Sugoi’s Waterproof and Reflective Zap Fabric
The performance apparel brand’s collection for riding and running in grisly conditions
Like so many successful companies, SUGOI was born from necessity. The brand was founded by David Hollands and Carol Prantner—Hollands was an endurance athlete trying to find better bike shorts, while Prantner worked in the fashion industry. Hollands’ search sent him to Japan to look for the highest performing, most “awesome” fabrics—the adjective translates to “sugoi” in Japanese. His search soon became well-known and merchants nicknamed the young brand SUGOI. And although the owners have changed, the brand’s name stuck and the British Columbia-based company continues to be on the edge of performance fabrics.
Perhaps the most exciting innovation that we recently tested is one that increases safety for nighttime riders and runners. SUGOI’s new Zap material is made of crushed glass silkscreened into a polyester-polyurethane neoshell, yet the integration is so seamless that in natural light the micro-glass beads are unnoticeable. As Zap makes up the base fabric for its Bike Jacket, the entire piece—not just small strips—visibly glows when hit by headlights. The fabric is also fully waterproof (with taped seams, too) and the jacket has a drop tail in the back to protect from tire sprays.
The rest of the Zap collection has riders covered from head to toe, if they so choose. From helmet- and shoe-covers to tights and gloves, the collection will have you highly visible when cruising under the cover of darkness.
The Zap collection is available for all genders from SUGOI’s online store, with prices starting at $20. For more visibility options, check out Imperial Motion and Underfuse.
Images by Adam Campbell
