Mizuno wins ISPO award for breathable trail running jacket

Siri Schubert

3/12/2025

Translation: machine translated

Pictures: Siri Schubert

A jacket with high breathability and a dry feeling when running - that was the goal of the developers at Mizuno. The trail running jacket with a new nanomembrane was honoured with an award at ISPO.

Hiroki Sakurai is an engineer in the Material Development Section of the Japanese company Mizuno. And a keen trail runner in his spare time. His runs include the 110-kilometre Shinetsu Five Mountains Trail and the 100-kilometre OSJ Ontake Ultra-Trail. The combination of a passion for running and engineering knowledge has resulted in a new product that has now been honoured with an award at the international sports trade fair ISPO.

«I've tried so many jackets, but none have kept me dry», Hiroki tells me at ISPO in Munich. «No matter how breathable the fabrics were supposed to be, after a while I was always wet on the inside.»

Many runners will be familiar with this problem. Especially when it rains, the breathability of many fabrics decreases significantly. «There has to be a better way», said Hiroki to himself and set about developing it with his team. The result: the now award-winning «Mizuno Breath Dry Shell Jacket» with laminated nanomembrane fabric.

Material and cut optimised for trail running

Not only the fabric, but also the cut of the jacket has been optimised for running in the rain. For example, the hood has side seams that run at a 45-degree angle to guide raindrops away from the face. The fit should also offer sufficient freedom of movement. The fabric feels soft and light.

The jacket is made from 75 per cent recycled materials. Only the membrane, which together with a special coating on the fabric ensures the special product properties, is not made from recycled materials. At the award ceremony, the ISPO jury praised not only the nanomembrane but also the running-specific cut, the soft, low-noise fabric and the high proportion of recycled fibres.

Siri Schubert

Senior Editor

Siri.Schubert@digitecgalaxus.ch

Research diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.

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