Kit & Gear

GORE-TEX Brand Industry Event 2024

Recently, SportsShoes attended a GORE-TEX Brand Industry Event to discover new products and help lead our industry toward a decarbonized, regenerative future, by pushing the boundaries of comfort, protection and sustainability, for current and future generations.

The event began with a presentation on leading change with materials innovation, specifically focussed on the new range of GORE-TEX PRO Products, which we also had a unique opportunity to test.

Attendees then discussed why carbon reduction is business critical, with guided discussions to unlock the potential to innovate and drive change with Three Horizons, expertly led by Carolina Moeller of Leader’s Quest.

ㅤ

Photo credit: Margaux LeMap

ㅤ

New GORE-TEX PRO Products

GORE-TEX PRO products are made for professionals & athletes to use in extreme environments. Tried and tested in Alaska and the UK for activities including mountaineering (incl. mountain rescue), trekking and sea kayaking, this has helped the brand to deliver their gold-standard fit-for-use performance levels, with a necessary emphasis on ruggedness and durability. They have endured and surpassed the most extensive testing in lab and field, to ensure they pass Gore’s harshest quality standards, survive the STORM test and ultimately to ensure they master the extreme.

GORE-TEX PRO products are;

● Durably waterproof

● Reliably breathable

● Totally windproof

● Extremely Rugged

● Come with a GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY promise

ㅤ

Photo credit: Margaux LeMap

ㅤ

A step further on Gore’s Sustainability journey, GORE-TEX PRO products guarantee the following;

● Long product life

● Reduced carbon footprint**

● PFAS-free* laminate and DWR

● Laminate with recycled textile*** with GRS certification***

● Laminate with solution-dyed textile

● bluesign® APPROVED laminate

● OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified laminate

(Certificate 96.0.9650)

* Made without intentionally added per- and polyfluorinated substances; may contain trace amounts.

** Through the laminate’s innovative membrane and select textiles (per Higg MSI).

*** Depends on laminate choice.

ㅤ

As part of this event, we also headed into the mountains for some product testing of our own, hiking on the trails above Chamonix and tackling a very wet and wild via ferrata route in Vallorcine.

ㅤ

Photo credit: Margaux LeMap

ㅤ

Our Collective Journey to Carbon Reduction: Vision and action for the future

The way in which we view the future impacts how we set our priorities and which decisions we make today. If we do nothing, there is no chance of achieving the industry target of net zero by 2030. Learning to work together, developing a shared language and implementing positive change is the only way to collectively navigate toward a more viable and sustainable future.

As a group, we discussed the three horizons approach, a simple and intuitive tool for thinking about the future. It helps explore systemic patterns to identify which of the dominant patterns are no longer fit for purpose, how the emerging trends can shape the future and what visionary action is needed.

The Future can be perceived through three lenses:

● Horizon 1: Continue Business as Usual

● Horizon 2: Vision of a Viable Future

● Horizon 3: Innovation towards the Vision

The three horizons are about much, much more than simply stretching our thinking to embrace the short, medium and long term. They offer a co-ordinated way of managing innovation, a way of creating transformational change that has a chance of succeeding, a way of dealing with uncertainty and a way of seeing the future in the present.

ㅤ

ㅤ

As industry leaders, we discussed the barriers to transformation, what innovations and initiatives could be growth points for the future and most importantly, how can we direct the decarbonization journey of the outdoor apparel industry to be on track to meet net zero by 2030. We addressed the following;

● What has been stopping us from pursuing more ambitious carbon reduction strategies?

● In what ways do consumers value (or not value) lower carbon footprint products and services?

● How do our shareholders support investment in climate-related innovation, products and solutions?

● How does buying behaviour hinder our supply chains to reduce carbon footprint more effectively?

● What is limiting our capacity to significantly influence the carbon footprint of the products we sell?

● Where have we already seen positive change? What is already working well ?

● Have we already seen new business models which we believe can be scaled?

● Where have we seen suppliers reduce their emissions? Why has this worked?

● What could we get done together in a much better way (impact/scale/speed) than just by ourselves?

● What visions are there for the future of our industry? What will it look and feel like? What values will underpin it?

● How do we transform the market place long-term with zero carbon footprint products/sustainable business models?

ㅤ

Whilst we can't expect instant change and solutions, as a key leader in the outdoor industry, we are proud to be involved in these discussions and would like to thank GORE-TEX for the opportunity.

We are continually working in a number of ways to reduce our footprints, head over to our SportsShoes Sustainability page to find out more.

ㅤ

Interested in the latest shoes, apparel and technology? Then head over to our Kit & Gear category for more reviews, tips, advice and product releases.