Athleisure goes sustainable
2026 activewear trends are leaning into clean silhouettes, subtle luxury and eco‑conscious materials — sustainable athleisure is where brands want to play (gigwise.com). At the same time, the gym accessories market is projected to top $12.01 billion by 2031 — a clear commercial opening for creators to pitch performance and recovery product partnerships (openpr.com).
The sustainable athleisure segment is forecast to jump from $108.08 billion in 2025 to $117.37 billion in 2026, a projected year‑over‑year increase that the Business Research Company puts at an 8.6% CAGR. (thebusinessresearchcompany.com) Lululemon published its FY24 Impact Report and rolled out an Impact Agenda 2030 that includes a planned global resale model by 2030 and new partnerships to scale enzymatic recycling and plant‑based nylon inputs. (corporate.lululemon.com/~/media/Files/L/Lululemon/our-impact/reporting-and-disclosure/2024-impact-report.pdf) (corporate.lululemon.com) Adidas now defines a “sustainable” product as one with at least 70% environmentally preferred materials for apparel and set a target to use 100% recycled polyester wherever technically possible by the end of 2024. (report.adidas-group.com) Market signals behind the premium‑leaning, eco‑minded shift include a growing recovery‑tech category: the recovery tools market was estimated at about $1.5 billion in 2025 and Fact.MR projects it to reach roughly $3.5 billion by 2035. (factmr.com) Major recovery brands are tying that product growth to creator and athlete influence — Therabody named NFL quarterback Josh Allen as its first performance adviser and Hyperice added Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk as an athlete ambassador during recent global campaigns. (fastcompany.com) (secure.businesswire.com) Brands and agencies are shifting ad dollars into creators: Statista estimates the global influencer‑marketing market exceeded $32 billion in 2025, while Collabstr’s 2025 report uses first‑party data showing the creator economy expanding rapidly and brands paying an average of roughly $202 per influencer collaboration in 2024. (statista.com) (collabstr.com) Allied Market Research’s gym‑accessories report breaks the category into types such as ab straps, belts, wrist wraps, heart‑rate and blood‑pressure monitors, and exercise balls, and lists distribution channels including online sales, specialty stores, supermarkets/hypermarkets and brand outlets. (alliedmarketresearch.com/press-release/gym-accessories-market.html) (alliedmarketresearch.com)
