The recipe for Outdoor Retailer success seems to be a solid pair of running shoes, a constantly full coffee mug and numerous stops by various energy bar booths to cram another few samples in. That, and a fabulous “Wend heart salmon” or “salmon heart Wend” tshirt!
All and all, Day 2 was pretty solid, and we saw a lot of cool new product from a variety of companies. Here’s our recap:
With the popularity of their commuter biking sandal, Keen is now offering one of their most popular casual shoes to be compatible with clipless pedals.
Keen has also taken another step forward with their use of recycled materials in the Harvest 2 collection, a line of purses and bags all made from factory scraps, making each one unique.
Exped will be the first company in the outdoor market to launch a set of trekking poles made with DAC anodized aluminum. DAC uses a process that eliminates two environmentally unfriendly chemicals that are traditionally associated with the the anodizing process. The also reduce water waste by recycling water through the rinsing process.
The El Naturalista booth… otherwise known as shoe mecca! Spring 2010 will offer more from the Recyclus line, with all the models incorporating recycled materials from rubber to cork to PU shavings.
Our friends at END Footwear never stop thinking out of the box. They have several new shoes for Spring 2010, that up the recycled EVA content from 10% to 40%. They’ve also developed their own replacement to EVA called ERS (eco responsive system). Made with a single mold, the material requires no cements to connect the outsole and midsole which in turn means a reduction in the use of chemicals.
For Fall 2009, Timberland will be launching its Mountain Athletics line, which incorporate Green Rubber outsoles made with 42% recycled tire crumb, as well as a combination 70% recycled PET upper, 50% recycled PET lining and synthetic materials. In Spring 2010 they’ll be expanding the line, with more focus on trail/water shoes, which we definitely dig. Timberland has made so bold moves with this collection, and we’re all for it.
We’re big fans of Mission Playground, so we’re super excited that 100% of the tees (as well as hoodies and totes) in the Spring 2010 line are going to be Global Organic Textile Standard certified. This takes their products to a whole new level of eco-friendliness, and we’re excited to see that Mission Playground is mission driven. And such talented artists they have designing for them!
Ever packed your whole backpack with smaller ziplocs? They’re great for holding random accessories, but the single-use characteristic makes them very environmentally unfriendly. Pacific Outdoor is debuting a durable, reusable, washable set of zip-like packing bags for Spring 2010. Very cool concept.
The big talk of OR has been Osprey’s launch of hydration packs. Really cool design, and we really like the helmet lock feature as well.
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