Sports lovers most likely have their favourite brands they always go back to for their athletic wear, shoes, and casual clothing. Do you? For more than a century, we’ve seen some of the best sportswear brands evolve to offer us new and improved designs while staying true to their origins.
With professional athletes, world-famous teams and clubs, and the general public all wearing their favourite brands, we’ve compiled the very best 27 names in sportswear brands to give you some interesting backstory and information about the brands you know and love, and maybe some you haven’t yet heard of.
Top 27 Best Sportswear Brands (For Fitness Addicts)
1. Adidas
Adidas is one of the global leaders in our list of these best sportswear brands. This household name produces much-loved activewear for people globally, known for their sports shoes, clothing and accessories. The brand has also supported well-known athletes throughout its history, further spreading their name.
Since 1949, this company has continued to expand to be available currently in over 160 countries around the world. Founded in Germany, Adidas is the largest sportswear company in Europe, and the second-largest globally, just behind Nike.
Adolf Dassler created a sports shoe factory with his brother in 1924. After a falling out between the brothers, Adolf broke away on his own in 1949 to created Adidas. An interesting fact most people don’t know is that his brother, Rudolf, created Adidas’s rival, Puma – also featured later in this article.
2. ASICS
Also founded the same year as Adidas, this Japanese brand serves sport-hobbyists and athletes alike. Many Olympians perform with their best-selling shoe, the GEL-Kayano sneakers, with their chunky and durable abilities.
Kihachiro Onitsuka was the founder of ASICS in Japan, 1949. The price range for the brand’s shoes, apparel and accessories are a little higher than some other sportswear brands. The first product manufactured by ASICS was basketball sneakers, and soon after, all different sports shoes were produced.
In 2011, ASICS replaced Adidas as the official kit manufacturer of the Australian Cricket team. The name is an acronym for the Latin words ‘anima sana in corpore sano’, which translates to ‘Healthy soul in a healthy body.’
3. Champion
Experiencing it’s highest popularity as a sportswear brand in the 1990s, Champion has now come back with a vengeance in the sports apparel world with its 90s nostalgia infiltrating popular culture, even been seen worn by the likes of Rihanna and the Kardashians.
Established in 1919 in America, this brand was headed by the Feinbloom brothers and known initially as ‘Knickerbocker Knitting Company’. In 1930, the brand renamed itself as ‘Champion Knitting Mills Inc.’, and produced unformed and sweatshirts predominantly for the US Military Academy.
Champion has produced kits for NFL and NBA teams, as well as the Olympic Basketball team, the Wales National Football team, and the Greek Basketball team. The company enjoyed $1.4 billion in worldwide sales in 2018.
4. Diadora
This Italian sportswear brand manufacturers for cycling, tennis, running, football, rugby and general sports apparel and accessories all over the world. It also produces its products in the United States, Australia, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh.
Founded in 1948 by Marcello Danieli, he worked with his wife to launch their first product, the mountain climbing boots. The brand later branched out to the skiing market in the 1960s. The 1970s saw the introduction of running and tennis shoes, as well as entering the football area of sports with sponsoring high profile players.
The brand has continued to be a leader in the best sportswear brands with sporting legends such as Roberto Baggio and Björn Borg wearing Diadora footwear throughout their careers. Recently, they have signed a sponsorship contract with two popular Brazilian football clubs.
5. FILA
Fila is an Italian sports apparel company that’s been operating for over a century. Starting out in mostly clothing, it’s branched out to its best selling sporting shoe designs, with the most recent being their 2018 shoe ‘The Disruptor II’.
Created in 2911 by Giansevero Fila in Biella, Italy, it has since been a subsidiary of File Korea since 2007. Yoon Yoon-Su is now the chairman of the company, which continues to operate in 11 countries around the world. It’s products evolved to sportswear for everyday active people, as well as athletes.
The endorsement of the great tennis player Bjorn Borg was what made the brand move to sportswear in the 1970s, after mostly selling only thermal-based underwear.
6. Gymshark
As a relatively new company in the industry, Gymshark has become one of the best sportswear brands thanks to its broad reach on social media with influencers wear the apparel and sharing the brand with the world. The brand is best known for its modern designs for everyday sports enthusiasts.
Created in 2012, Ben Francis was just a teenager when he began the screen-printing operation in his garage with friends. Rising to fame thanks to online marketing, U.K based retailers sell its products all over the world. Gymshark can now be found in over 131 countries.
The speed of growth that Gymshark has experienced hints at how it may continue to expand and become one of the top activewear companies globally, especially with fitness influencers continuing to share the products on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
7. Hoka One One
This French sportswear brand has a specific focus on maximalist running shoes, creating a name for itself in the global running community.
Founded in 2009 by two previous employees of the activewear company? Salomon, this brand is headquartered in California, though found worldwide in stores and online. Nicholas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard sought to create a product with extra cushioning for people who prefer running shoes with more support.
Hoka One One is in partnership with the famous brand Vibram, which produces durable outsoles for the sneakers. Several professional runners in track and field, trail-ultra and other long-distance events wear Hoka One One.
8. Hummel
Around for almost a century, this Denmark-based sportswear brand produces apparel and sports-accessories focused mainly on football (soccer). Hummel can be recognised by sports-enthusiasts for their hallmark tracksuits and soccer-inspired lifestyle clothing.
Founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1923 by the Messmer Brothers, the company became Danish after Bernard Weckenbrock took over operations in 1956. Manufacturing clothing and footwear, it also offers products for rugby, handball, basketball, volleyball and more.
Hummel apparel has been worn by big-shot teams such as Aston Villa, the Danish National Football team, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.
9. Ivy Park
As one of the only best sportswear brands featured in this list created by a celebrity, Ivy Park has enjoyed instant success being backed by founder Beyonce. This activewear clothing brand was co-founded by both Beyonce and the London-based fashion company Topshop. Ivy Park produces athletic and athleisure apparel and footwear for women.
It was created very recently, in 2016, and was later acquired in 2018 by Parkwood Entertainment. Most recently, however, Beyonce announced in early 2019 that Ivy Park will be partnering with Adidas and relaunching the brand with a new flavour.
As stated on the official site by Beyonce, “The partnership will result in the co-creation of exciting new products – from performance to lifestyle – and a unique purpose-driven program focused on empowering and enabling the next generation of athletes, creators, and leaders.”
10. Jordan Brand
Best known for its retro design aesthetic, this footwear and clothing sports brand is produced as a side-brand of Nike. The iconic Air Jordan 1 shoes remain the best selling product of this brand, known as ‘The One That Started It All.’
Introduced in 34 years, this United States company produces athletic, casual and sports-style apparel along with their basketball shoes. Created by the 5 time NBA MVP, former basketball legend Michael Jordan, the first release of the Air Jordan sneakers were created and released in 1984.
In 2018, the Nike Jordan brand branched out to the soccer sportswear market, supplying the Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League jerseys for their games.
11. Kappa
Recognised as a classic authentic style-clothing brand, it produces mainly streetwear for sports-enthusiasts. Collaborations with people such as Gosha Rubchinskiy, Christian Dada and Danilo Paura have helped spread this brand with the world through exposure.
The brand began as an Italian sportswear label in 1916 called Maglificio Calzificio Torinese. In 1967, it was rebranded as Kappa and is headquartered in Turin, in Italy.
The Omini logo is one of the most stylish sport-wear brand logos on the market. Their U.S website has recently been launched to continue to grow the worldwide reach of Kappa products.
12. Lacoste
With its French origins, Lacoste is a sportswear brand known predominately for its crocodile-logo polo shirts. Other products that this brand boasts include footwear, eyewear, towels, watches and more.
With brand was created tennis players René Lacoste and André Gillier in 1933. The crocodile logo comes from the nickname that fans gave the co-founder René Lacoste, as he was known to be a tenacious spirit on the court as he played, giving him ‘The Crocodile’ label.
Runway collaborations have helped this brand stay current, as Lacoste has worked with Supreme, A Bathing Ape, and Age & Sam, to name a few. Tennis legend Novak Djokovic was made a brand ambassador in 2017.
13. Le Coq Sportif
As another one of our best sportswear brands created from the sport of tennis, this French brand has since branched out to football also, providing kits for several famous European teams.
Founded in 1882, this one is beyond a century-old, created by Émile Camuset and branded with the now-iconic rooster trademark logo in 1948. The logo is inspired by the national symbol of France, the Gallic Rooster.
Based now in Switzerland, Le Coq Sportif rose to fame in the 80s with providing the kits for teams in the European Cup and the FIFA World Cup in 1892, as well as for the winning Argentinian team in 1986.
14. Li-Ning
As one of the more recent names in our list of the best sportswear brands, Li-Ning is a Chinese label that is known globally for its funky sports sneaker designs for a variety of sports.
Founded in 1989 by former Chinese Olympic gymnast Li Ning, the company expanded to join with a French sports-label Aigle, making it the exclusive distributor of Aigle’s Chinese products for more than 50 years. Opening its flagship U.S store in 2010 in Oregon, Li-Ning continues to grow.
In September 2012, a partnership with NBA legend Dwyane Wade was created, further helping to spread awareness of this modern sportswear brand with the world.
15. Lorna Jane
This activewear brand is famous around the globe for its range of sports and leisurewear for women. Accessories, sports-props, and other athletic and lifestyle products are now part of Lorna Jane’s repertoire. The style could be described as ‘fresh and funky’, giving women a chance to feel feminine and trendy as they workout.
The brand was founded by Australian Lorna Jane Clarkson in 1990. By 2015, the brand had close to 150 stores across Australia, with also 42 in the United States and other countries stocking products, such as Britain, Canada, and South Africa.
The brand is constantly creating, never short of inspiration with making between 70 and 100 new designs each and every month. In 2014, for example, they sold on average one pair of their ‘Flashdance’ leggings per 27 seconds globally.
16. Lululemon
As a brand serving the yoga industry, Lululemon is a high-end apparel and accessories company with a global reach. Its key competitors include brands such as All Yoga, Nike, Under Armour, Athlete, and Zella.
Founded in 1998 by Chip Wilson, the headquarters are in British Columbia in Canada. Lululemon prides itself on the use of high-quality materials in their products and aims to create beautiful apparel for both men and women. The brand creates lifestyle wear, yoga accessories, lightweight athletic performance wear and more.
As of early 2019, there are 440 store locations worldwide, and the reach still continues to grow as this brand seems to just get more popular, especially as the yoga industry is booming.
17. New Balance
As a leading brand for sports sneakers, New Balance has its origins in Boston, America. Remastering its classic designs from prominent decades, the brand stays current by creating sportswear for tennis, cricket, rugby, running and more.
Founded in 1906 by William J.Riley under the name ‘New Balance Arch Support Company’, the company manufactures its products in the United States and reaches the European market with factories in the United Kingdom. New Balance has 5,000 employees worldwide.
One of the most popular models of this company is the 990 model sneaker. They’re known for their quality of shoes having additional features like heel counters, gel inserts and unique designs that match the demands of the sport the sneaker was made for.
18. Nike
Most people would agree that this brand is at the top of the list of the best sportswear brands in the world. Nike dominates almost every sport there is, with sponsorships for elite athletes, clubs and hobbyists and organisations. The Swoosh tick is one of the most recognised logos on the planet.
Founded in 1964, Nike is headquartered in Oregon in the United States. It’s the largest supplier and manufacturer in the world if sports shoes and apparel, employing over 45,000 people worldwide. Nike was also ranked at No.89 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the United State’s highest-earning corporations, by revenue.
Most people may not know that Nike is named after the Greek goddess of Victory, and was chosen by founders Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight.
19. PUMA
PUMA is an international sports company based in Germany but found all over the world. It’s best recognised by its speedy-looking animal logo and has been around for a long time. It’s stated to be the third-largest sportswear manufacturer in the world, and its best selling products are in the sports apparel category.
The brand was created in 1948 when Rudolf Dassler broke away from his partnership with his brother, who went on to create Adidas, and Rudolf to create PUMA. Employees are located around the world, with close to 15,000 employees and its products sold in over 120 countries.
Interestingly, the most recent accolade for PUMA has been getting the best revenue PUMA has seen in the first quarter of 2019, showing that this long-standing brand continues to rise in success.
20. Reebok
Reebok is another of our best sportswear brands that is a household name. Known predominantly for sportswear and shoes, its classic Instapump OG shoe was recently brought back from the 1994 original version as a rework to create a new product from a favourite.
Founded in 1958 in England, Reebok is a subsidiary of another leading brand, Adidas. Currently headquartered in Boston in the United States, the brand sells products worldwide online and in flagship stores.
Collaborations with celebrities and well-known athletes are what has given Reebok an upper hand in getting their name out there, with people like the Music producer, Future, and Style icon Victoria Beckham, sporting Reebok goods.
21. Russell Athletic
This brand lays a claim to fame in being recognised as the designers of the first inception of the ‘sweatshirt’ concept that people know and love today. It was decided that a cotton version of the original football wooden jersey would be more durable and comfortable for players to wear.
Founded back in 1902 by Benjamin Russell, this brand was created when this man’s son asked him to make apparel for his university football team. 1910 was when Russel Manufacturing Co. established itself as a business, using the iconic American eagle imagery as the logo. After more name changes, the company continued to grow and create athletic wear for a range of sports.
The old-style athletic wear of Russell Athletic is making a comeback, as people are drawn to the older designs as vintage sports-fashion is on the rise.
22. Running Bare
From female performance activewear and sneakers to yoga apparel, Running Bare is an Australian brand making an international impact. The high-quality materials used for their products, as well as the fact that 70% of all products are manufactured in its place of origin – Sydney, Australia, is why people love this brand.
Created in 1983 in Bondi, Australia, the brand was made to empower women with fashion-forward and stylish activewear that feels and looks expensive, whilst still being affordable for a wide audience. Running Bare is Australia’s longest-running women’s sports brand.
In the words of the Creative Director of the company, Yolanda Powell, “Ultimately what’s important for us is that we design for all women, not a type of woman, so whoever you are, whatever size you are, we make sure you are fiercely fashionable, feminine and above all, functional.”
23. Salomon
As one of the most well known outdoor sports brands, Salomon has collaborated with names like Avnier, Boris Bidjan Saberi and The Broken Arm, at prestigious fashion week showcases. Their hallmark trail sneakers are their best selling product.
Founded in 1947 in the French alps, the brand focuses on creating high-quality products for people who like to get out and about and aren’t afraid of challenges. On their official website, this mission is shared: “What motivates us is to enrich people’s lives by enabling them to play outside.”
Salomon is a brand also driven by giving back to the world, creating The Salomon Foundation in 1999 to support athletes who have been injured, and their families. Since its inception, this foundation has given more than 1 million Euros to bettering these athletes recovery.
24. Sergio Tacchini
Steeped in the game of Tennis, this lifestyle and athletic brand is well known even today for its 80s hallmark vintage tracksuits among sports lovers. The 1980s was when the young Line polo shirt was launched, creating the double contrast stripes that became the brand’s iconic design. This shirt is still a best-seller today.
Launched in Italy 1966 by former professional tennis player turned fashion designer, Sergio Tacchini. Not only serving the tennis sports market, but it also makes golf, ski, and general fitness clothing. After the bankruptcy in 2007, the company was purchased by a Honk Kong Chinese businessman and it began to grow again.
In 2016, the brand celebrated its 50th anniversary and celebrations included a lavish party, photography exhibition and fashion show with, of course, a big list of tennis legends present.
25. Speedo
Based in English, this British sportswear brand focuses on swimwear and accessories for professional and hobby swimmers. People may recognise this brand from its sponsorship of big athletes, especially the notable sponsorship of the Australian Olympic Swim team that has been well over a decade partnership.
Originally founded in Australia in 1914, the Speedo brand is now manufacturing in the United Kingdom, and also in the United States under the Speedo USA license.
The iconic logo of Speedo is an interesting nod to its Australian roots, being a simple block-coloured boomerang symbol.
26. Umbro
This UK sportswear brand focuses mostly on creating football equipment such as gloves, balls, boots and kit uniforms. Umbro also produces shirts and jackets as lifestyle wear, making it accessible for people beyond professional and team sports.
Founded in 1924 in Wilmslow in the United Kingdom, its headquartered in Cheadle, England. By 1966, close to 85% of all British football clubs were wearing the Umbro brand. With more than 1,500 employees, the products are sold in over 90 countries globally.
Drawing from its classic designs, Umbro is taking on the vintage-style sports market by bringing back 90s favourite sneaker designs such as the Neptune, the Runner M, and the Exert Max.
27. Under Armour
The last name on our list of the best sportswear brands is Under Armour, an American company that produces footwear, sports apparel, and lifestyle clothing. Recently in 2018, Under Armour launched high-tech running shoes which feature Bluetooth technology for complex data tracking for fitness lovers.
Founded in 1996, the company first made it big when Warner Brothers contracted Under Armour in 1999 to outfit two films, ‘The Replacements’ and ‘Any Given Sunday.’ Since then, big names in the world of sports have worn the brand’s apparel, making it a popular choice for fans as well.
Stephen Curry became Under Armour’s signature athlete and is reportedly worth a great deal to the company – around $14 billion USD. NBA fans globally could recognise the brand for this connection. You can learn more about other great brands here.
Sports lovers most likely have their favorite brands they always go back to for their athletic wear, shoes, and casual clothing. According to my thinking We should keep in mind while choosing outfits or training clothes or sportswear that should be flexible and comfortable and we cannot feel any hesitation to wear them.