Speedo plans to maximize the buzz from Michael Phelps' historic run in Beijing by making its LZR Racer swim suits available for the general public to buy. The suits are $550 each--not bad for a design that features NASA input and revolutionary light fabric--and will start to ship out in October. Speedo is taking pre-orders for the LZR Racer suits now.
These suits are the world's fastest swimsuit. Worn by the United States Olympic team, the suits inspired a fit of controversy before the games began in Beijing. I'm betting these won't make it to your neighborhood pool, but they may help out triathletes and other competitive swimmers.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Mainstream-ization of Olympic Swimsuits
- There is a disruptive innovation opportunity to democratize Olympic-level swim technology by making it available to the general public.
- Premium Athletic Apparel Demand
- There is an opportunity to meet the increasing demand for premium athletic apparel.
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Design
- There is a disruptive innovation opportunity for companies to collaborate across industries, such as Speedo collaborating with NASA for the LZR Racer swimsuit design.
Where This Applies
- Sporting Goods
- Sporting goods companies have an opportunity to capitalize on the growing demand for premium athletic apparel.
- Fashion
- Fashion companies can explore the integration of sports technology and design into their offerings.
- Space Technology
- There is a disruptive innovation opportunity for space technology companies to explore new applications for their technology beyond the aerospace industry, such as contributing to the design of high-performance athletic apparel.
