Take a hike! How walking gear got a high fashion makeover Naomi May
Our collective hunger for comfort has never been more apparent than it is now.
Month ten of the New Normal and trousers have been swapped for trackies, our heels replaced with house shoes and our poplin shirts traded for pyjamas. Times have changed. And now we’re ready to take it one step further, by embracing outdoor apparel. No, not your camel coat, your tan trench, or your box-fresh sneakers, but hiking boots! Puffer jackets! Hell, even fleeces!
Once the preserve of geography teachers, the UK’s outdoor industry (which includes apparel and footwear) was valued at £1.5 billion in 2020 and has been predicted to grow by a further £2.8 billion by 2024.