Back in September 2015, we featured Athletes Collective Unbranded Sportswear as part of our Kickstarter of the Week series. Then we revisited this in October 2015 in a revisit of the kickstater campaign and review of their first Kickstarter samples. Now, four months later, Athletes Collective is a fully realized company and is making shirts for the masses.
Here is a reminder of the details of the Kickstarter campaign:
About two years ago when my partner Charlie and I turned 30, we realized that while we both loved playing tennis and basketball, our branded Federer and Lebron James shirts were not going to make us play like them, and paying a small fortune for the privilege of wearing the logos they endorsed no longer appealed to us. Upon further investigation we realized it was impossible to buy high quality performance apparel with no visible branding on it. So instead of continuing our search, we decided to take action and spent a full year conducting research and development in order to create the perfect unbranded athletic basic for men, with fit, fabrics and performance on par with the top of the line shirts from the industry’s biggest brands but at a price affordable to every athlete, all while manufacturing in Canada. So, AthletesCollective was born, and while our company has a name and logo, you won’t find it on the exterior of our products.
First and foremost, I love this:
And I also love these shirts. This month, Athletes Collective launched their sports tops with two things in mind, fit and affordability without a hint of a logo to be found. I was sent their Folkerson Tee and the Lyon Long Sleeve Hybrid. First the specs:
- Made from 4-way stretch moisture wicking 88% polyester, 12% spandex
- Can dry on high heat without shrinking
If you are looking for super flashy, then Athletes Collective is probably not ideal for you (though you should check them out still). The stuff is no-nonsense, straight-forward, well created athletic gear.
Folkerson Tee
The Folkerson Tee is designed to fit like your favorite crewneck short-sleeved shirt. It has a slight athletic fit and comes with a few color options (six colors), but they’re all pretty simple – black, green, grey, purple, and 2 blues with the option for a stripe near the collarbone. Honestly, this is my kind of style! What do I want – more than any crazy pattern, flourescent color, and a hundred reflection zones? A shirt that fits nice and does the job it sets out to do. The Folkerson Tee does just that.
Being a taller runner (6’2) I don’t always fit well into standard shirts – primarily because of my longer torso. both the Folkerson Tee and the Lyon Long Sleeve Hybrid are the PERFECT cut for me. They are probably the first company I have found where the cut is exactly the way I want them and the way I feel most comfortable. If you are taller, or enjoy longer shirts, I highly recommend you check these out.
Lyon Long Sleeve
Speaking of the Lyon Long Sleeve, these come in three darker colors – black, gray and navy. I would describe the top as having almost a baseball tee or raglan fit- with the arms being tighter and narrower along the body. It can be used as a baselayer or as a standalone top. It is comfortable and, once again, the extra length is greatly appreciated.
Over the past few weeks, I have been interchanging these with during my workouts. They are holding up to the challenge, and are as good as the sample I received during the Kickstarter campaign. They have even started to be my “go-to” when they are clean.
Also appreciated are the cost of the shirts. We know how expensive running gear can get, but the simplicity of the shirts (and not needing to pay extra for a logo) keeps the prices low. The Folkerson Tee has a price point of $25CSD (which is the current equivalent of about $17.25USD) and the Lyon Long Sleeve current runs at $30CSD (about $20USD), so you are already saving yourself some money right off the bat and coming in probably much lower than the branded apparel at your local running store. They also have a sleeveless option as well ($15.50USD).
On top of all that, Run Oregon readers can get 10% off using code: RUNOREGON.
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