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Saucony - Sports
Saucony's VIZI PRO
There's some great high-visibility gear on the market
for runners – and Saucony's is now upping its game
regarding apparel with the distinctive VIZI PRO
range. Marketing Manager Jonathan Quint explains
the benefits of VIZI-PRO to SGB
W
hite is, by any standards, by far the most visible colour we new fabric, Sonic Light HD. we currently have a Sonic Light jacket, which is a
can wear, but it's hard to keep clothing actually white. So very light weight, very quiet jacket, but the HD takes it one step further in that
what's the solution for runners who want to get out there in it is slightly heavier, with a great new feel. A typical running jacket will be like a
winter? Fluorescent clothing, of course – which traditionally is usually a shell suit type fabric, which we all know is not necessarily the look that we are
fluorescent yellow. Saucony's new range is a striking fluorescent wanting in our kit. This has been upgraded to a softer feel fabric. It is still
orange, but this is the start of something big for the company's apparel water-resistant; it is still windproof but is even more breathable.
lines. Jonathan Quint explains why… For the VIZI PRO range, the USP is high visibility in technical
fabrics and technical styles
SGB: Why orange?
Jonathan Quint: There is an element of wanting to stand SGB: What values and facets are the core of the range?
out a little, both for us and the runner. We have done JQ: Apart from being bright orange, there is 360-degree
fluorescent yellow vests and jackets before, and there are reflectivity, which you would expect on our technical kit. Even if
other brands out there with strong, established ranges in you buy a black jacket, you get reflective material down the zip,
fluorescent yellow, but this fabric is exclusive to Saucony, normally on the nape of the shoulders and you could get some
and it is the only fabric that is accredited by the American reflectivity around the cuffs. You should always be seen… but VIZI
National Standards Institute for chromaticity – they’re the PRO orange gives you even better visibility at dusk and dawn, which
equivalent of our British Standards Kite mark organization, are the times that a lot of people are out running.
and this colour and the treatment for this particular fabric is All our top-end jackets and the majority of our top-end technical long-
the only one the Americans have accredited. The tests they sleeves have an LED light built in to the sleeve. Just up from the cuff of
run on it are based on safety at work tests, which is why we the jacket you have a little LED that is smaller than a 10p piece. It’s
show the runner next to a road worker, or a traffic warden, to show that this removable, for when you wash the garment, but you have a stitched-in holder.
fabric and this colour is very bright under low light conditions. Just squeeze the LED light to switch it on and it flashes. Even if you don’t want
to go for the VIZI PRO you have this visibility in the standard colour palette. That
SGB: What are the stand-out pieces in the range? LED, despite it being so tiny, is visible from 500 to 1000 yards away. It’s on the
JQ: Pieces that currently exist in the Saucony range have been given this colour end of your arm, so it is a part of you that is always moving when you are
and this treatment so you can run in a technical fabric and you can also be as running – so you have the light, which is flashing, and you have the movement.
bright and as safe as possible. If someone runs you over when you have got this on, they really mean to run
There are great styles that you can currently buy, but you can’t yet find them in you over!
the VIZI PRO orange, and you can’t buy them with this treatment to the fabric. There's a great story to tell about the whole range, not just VIZI PRO. The VIZI
So we’re dealing with established fabrics and cuts PRO is the most exciting of all the line-up, but
but now with the additional stand-out feature of there are so many nice technical features, all
VIZI-PRO. wrapped together in the right package which
For example, the Drylete long-sleeve half zip is in hopefully gets us to the top of retailers thinking
the range already and in my opinion is our best for fall 2009. We’re really pleased with this
fabric, it’s the fabric we make tights out of, so it apparel collection, so are backing it with a
is high-wicking, quick-drying, thermal fabric. marketing campaign, which will slot in nicely
There’s also Optech, a lighter waffle-type fabric with our new footwear line-up and continue
which is our best-selling men’s long-sleeve. our push for that top slot in the running
Then there’s our top-end jacket, which is in a market.
14 SGB SPORT JANUARY 2009
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