Press release
06/25/2019

Modest to more extensive escapes from the daily grind

Urban outdoor, outdoor yoga and standup paddleboarding (SUP)—the incentives for spending time outdoors are becoming increasingly diverse. From millennials and families to senior citizens, different target groups with different requirements have their own interpretation of what “outdoor” means to them and are enjoying it their own way, for example through luxury camping and minimalist bike travel. The main outdoor trends and developments for 2020 that go beyond classic activities have been summarized below for you. They will be on show with many other innovative products for the first time in Munich from June 30 to July 3, 2019 at Europe’s biggest outdoor trade show OutDoor by ISPO.

Stand Up Paddling
Trends such as Stand Up Paddling, Urban Outdoor or Camping show how versatile “Outdoor” can be defined. Also ideal for beginners looking for the little everyday escape routes.
  • Urbanization is driving new outdoor movements
  • Glamping and bikepacking as new ways of traveling
  • SUP provides easy access as gateway to water sports

Urban outdoor: fashion, lifestyle and changing times

“Studies show that people spend 95 percent of their time these days in closed spaces. This is not only having a significant effect on people’s health but also a big impact on our creativity and social interaction,” explains Marc Fischer, Senior Director BU Outdoor Europe at adidas Outdoor. As such, people need to be encouraged to venture outside more and outdoor activities need to be introduced to town and city centers. Fischer adds: “For summer 2020, the MyShelter Parley jacket, for example, with its modern silhouette will bridge the clothing gap between urban living spaces and outdoor environments and will inspire a new generation to go outdoors.” This will also continue to be a significant trend in the future when you factor in that over 75 percent of Germans now live in urban areas.

Oliver Puchert, Procurement Manager for Urbane Outdoor Kultur (Urban Outdoor Culture) at Sporthaus Schuster in Munich, adds: “Anyone who enjoys being outdoors dresses accordingly. Urban outdoor has recently become a very popular trend amongst end consumers.” The new Kånken totepack from Fjällräven therefore stands a good chance of being the must-have fashion item for 2020.  It combines a shoulder bag with a rucksack whilst retaining the legendary Kånken rucksack style. Cyclists can wear the totepack on their back whilst commuting to work and then, for a meeting over lunch, can rock a more casual look by wearing it over their shoulder. It’s even perfect for going on a trip to the lake straight from the office. U.S. American shoe manufacturer Keen focuses primarily on sustainability and upcycling. The upper of its latest UNEEK sneaker model is made completely from recycled PET plastic bottles.

Urban mobility—a new-found desire to stop using cars

Procurement specialist Oliver Puchert also sees urban mobility as another growth area: “Cycling and particularly e-mobility are booming, especially in bigger cities. City commuters want an outfit that fits both them and their lifestyle. They should be able to wear it both while traveling and throughout the day at work.” Vaude has developed a cycling shoe, specifically for commuters, with a Dualflex sole that boasts both impressive power transfer to the pedals and a comfortable roll-over motion when walking. Munich-based eco-bikewear brand Triple2 predicts that in 2020, in particular in womenswear, there will be a sharp increase in demand for feminine and sporty styles. Maike Niehoff, Marketing Manager at Triple2, summarizes the focus areas for next summer: “We will continue to focus on merino, Ocean Waste, PFC-free and Made in Europe. A merino-tencel blend in the cycling jerseys will be new for 2020.”

Yoga, well-being & health

According to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, health tourism has “huge future potential on account of the fact that people are becoming increasingly health-conscious.” Over 350 therapeutic baths, spas and health resorts are at the heart of German health tourism. Relaxation techniques, such as yoga and meditation, and Kneipp Cure hydrotherapy continue to be popular either as part of a vacation getaway or a healthy lifestyle now and then, integrated into people’s everyday lives and even outside. When it comes to their outfits, yoga fans primarily favor soft, flowing fabrics. Take the new Motion Seamless Tight, for example, from the merino experts at New Zealand’s Icebreaker. The Cool-Lite material combines the two natural functional fibers merino wool and tencel, processed into a seamless construction to ensure optimum comfort.

Glamping: luxury camping, tree houses and micro cabins—whatever takes your fancy!

Traveling, enjoying some freedom and staying wherever you fancy: camping is back in and has lots more options to choose from than before. Whilst German manufacturer Heimplanet is particularly targeting a young, hip group with its stylish, inflatable tents, Lotus Belle is turning camping into luxury vacations as these glamping tents from Austria boast 12 to 65 square meters of space inside. “Sustainability and a sense of being at one with nature are more important than ever these days. This is leading to completely new outdoor lifestyle and glamping opportunities,” explains Liese Gritsch from Glampingwelt. The trend is taking Europe by storm and gaining traction both in the tourism sector and the events industry.

Cycle touring vacations as alternatives to package holidays

According to the ADFC (German Cycle Club) 2018 Travel Bike Cycle Tour Analysis, 76 percent of Germans like to cycle, 51 percent of whom use their bikes for excursions and trips. Day trips are booming with 761 million being taken every year in Germany. According to the ADFC, two thirds of them start right outside the front door. Touring cyclists spend an average of eight days on the move and their favorite time to travel is between April and September. Heilbronn-based sporting goods manufacturer Ortlieb is a bike bag specialist and for 2020 will be launching a brand new set-up for bike vacationers featuring a handlebar bag, a top-tube frame bag, a multi-sport bike rucksack and a saddle bag—all waterproof.

The new unisex rain skirt from Bavarian sports clothing label Maloja provides wearers with protection whilst cycling and walking too. The knee-length skirt, which is well ventilated, is able to keep cyclists dry thanks to its waterproof 2.5-layer laminate, and can be repurposed into a waterproof seat cushion.

Standup paddleboarding: the “gateway drug” to water sports

SUP, which started out as a leisure activity, has developed into a fully-fledged sport. The growth figures for standup paddleboarders continue to skyrocket. The same can be said of retail product sales figures, as Flo Brunner, a marketing expert at Starboard, is well aware: “There is a clear trend for touring, plus fitness areas such as SUP yoga are on the rise.” According to Brunner, standup paddleboarding is a kind of “gateway drug” to the world of water sports: “There are only few sports which are this easy to pick up and where gender and age have no bearing.”