Track and Field Uniforms Fashion or Functionality?
It used to be that track and field uniforms consisted of the four S’s, shirt, shorts, socks and shoes. Nowadays, track stars sport what appear to be more like futuristic, scientifically-engineered superhero garb than the traditionally functional minimalist attire of yesteryear.
You are probably too young to remember first hand, but few are those who have not seen footage of the legendary Jesse Owens tearing up the track at the 1936 Olympic Games. He certainly didn’t need any mad-scientist to design a streamlined super-suit to help him smash the world records coveted by his European rivals.
Today’s professional track and field uniforms are designed individually. They are custom fitted to the contours of each individual athlete and differ in form and even color from sport to sport. In some cases, athletes competing in multiple sports have more wardrobe changes than a teen pop singer. But is all of it really necessary? Can the uniforms really help the athletes to perform their best?
The experts say, Yes! Modern sportswear has been designed not only with the functionality of the track and field uniforms but also with the health and well-being of the athlete in mind. New-age materials and untold hours of testing go into the creation of sportswear that is not only comfortable and functional to use but that will protect the wearer from injury as they push themselves to their limits.
