ISPO Award 2023

This prize is conferred directly by the sports community, i.e. by end customers who belong to the ISPO Collaborators Club. All award winners can be seen in the ISPO Award exhibition in Hall B1 from 28 to 30 November 2023.

“Which trends currently dominate the sports world and which ones will shape its future? Which innovations are inspiring athletes worldwide? The ISPO Award is a finely tuned and unique trend barometer. Nowhere else can you see so quickly where products and services are heading”, explains Christina Rabl, who is responsible for the ISPO Award.

This year, trends such as multi-use (i.e. the multiple utilisation of an article of clothing for several different sports) are particularly recognisable and the boundaries between outdoorwear and everyday clothing are becoming increasingly less distinct. The designs are modern, but increasingly many are also conceived to be timeless. The next big trend is lightweight: special foams and material blends are used for shoes and new fibre compounds are used for jackets, thus ensuring that these products are simultaneously lightweight and robust. In running shoes, there is currently much progress in research into the use of non-fossil material blends. Brands from China in particular are excelling in this field.

In the area of design, the focus this year is still on special outdoor clothing for women, but the “less is more” concept is also becoming increasingly prevalent: everybody’s talking about eco-design. Increasing attention is being paid during the development process to the reparability of the finished products. In the field of textile fibres as well, an ongoing evolution towards natural fibres and recyclable fabrics is foreseeable. In particular, the recycling of wool such as merino is making a significant leap forward this year. Here again, Chinese manufacturers in particular are making rapid progress. Decision makers have understood that a rethink and a shift towards more resource-friendly materials and products are needed in order to be successful on the European market. The result of this awareness is a large number of new, innovative, high-performance products, which can nonetheless be sold at attractive prices.

The ISPO Award has established itself as one of the most prestigious prizes and as a seal of quality in the global sports industry. All submitted products and services are thoroughly scrutinised for quality, functionality, sustainability and technical innovation. Only applicants that amass a specific number of points in a total of nine different criteria are honoured with an ISPO Award. In addition to business professionals, the jury always includes regularly changing, sports-orientated end users who belong to the ISPO Collaborators Club. This assures that the perspective of the actual users of the service or product is included in the assessment.

“The ISPO Award symbolises innovation, creativity and progress in the sports and outdoor industry. To win this award, it is not enough to simply be good. Winners must also convince even the most demanding end consumer with their innovative, well thought-out functions, solutions and mechanisms”, says Christina Rabl. This year’s award winners are characterised in particular by innovations in sustainability, individualisation and digitalisation.

All winning products and services will be on display in the ISPO Award Exhibition (Hall B1, Future Lab). ISPO Munich invites all visitors, exhibitors, journalists and interested parties to celebrate with the winners over drinks and snacks during the ISPO Award Gatherings. These will take place on 28 November from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on 29 November from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00. This year’s ISPO Award Angel, the Austrian ski and freeride athlete Nadine Wallner, will also be present on site. The winner of the exclusive Public Choice Award 2023 will be announced and the prize will be presented on 29 November during the afternoon Gathering from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00. All of this year’s Gatherings will be broadcast live. The livestreams can be found here.

Here is an excerpt from the list of this year’s awards:

• ReBorn jumper by Aclima: This unisex jumper is made from 63 per cent wool scraps from the company’s own mill, which are spun into new yarn using a newly developed recycling method. Recycled polyamide and recycled polyester are added for better durability.

• Solution by Montane: This PFC-free jacket integrates the water-saving Solution Dye technology, uses recycled polyester in the outer material and in the membrane, and works with ventilation pockets instead of underarm zips. The focus here is also on repairability.

• Oreus jacket by Mountain Equipment: Mountain Equipment uses a new, patented insulation made from synthetic and 100% recycled material. Aetherm™ Precision Insulation also ensures an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio.

• Multifunctional jacket by NAPA: This windproof and waterproof jacket is not only multifunctional, but also extremely light, weighing a mere 76 grams. The jacket is ideal for all outdoor sports where speed and low weight are important.

• Biospeed™ running apparel by WINQS: The new Biospeed™ line from Winqs replaces petroleum-based materials with functional plant fibres made from sugarcane or maize residues. These innovative fibres replicate the structure of fibres made from conventional petroleum-based materials.

• Sports/outdoor knee support by BAUERFEIND: This knee support combines the benefits of merino wool and a flat-knit support with functional elements. It not only stabilises and reduces strain on the knee, but is also extremely comfortable to wear.