Like pretty much every form of fashion, running gear has gone through a steady evolution over the years. The marathon runners of today look very different to the people who ran the first competitive marathons in the 60s and 70s.
Science has played a big role in this, with new fabrics scientifically developed to enhance airflow, wick away sweat, and improve performance – but style and changing fashions have also had a big impact. Let’s take a look at how running clothing has changed over the years.
The Dawn of Athletic Wear
Before we get properly into the evolution of running attire, it’s important to take a quick look at the history of running as a whole. While people have always run for hunting, warfare, message-carrying, and more, organised competitive running has only emerged relatively recently. The exception to this rule is, of course, the competitive racers of Ancient Greece and Rome, and they typically ran naked. No comfortable running vests for Ancient Greek athletes!
From the 19th Century onwards, organised recreational running on a major scale became popular in Britain and Europe, with the United States following shortly after. These early competitive runners typically wore lightweight cotton vests, linen shorts or short trousers, leather shoes and woollen socks. The kit was designed to be as light as possible, but the wool elements could be uncomfortable over long distances.
Synthetic fabrics hit the scene
The development of synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, elastane, and (later) microfibre blends transformed athletic gear. These new fabrics allowed for unprecedented stretch, freedom of movement, and comfort. It didn’t take long for runners to ditch the uncomfortable wool, cotton, and linen for fabrics that didn’t chafe, overheat, or get heavy with sweat.
One thing a lot of people remember about the big competitive races of the 70s and 80s is the short shorts. These became very popular for male runners as they allowed for much longer strides and greater airflow than before. However, as fabrics like elastane developed, which allowed for longer shorts with greater stretch, these gradually went out of fashion. Some say they’re coming back, though, so watch this space!
Moisture-wicking tech arrives
The 90s and early 00s saw the rise of breathable, moisture-wicking fabrics, which quickly replaced the less breathable nylon blends of the 80s. These fabrics keep runners cooler for longer and pull sweat away from the body to eliminate that unpleasant sweaty chafing.
Another significant introduction was the use of compression clothing. Compression garments purport to improve blood circulation, reduce ‘jiggle’, and boost recovery times. Theoretically, this saves energy, improves comfort, and boosts performance. Compression shorts, leggings, and tops are becoming increasingly popular as we move through the 20s.
The Present and the Future
Today – apart from the occasional novelty race costume – most runners use an amalgamation of the fabric-science advancements that have gone before. As mentioned, compression gear is increasingly popular, and advances in cooling and moisture-wicking clothing are proceeding rapidly. At the same time, some runners are experimenting with ‘smart clothing’ – clothing with built-in biometric sensors that monitor physical metrics like heartbeat, temperature, and more. Some runners even use custom 3D printed shoes tailored to their precise biomechanics.
Conclusion
The evolution of running clothing reflects the journey of the sport itself, from casual and leisurely jogging to the serious, scientific and competitive pursuit it is today. It reinforces the connectivity between fitness, fashion and science, blending aesthetics with cutting-edge technological enhancements.
As we look to the future of running wear, we can expect further innovations: think environment-friendly, sweat-charging apparel for that extra performance boost, or clothing embedded with miniature electronics to give real-time health and performance analytics. While these might seem like sci-fi at present, they are the trajectories that the running clothing industry could very well head down in the not-so-distant future.
