What Do People Misunderstand About The Athletic Gear Industry?

People often tell me it’s a small industry. It’s actually enormous. There are 242 million athletes in the US alone – and when I say “athletes”, I really mean anyone who does something athletic on purpose.

Even the six-year-old on a little league soccer team – they need cleats too!

It’s easy to reduce the market to professional and extreme athletes, but really, gear is anything you put in or on your body to perform. Soccer cleats, electrolytes, headphones, sunscreen.

If I’m about to run a marathon I’ve been training for for months, I need a sunscreen that isn’t going to blind me when I sweat. If I’m going to commit time and money to skiing, I want to make sure my socks keep my feet warm and dry because wet and cold feet = ruined day.