Spartan announced a partnership with Swedish apparel company Craft in the spring of 2018. Fast forward to summer 2018 and Spartan is now selling Craft-branded performance apparel and sneakers. The Craft FuseknitV175 is a road/light trail running shoe for road training, stadium races, and circuit training. The Vibram outsole adds unique flexibility and the 6mm drop provides plenty of cushioning to handle middle distance runs. Spartan has also released Craft-branded100% polyester zip hoodies in various styles, polyester tech tees that are blended or 100% polyester, gym duffel bags, drawstring bags and compression socks.
The Spartan-Craft partnership is a multi-year deal so we’re doing to see more dual branded obstacle course racing apparel. Craft is available in 39+ countries and Spartan has events in 30+ countries, making both brands internationally known. Barrosofit recently with Spartan CEO Joe de Sena to discuss the Craft-Spartan partnership. Check out some highlights of the interview here.
Barrosofit: How did you find out about Craft apparel?
Joe de Sena: I’ve been wearing CRAFT gear for a while while competing across different disciplines–running, cycling, skiing, etc.–and after recently being introduced to Eric Schenker, CEO of CRAFT North America, we knew the brand was a perfect fit for our athletes.
What other apparel companies were interested in partnering with Spartan Race? Were they larger companies like your previous sponsor?
We’ve had interest and conversations with a lot of the bigger brands, but in the long run, feel that working with CRAFT will bets benefit our athletes. They make the best sport-specific performance apparel on the market and we’re excited to work with them to create a Spartan-specific line using the same R&D technology they’ve used to develop gear for Olympians. Athletes outfitted in CRAFT have taken home more than 50 Olympic medals in Rio and Pyeongchang alone.
What types of apparel will the Powered By Line feature?
The line will feature everything an athlete needs for training and racing in a Spartan event in any condition they may face on the planet. We’re also creating an OCR shoe, which will mark CRAFT’s entry into the US footwear market.
What material will the products be made of? What makes the Powered By line different than Craft apparel currently available?
Every stitch in the apparel will be meticulously placed to address the ergonomic needs of racers and every material used will be with a purpose to ensure proper thermal-regulation of Spartan Athletes. We’ll be sending some of our athletes to CRAFT’s sports science lab in Sweden - where the line is being developed - for testing. It’s going to be Olympic-caliber stuff.
Will any race participants be required to wear Craft apparel?
The premier members of the Spartan of the Pro Team member’s will be sponsored - and we actually have some global athletes that are already working with the brand including 2016 Spartan World Champion Zuzana Kocumová.