// Adidas is launching a new range of sports bras to help more female athletes experience sports without restraint
// Adidas has used the latest material and design innovations to offer light, medium and high support in an “extensive and inclusive size range”
Adidas has announced the launch of its “extensive” new sports bra collection, featuring 43 new styles across 18 product franchises to “better support the specific needs of active women”.
Launching worldwide on February 14, the sporting giant stated that it has re-engineered its entire sports bra portfolio to cater to more bodies and workouts than ever before, with a range that delivers added comfort and better fit to allow more women to participate in sport.
The new collection has been created in partnership with the breast biomechanics research institute, University of Portsmouth and has undergone extensive research, development and various testing stages.
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Studies have revealed that inadequate breast support leads to movement-related breast pain in nearly half of female respondents and more than 90% of women have been reported to be wearing the wrong size sports bra.
In addition to this, the university found that if breasts are not properly supported during running, they experience the same G force as an F1 driver and could undergo potentially damaging skin stretch and that unsupported breasts can move up to 19cm during star jumps and nearly half of schoolgirls who were surveyed reported that their breasts affected their participation in sports.
To address these issues, Adidas has used the latest material and design innovations to offer light, medium and high support in an “extensive and inclusive size range” to help more athletes experience sports without restraint.
It is also recategorising its bras into four new categories: Everyday, designed for lounging and gentle movement; Studio is for yoga, pilates and other low-to-mid intensity activities; Train is designed for enhanced support during HIIT classes and more intense sport or training, and Run, offers the highest level of breast support in the collection.
Adidas senior director of product Amy Charlton said: “There is a sizeable data gap when it comes to sports bra development, so we worked with experts in breast health, University of Portsmouth, to challenge ourselves and drive forward our innovation to better meet the needs of our female athletic community.
“The wrong sports bra can have a serious impact on performance and efficiency – for example, if you run a marathon, unsupported breasts travel an extra 4 miles on their own! It was a significant undertaking with an all-female team of designers, testers and experts, and we hope this collection will help more sports bra wearers experience the benefits of added support and a better fit, and not be held back when doing the sports they love.”
She said the wide range of styles and sizes that will be offered will “serve every female possible.” The products will be tailored for specific geographies, with more plus-size options in North America and more small sizes in China, she explained. “The number sounds big, but there are nuances by region.”
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