Adidas-Rheon Labs partnership creates “new era” sports bras

Despite advancements in activewear, most sports bras “are stuck in the past”. That’s according to Joanna Wakefield-Scurr professor of Biomechanics at the University of Portsmouth, and the University of Memphis.

So based on a series of university findings that include 72% of women suffer running-related breast pain, sportswear giant Adidas has continued its link-up with ‘reactivewear’ engineering company Rheon Labs to do something about it.

The result is the Techfit Control Bra, a product that features Rheon’s patented reactive super polymer, which “adapts to support the breast during high-intensity movements”.

It works by using strips of strain-rate-sensitive polymer strategically placed across the breast tissue. Like running on wet sand, it only hardens under intense movement, then returns to being soft and pliable, we’re told. “This provides all-around support during activity without being restrictive or overly compressive”.  

The shape, size and placement of each piece is ergonomically designed using computer modelling “to offer the optimal support for key muscle groups during exercise”.

Overall, it claims to improve support, reduce wasted energy, and maximise running performance as “poor breast support for runners can lead to a reduction in stride length of up to 4cm, with wearers becoming more hesitant to stride out”. Meanwhile, good breast support can improve a runner’s performance by 7% and over a marathon distance, that’s a mile lost for those running with poor breast support.

And as a further endorsement, Rheon has been incorporated into Adidas’s athletics kits (prominent in sprint suits on the legs, backs & busts) for team GB, France, and Ethiopia at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Olga Kravchenko, Head of Design at Rheon Labs, said: “In sport, everybody should feel inspired by what their bodies can achieve but women’s needs are historically underserved when it comes to sportswear designed to support the female form. Sports bras are a foundational piece of kit, but research into the category uncovered vast dissatisfaction from women who weren’t being properly supported.”  

The Techfit Control x Rheon Sports Bra is available online at adidas.com, priced at £65 and available in sizes 32A,B to 48E,G.