Following the recent announcement of a global technology partnership with sports retailer Decathlon, we’ve now launched our first product with Decathlon’s specialist running brand, Kiprun – the Run Compress 900 RHEON Muscle Support Tights.
Kiprun were looking for a new type of compression technology for their running tights, allowing for specific muscles to be targeted dynamically versus traditional materials compressing the whole leg.
From Decathlon’s innovation lead Aurelian Corbier:
‘At Decathlon, we believe that products that really perform are not just for athletes. We are always looking for new ways to bring innovative technologies into more products. Our biggest obsession is the user. That’s how our partnership with RHEON LABS started.’
RHEON™ technologies strain-rate sensitive quality fit the brief – soft and flexible in its natural state but quickly stiffening and absorbing energy when subjected to movement or force.
This performance benefit is then amplified during our computational design process, so when it is applied to textile in a specific pattern, RHEON™ controls defined muscle movements, such as the leg muscles moving as you run.
We collaborated on ideas to balance the KIPRUN team’s aesthetic vision with data-driven insights on RHEON™ material placement taken from athlete research to give the best support possible to the wearer. The resulting prototypes were tested at Decathlon’s SportsLab biomechanics testing facility, to ensure the leggings really performed – with the final product showing an improvement of over 19% in reducing muscle movement.
There’s lots more to come from the partnership – with other Decathlon brands and sport categories in development and an ultimate aim to make performance-driven apparel built to meet the needs of athletes, accessible to all.
Our Design Director, Olga Kravchenko on the partnerships potential:
“The opportunity goes far beyond shorts and tights – it can extend into bras and other garments, where achieving both comfort and support has long been a challenge. Together with Decathlon, we can tailor solutions to the unique needs of different sports, body shapes, and lifestyles. Opening the door to a world of benefits and making performance sportswear more inclusive, accessible, and game-changing for every athlete.”
