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    Why don't more people run in merino?

    July 30, 2019 2 min read

    Why don't more people run in merino?
    If merino is so good for running, why doesn’t ‘you know who’ just use it?

     
    It’s a question we get asked a bit, and it’s fair enough. If Merino is so great for running, and other outdoor adventures for that matter, why don’t most of the major running brands in the world use it in their clothing?
     
    The answer is pretty simple: money.
     
    Synthetic fabrics can literally cost about 5% of what quality Merino fabrics cost. Even fancy synthetic fabrics with made up names to make them sound better than they really are that are supposed to do all sorts of wonderful things, can cost literally a fraction of what merino costs. 

     
    So if you were a company that was all about making money, paying for admittedly amazing advertising, and sponsoring high profile athletes, you’d need to make massive profit margins on your clothes. You’d need to make a T-shirt for less than $5 or $10 dollars and sell them for $50 or $60 so that you could pay for all that other stuff and make all that profit.  It’s just how businesses like theirs work. (And in all honesty, even we use their products. We wear their shoes and shorts. The stuff we don’t make ourselves of course!)

    SHOP OUR RUNNING COLLECTION HERE 

     
    Just as an example, in 2018 Nike turned over $34.5 billion at a gross margin - including wholesale, retail etc - of 43.8%, for a profit of a tad over $15 billion. You don’t make that sort of margin and profit paying for high quality merino fabrics.
     
    Merino on the other hand is comparatively expensive to make. It’s labour intensive. It involves shearing sheep, turning the fibre into yarn, and knitting the yarn into fabric. And if you’re us, it involves only sourcing and using the best quality fibre to start with, and knitting ethically in Australia where people are paid and treated fairly.
     
    Compared to synthetics, Merino is then much more difficult to work with. You can’t just cut and sew it like other fabrics. Because it’s a natural fibre, there’s all sorts of things you have to do differently. These things take time and expertise. And again, we choose to only cut and sew in ethical factories that do the right thing by their people.
     
    We do all this because we believe in natural fabrics, we believe in doing the right thing by the environment, we believe in reducing landfill and micro plastics, we believe in ethical production, and most of all, we believe in the natural, high performance of a fabric that comes direct from Mother Nature. 
     
    We know all this adds up to clothes that are more expensive than some others. And we know it means we’ll make a lot less profit because of it. But we think it’s worth it. And we hope you do too.

    SHOP OUR RUNNING COLLECTION HERE 

    Let customers speak for us

    from 1820 reviews
    Love it

    Looks and feels great. Has kept me warm under my jacket in Boston. My second one of these and love it

    Vanessa M
    Ultra Zip
    Comfort and smart enough to wear out

    Comfort and smart enough to wear out.

    brendan finnigan
    Glacier Tracksuit Pants
    Worth the expense

    Best and most comfortable merino clothing for the UK and Canada winter. A must buy is the base layers. Tops and leggings. Very happy with my purchase.
    Easy to care.
    Can't wait to use my gear for next trip to Finland 2025.

    Graham White
    Altitude Tee - Southern Cross
    Spot on

    Great slogan as well. As used by owners of e72.au

    G Daly
    Universal Nature Tee
    Perfect

    All set for winter!

    G Daly
    Altitude Crew
    Fantastic for the Camino/long hikes

    I wore this tee on the Camino and loved it. I hand washed it every second night and by morning it was always dry. I love the dazzling blue colour, the higher neckline was great for preventing sunburn and the sleeve length was perfect. I only had two tees with me for 42 days and I never tired of wearing this tee. It has kept its shape and has plenty more wear left in it.

    S.
    Universal Tee - Explore All The Places
    Walked the Camino in them

    Fantastic for hiking and everyday use. I bought two pairs of the bikini briefs for the Camino (40 days of walking) and they were fantastic. They dry really quickly. I would hand wash out a pair at night, roll them in a towel to get the excess moisture out, hang them up and by morning they were always dry. The hot pink colour made them easy to find in my pack too. Love them!

    SUSI
    Zodiac Bikini Brief
    Altitude Boxers

    The boxers themselves are excellent. Great material and a great fit. What set ioMerino apart was the proactive customer service. I was very impressed

    David Fell
    Altitude Boxers - Ready for Adventure
    Best ever socks

    These are the best socks I have ever had. Cushioned and extremely comfortable, they fit in my shoes like much thinner synthetic socks, they can be worn for days before they need washing and they don’t walk down into my shoes.

    Maggie Ramsay
    No Show Socks
    A great investment

    This jumper is going to be my new best friend, even in Australian spring/autumn (or Melbourne summer!).
    In Norway at present - well and truly minus- and it performs wonderfully as a layer, or a quite-dressy top indoors.
    I'm really pleased with the quality, and it's NOT made in China!

    D W
    Pinnacle 2.0
    Altitude Zip

    Perfect for when riding my bike. Long sleeves are great for keeping the sun at bay. I find it breathes well and wicks very nicely. Highly recommended.

    Neil Penny
    Altitude Zip
    Works for me

    This is my 2nd pair. I don't see myself as a leggings bloke so wear shorts over them. Perfect for recovery, camping, bush walking and around the house. Woll on the skin works for me.

    Richard W.
    Pace Compression Leggings - Original
    Excellent product

    Excellent, comfotable, dry, long lasting merino socks. I love them for trail running and casual no show in shoes or 3/4 boots.

    Richard W.
    No Show Socks
    Best Pants EVER

    These Tights are the best - I have six pairs. They keep me warm and dry in the winter, but I also wear them all through summer ( see below 34 degrees and very happy) I mean, how can millions of sheep be wrong? As far as comfort and fit they are true to size and the most comfortable pants I own.

    Minnie
    Pace Compression Leggings - Outsider Edition
    Loving this Gaiter

    With Io Merino and cold weather it is a pleasure looking forward wearing their gaiters. So soft and has this silk like texture to their high quality Merino and lighness having around neck. Sits great and comfy and make one look forward to just enjoy wearing it. Colours!! Such a great selection and really fab to add colour to whatever wearing with and stylish too. The logo is comfortable too as can wear showing or not and still looks good on show too. I have them in two more colours and gifting one. The colours on this Merino superb with fabric and shades are different to anything I have seen before. Makes for great feel to adventuring outdoors or being extra snug indoors.

    Grace I
    Altitude Neck Warmer