Well, it is the middle of June, ISPO just ended, the ski edges haven't even rusted yet and we again find ourselves in stuffy exhibition halls to survey thousands of new products and pseudo-innovations? For starters: All's well. Many are complaining about the early exhibition dates, but some people just like to complain for the sake of complaining. Perhaps it was also because the weather was so nice and people wanted to take advantage of this to do something athletic outside or even go out on the water. Through I suspect if the weather had been bad, they would also complain about that. Therefore, we are happy that it is nice (outside) and that the air conditioning continues running constantly to give trade show visitors a taste of what an ice age must feel like (inside).

Trends and mainstream, hype and normal operating mode

This trade show is always an excellent opportunity not only to see products, but also to meet old acquaintances, make new friends and the like. That's why I was happy when I happened to encounter Ralf Dujmovits at the stand of sleeping bag specialist Valandré. Normally, when I get a glimpse of cubic meters of downy feathers at a summer trade show, I will immediately break out in a sweat so I would purposefully rush by the Valandré stand. But thanks to the air conditioning, I spotted Ralf. He was recently on Mount Everest, that's where you really need some thick down bags. Unfortunately, he didn't have a summit success. But he came back healthy and that's good enough. Hardcore outdoor products such as sleeping bags are not trendy subjects. Although there is always something new in this product category, the outdoor music plays somewhere else, and it sounds like folk music: Products for the everyday man and woman, for glampers*, those sporting a full beard and Walden** readers as well as for dog walkers, occasional SUP captains and hardcore SUV drivers.

Pedal tool, lifestyle element, sports equipment, featherweight

"Outdoor shoes have an impeccable reputation with users, both in the workmanship as well as fit and durability. At OutDoor, shoes are a subject of well-being." As far as the press department of the Outdoor trade show in Friedrichshafen is concerned. When you look at all the manufacturers, the subject of shoes is quite massive. And varied: From barefoot shoes to sandals, hiking and multifunctional shoes to alpine boots, it's all there. Though the peak (i.e. the alpine boots) have considerably less space than the normal hiking area. The summit of a mountain is narrow and not much is going on (exception: Mont Blanc, Everest, Matterhorn, Zugspitze), while in the middle and low-lying areas, there is more room. Nevertheless, the way to the top can be quite narrow and so the manufacturers do everything they can to lift themselves up. Tecnica – well-know, above all, in the skiing segment – uses Forge model to make a thermal adaptation to the foot. We've heard of this with ski boots. But who has heard of this for hiking shoes? Asolo makes its shoes in a rather traditional, but still excellent manner. This congenial family business has been around almost forever, but Asolo shoes were hard to get in Germany until now. This will be changing soon and then alpine enthusiasts and children alike can enjoy such beautiful, solid and well crafted mountain boots and outdoor shoes.

Trail, path and route are all not the same

A current mega-trend is trail running and/or regular running (the categories increasingly intertwine): On the one hand, there are ultra-sports such as running marathon distances each day over several days as well as ultra-runs over 100 kilometres. On the other hand, you hear about "fast packing", "fast & light" or even "speed hiking" (though this word coinage is already out again and is closer to "Nordic walking"...). In brief: Light footwear that is good for country roads, but also lets you go much faster than you would walking around checking out the shops. This product area forms a quasi contrast to the (also booming) earthy vintage trend, which is breaking fresh ground through the undergrowth in the ideally dysfunctional, heavy, chequered and cast iron products. The Outdoor trade show presented various manufacturers and media for the first time together in a special "running centre" and championed the subject with lectures and discussions. Salming has just recently discovered the running segment for itself. Actually, the Swedes are rooted into the hall floor. For Salming, waterproof, even outside, is not the focus. They promote the grip of their shoes. Arc'teryx and Merrell approach it differently. They are currently using highly innovative shaft technology: Performance running shoes are absolutely waterproof with GORE-TEX Invisible Fit, but they still maintain their full running performance, which means: no additional weight, no potentially problematic wrinkling, no additional space between the foot and the outer material. The process is extremely complex. All features must already be joined with the original laminate before the cut. That's why these brand new running shoes offer real added value when you like to train in all kinds of weather conditions. [gallery size="full" ids="2399,2403,2402"]

The nature trend brings with it the environmental trend

How environmentally-friendly are my products? What can we do to act as sustainably as possible? These questions are playing and every greater role in product developments and customer purchasing behaviour. The outdoor sector is a pioneer in this area industry-wide. Instead of providing quick answers, the industry is working intensively on sustainable solutions. They gather different views and approaches in workshops. Gore, as one of the market leaders, takes a prominent position here: The company was the first years ago to take a holistic approach and to have researched and published the ecological footprint evaluation using a life cycle assessment. Along with manufacturers that make environmentally-friendly behaviour a top priority such as Patagonia, there are also smaller helpers such Fibertec and other manufacturers of washing and impregnating agents who make a valuable contribution to ensure that products are as environmentally-friendly as possible – and certainly related to the manner they are used, washed and maintained by the end consumer. There are ecological alternatives available besides the highly effective, but, unfortunately, less environmentally-friendly methods. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="2404,2400"] * Glamping = glamorous camping ** Magazine for glampers (but minus the glamour) and wearers of full beards