By Joshua E. Arce, Staff Writer
There are so many brands of sports apparel out there today and choosing the right one is a daunting task. The University has strong preferences towards brands like Nike, Reebok, and Under Armour and it is not coincidental.
University students were randomly asked, “What brands of sports apparel or sports footwear do you own?”
One hundred students were polled and the students’ top choices of sports apparel were Under Armour, Adidas, Reebok, New Balance, and Nike. Of these brands Nike, Under Armour, and Adidas were the top three, Nike winning with fifty three votes. Nike is undoubtedly the students’ preferred sports apparel brand, but is it the school’s choice?
The University does not prefer any specific brand for athletes. Athletes have the same freedom of choice and opinion as the rest of the student body.
Of the University’s top three favorite brands, Nike is the most successful on a national level. According to Nike’s financial records and benzinga.com, a stock market and business finance website, Nike made 25.31 million dollars in sales revenue in 2013, which is more than twice as much made by either Under Armour or Adidas.
In 1949, Adidas was founded, followed by Nike in 1964 and then Under Armour in 1996. Though it is the youngest brand of sports apparel in this top three, Under Armour has managed to become a staple brand like Nike and Adidas.
Under Armour earned most of its acclaim in the sports apparel market from its ColdGear apparel brand-line. ColdGear is soft fabric technology that conducts one’s own body heat in order to regulate and balance external conditions. This line of sports apparel is extremely popular for winter sport athletes who desperately want to stay warm during cold seasons. Needless to say Under Armour has dominated in sales and one could argue that this is largely attributed to its very successful line ColdGear.
“I can always trust the quality of all of Nike’s products,” said Sophomore Peter Siniscalchi.
“Nike simply has the best fabrics and clothing materials,” said Junior Chris Ortega.
Two reasons Nike is the top choice for University students might be because of Nike’s wider selection in sports wear than other competitors like Under Armour or Adidas or perhaps it is because of Nike’s widely acclaimed Dri-fit clothing line. Dri-fit is fabric technology which claims to have the ability to keep an athlete completely dry and sweat free. When one sweats, the fabric moves moisture to the surface of the fabric where the moisture can evaporate.
Adidas is known for its climacool technology which focuses on the breathability of clothing and footwear. Climacool fabrics are super lightweight and also joggers have zippers along the sides of the leg for an additional option to increase breathability when exercising.
With each brand claiming one or two unique traits about their sportswear apparel, it becomes very difficult and daunting to decide which brand is the better brand.
“Nike’s Dri-fit clothing are exactly what I need in the summer to stay cool and comfortable and I simply cannot play winter season without Under Armour’s long sleeves,” said Freshmen Amanda Gonzalez, who has experienced both Under Armour and Nike in her time playing softball.
“I would not shop for sneakers at Adidas but I do wear Adidas track pants,” said Freshman Ryan O’Connell.
Whether one is interested in just fashion, in temperature control technology in fabric, breathability of apparel, or dryness and comfort control technology, there is a brand out there for it. The University’s students prefer Nike as their choice of sports apparel however every brand has its own set of special benefits.
