Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Wilson’s Bold Sportswear Line Will Make You Forget All About Its Volleyballs

Wilson Sportswear

Wilson makes just about every piece of sports gear, but most people just think of its volleyballs. (Sure, it doesn’t help that it markets a Cast Away-themed Tom Hanks best friend, but how do you not cash in on that?) But one can only sell so many movie-tie-in replicas before society hits a saturation point. That apparently happened on Monday, May 24, when the century-old Chicago company announced its entry into the lifestyle apparel space. Welcome,

Wilson Sportswear

, which is available online in the U.S. and China immediately.

Related Guides

Recommended Videos

“We are excited to extend our craftsmanship, history and heritage to apparel,” said Gordon Devin, president of Wilson Sportswear, in a release. “As athletes continue to redefine themselves, Wilson is redefining the athletes’ uniform, coupling the premium performance expected from Wilson with fresh styles inspired by athletes.”

Is is activewear? Athleisure? Hype-beast catnip? Yes to all. In its release, the company claimed that it had tapped a roster of more than 10,000 athletes, entrepreneurs, and teaching pros to provide input into the line’s launch and development. While 20-some men’s pieces are already live, bi-weekly “drops,” which should hint at the mindset, are en route, which will pull from this list of its myriad community members for partnerships and activations. Instagram influencer Beija Velez, musician Kelley James, and nonprofit CEO Jahmal Cole are only a few of those the company has contracted.

Wilson’s move into the fashion sphere should be no surprise; Champion Sportswear, which also has a century under its belt, launched its wildly successful collaboration with Todd Snyder in 2013, and since then has only expanded and splintered the line, leading to further fashion collabs (Rick Owens, Craig Green, and BEAMS, among others) as well as Champion x Snyder sub-collabs with PRIDE, Peanuts, and Brooklyn Circus. If Wilson can tap into a fraction of the traction Champion has already earned, it would be a massive success, along with vital diversification of its brand.

Wilson Sportswear

This should be a big year for Wilson, which concurrently announced its plans for brick-and-mortar locations around the world, including Chicago, New York, Beijing, Shanghai. Besides its Sportswear line, shoppers will also be able to browse a curated amount of its sports gear. The company hasn’t yet announced openings for any of these locations.

While Wilson Sportswear’s full line is worth a peek (check out the 001 lookbook here), two pieces especially caught our eye. The first is its

Midway Travel Pant

, an athletically fit jogger with cargo pockets. Cut from a thin woven synthetic with a ton of stretch, it’s the perfect weight for summertime casual activities. The other is the

Newport Zip Henley

. This curiosity suggests vintage athletic attire and old-timey strongmen, but its distinction comes through subtlety: a banded collar and half-zip placket with a modern, loose fit. It’s bold but not loud.

Big companies are susceptible to inertia: It can take forever to modernize. But once the gears are moving, it’s equally as difficult to stop. For Wilson, with a hundred years behind it, its Sportswear line is a long time in coming. But now that it’s here, we can’t wait to see what it produces next.

Read more: Best Sports Movies

Jon Gugala
Features Writer
Jon Gugala is a freelance writer and photographer based in Nashville, Tenn. A former gear editor for Outside Magazine, his…
Abandon All Hope: Peloton’s Newest Member Is Usain Bolt
usain bolt peloton news 16th iaaf world athletics championships london 2017  day nine

Usain Bolt is the fastest man ever, period, full stop. He is so fast that, surrounded by other Olympians midstride, grimacing, all striving for the gold, his premature victory celebrations have since become ranked. And so, with Peloton's announcement of Bolt and other elite athletes joining its team for a summer of drop-in workouts, we're confident that you can kiss your leaderboard position goodbye.

Some backstory: Peloton, along with iFit and other at-home fitness companies, emphasizes individual accomplishment. "Be your best you," they all seem to say. But where Peloton remains distinct from its competitors is its overall leaderboard, which allows people from around the world or just down the street to go head-to-head in every workout and see how they stack up. You are a beautiful, special butterfly with your own fitness goals, but you're also a brutally naked number in every workout. Which makes Peloton's addition of a post-Olympics-and-bored Bolt, who will be joining random bike workouts this summer without warning, all the more terrifying.
Related Guides

Read more
These new cherry Dr. Martens loafers are turning heads this season
Dr. Martens releases a new loafer
man tying cherry red loafers

For UK-based Dr. Martens, creating a timeless shoe that’s both street-style ready and sleek is no foreign task. Among the most recognizable designs in the business, Dr. Martens has certainly left its mark on fashion. Now, the brand is taking its overt coolness to the next level with a new hue for its iconic loafers. While the brand is mainly recognized for its lace-up boots, its loafer lineup doesn’t fall far behind. The Adrian Loafer model is considered their shining star, with plenty of iterations that’ll elevate your regular loafers into a runway-ready pick. And now with a new hue, these Dr. Martens loafers are far from your basic run-of-the-mill footwear choice. 

Conquer the streets with the Adrian Arcadia Leather Tassel Loafer

Read more
The Nike x Levi’s collab just dropped sleek new denim sneakers
Nike and Levi's reveal their newest denim sneakers
nike blue denim sneakers levi's

When Nike and Levi’s join forces, you know you are going to be treated to a flurry of high-quality and highly stylish denim designs, and their newest collaboration is no exception. Along with a matching apparel collection, Nike and Levi’s have officially announced their latest footwear releases that bring the luxury and casualness of denim to your favorite Nike sneaker. While the denim material certainly takes center stage, the overall design of the three new sneakers brings a deconstructed touch to the shoe, making it more modern and edgy than before. Arriving in three new colorways, this sneaker collaboration, previously teased in May, is now set to hit stores. Although denim sneakers are no new trend, this collaborative design is certainly one to keep your eye on this summer season. 

Levi’s and Nike take on the Air Max 95

Read more