear for performance choose one model over another. Most people pay a lot less attention to brand than they do to fit, performance, warmth/breathability, durability, with aesthetics a bit of a concern but brand quite rarely a concern (unless, of course, someone avoids a particular one on ethical grounds).

I have started buying things in brighter colours, mainly so I can be seen in the dark/foul weather (I also have a light and a hi-viz vest), but apart from that, and the fact that I don't like 'busy' designs because I don't want to have to worry about matching shorts and tops (as in: too many contrasting patterns may make one look like an escaped mental patient), and also because I generally like simple stuff, I am pretty unconcerned with fashion. I've had the same gore-tex jacket for 14 years, and apart from being way too big for me (always has been), and maybe wanting eventually to get a better fit, it's still gore-tex, and it's still doing the job. I don't give a fuck what it looks like as long as it keeps me warm.

Most people who are serious about a sport don't replace their gear unless something is worn out, or a new product offers something that will help their performance, so cost is perhaps slightly less of an issue. If something is going to last me five or six years, I'll pay fifty quid for it, rather than ten quid for something that is going to ride up my ass crack and fall apart after a hard run. I actually think that it's a bummer that the sports gear market hasn't been more of a focus for ethical designers before, because it's possibly less fickle, and more practical than the regular clothing market would, I think, give it an advantage over 'mainstream' fashion. If I can wear it a few times without it stinking too badly, and wash it lots of times before it falls apart, I'm pretty happy.

Another area, though, is the manufacture of the special synthetics that cyclists, runners, mountaineers, etc all use: gore-tex, dri-fit, coolmax, etc. Where are these companies -- who supply ALL of the major manufacturers -- sourcing their materials and labour? And if they're dodgy, is there a way to make an alternative that is not? Silk has a wide range of uses and can be really warm as an underlayer.

 

[Osama Van Halen]

as usual, i'm way ahead of the crowd. i never stopped wearing nike, and now i'm part of the solution.

GOT MY RAY ALLEN ERA UCONN HUSKIES SHORTS ON AT THE MOMENT. THEY'RE NIKE. THEY'RE ALSO 11 YEARS OLD AND IN GREAT NICK DESPITE HEAVY USE. AND I MEAN HEAVY. I GOT A SET OF THIGHS THAT'D MAKE BILL CULLEN BLUSH. AND THE ASS??? 6 FIGURE INSURANCE TAKEN OUT BY THE STATE. IT'S A NATIONAL PLEASURE.



LIKE THE FAIR TRADE ARGUMENT. I'M ALL FOR IT BUT GIVE ME A 'FAIR PRODUCT IN EXCHANGE FOR MY ETHICAL THRIFTYNESS'.

VEGAN VANS??? DO THEY MAKE ANY OMNIVOROUS UNDERWEAR?





ALLAHQUAANNDO!!!

 

[jane]

LIKE THE FAIR TRADE ARGUMENT. I'M ALL FOR IT BUT GIVE ME A 'FAIR PRODUCT IN EXCHANGE FOR MY ETHICAL THRIFTYNESS'.

This is kind of what I'm saying. I have had some of the same gear since I started running 15 years ago, and it's still holding up. A mountaineering top I bought about 5 years ago is still the staple of my winter running wardrobe (and generally, any outdoor activities in winter involve this top) because it's really warm, really lightweight, and still breathable.

I was basically wondering if people in cycling/mountain biking/mountaineering/hiking circles, who might be, on the whole, a bit more ethically-minded, made good, long-lasting, hard-wearing gear that would be useful for me. Howies does look like an okay bet.

There's a very small, independent running shoe company called Loco, run by runners, and, as this whole minefield tends to be, while they are a small company (and don't have particularly high prices), they use sweatshop labour. I guess it's a bit better to use a company that makes an effort in one area than one who makes effort in none.

Because even if you don't use sweatshop labour in your company, what about the company that makes your fabrics, or your dyes, or whatever other parts of the process?

 

[dowel]

Organic doesn't necessarily mean FairTrade.

Fable clothing is a new small company who will be launching at Electric Picnic, flogging very cool FairTrade, organic T-shirts for Menfolk and Womenfolk. Following on from then a complete collection will be availabable in the shops by Xmas.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cf...&MyToken=7b19e37f-e5a7-4936-a826-45fefab07715
Have a look see what yiz think, not much in the Sports line sorry JAne!...but cotton is breathable!

 

[billygannon]

Organic doesn't necessarily mean FairTrade.

Fable clothing is a new small company who will be launching at Electric Picnic, flogging very cool FairTrade, organic T-shirts for Menfolk and Womenfolk. Following on from then a complete collection will be availabable in the shops by Xmas.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=70641571&MyToken=7b19e37f-e5a7-4936-a826-45fefab07715
Have a look see what yiz think, not much in the Sports line sorry JAne!...but cotton is breathable!

Do you have any shellsuits?

 

[jane]

Organic doesn't necessarily mean FairTrade.

Fable clothing is a new small company who will be launching at Electric Picnic, flogging very cool FairTrade, organic T-shirts for Menfolk and Womenfolk. Following on from then a complete collection will be availabable in the shops by Xmas.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=70641571&MyToken=7b19e37f-e5a7-4936-a826-45fefab07715
Have a look see what yiz think, not much in the Sports line sorry JAne!...but cotton is breathable!

Some of that stuff looks pretty nice, Dowel. And anyway, I wear normal clothes, too, though the t-shirt doesn't really feature into my very dresses-and-skirts-with-blouses-oriented wardrobe.

Are you going to expand into other kinds of clothes? I like buying from small designers, and I'm a pretty big fan of a few folks down at Cow's Lane -- I'd be a bigger fan if I could afford it.

 

[broken arm]

I think the a lot of these companies need to look at the reasons people who buy sports gear for performance choose one model over another. Most people pay a lot less attention to brand than they do to fit, performance, warmth/breathability, durability, with aesthetics a bit of a concern but brand quite rarely a concern (unless, of course, someone avoids a particular one on ethical grounds).

well, not everyone who buys sport sclothing does so for sport. there is plenty of associative reasons for people purchasing say nike trainers. those lifestyle consumers will make association between the aspirational, youthful and fit orientation of the brand even if they are buying trainers for walking home from the office.

I actually think that it's a bummer that the sports gear market hasn't been more of a focus for ethical designers before, because it's possibly less fickle, and more practical than the regular clothing market would

It may be the fear to compete with the big-players. It is also because the sector is dominated by performance materials that are expensive to by and are mostly synthetic oil-based polymers. can be hard to break into initially.

It would be interesting though because much of the rise in "ethical" purchasing is associated with the rise in interest in organic food and health. and a lot of the developments began in the baby clothes sector - parents were concerned about the chemicals in the clothes etc etc. So you would have quite an interesting leverage option for building a brand around the health and lifestyle concerns of the sports people etc etc. so a small company could take the risk.

the issue of durability is a big debate at the moment and the conflicts between the seasonal set-up of the industry and the fact that about 900, 000 tonnes of textiles are dumped by consumers every year in the UK. But it isn't that simple. there are cases where increasing the cycle of seasons can have sustainable benefits interms of localised job creation in making the clothes (because the lead times are too short for shipping) and stimulating local/regional markets for recycled textile (so that they don't end up being dumped on african market thus distroting the african market and screwing local producers there etc etc)

Where are these companies -- who supply ALL of the major manufacturers -- sourcing their materials and labour? And if they're dodgy, is there a way to make an alternative that is not? Silk has a wide range of uses and can be really warm as an underlayer.

supply chains are very very complex. here is a basic picture of some of the players involved in making your clothes - difficult issues.... no time to type them out.

 

[dowel]

Well if ya like Cow's Lane...! Jane!-Janey who sells there + in Topshop is part of the Fable label, which is brand new.

They will have a bigger gorgeous range, by next year or before(fingers crossed)

Shellsuits are naff , but some people quite like naff, remember naf naf?! ubercrap French label...hhmmm