ISPO 2020: Function meets fashion

At the end of January 2020, the exhibition grounds in Riem filled up one final time in its familiar rhythm. Around 80,000 trade visitors from 120 countries attended ISPO Munich, checked out innovations, debated sustainability-and had no idea this edition would mark the end of an era. We were there and now look back: what from 2020 has survived, what has vanished?

Sustainability was no longer a promise in 2020-it was the standard

Anyone walking the halls in 2020 quickly realised: sustainability had moved from a special feature to day-to-day business. “The world is in the midst of a major societal upheaval,” said Klaus Dittrich, then Chairman of the Board of Management of Messe München. “Solutions must be found before it’s too late.” It sounded like a mandatory agenda item, yet it was plain to see on the stands.

The range ran from jackets made of collected ocean plastic to vegan running shoes. Brands were thinking the entire product life cycle through-from fibre to take-back. And consumers were right there with them: they didn’t just want sustainable goods; they expected brands to take a clear stance. Mark Held, then President of the European Outdoor Group, summed it up: platforms like ISPO exist to spark initiatives and partnerships and sharpen awareness of how we handle resources.

From today’s vantage point, that part has endured. Recycled fibres, circular concepts and vegan materials are no longer headlines in 2026-they’re prerequisites. What in 2020 read as a bold statement now sits in small print on the care label. To see how this material mindset has landed in your own wardrobe, check out our take on linen as a sustainable fabric.

What in 2020 read as a bold statement now sits in small print on the care label.

Inspiration and creativity: where function met fashion

Creativity in the industry was on full display as visitors navigated the 18 halls, especially in textiles. Function and fashion converged and grew together-a trend now firmly embedded in everyday life: the outdoor jacket doubles as office wear, the trail runner treads city asphalt, the technical fibre lives on in your favourite sweatshirt.

The Urban Lab had become the design scene’s go-to hub and one of the show’s highlights. Fresh names pushed onto the scene, including Sony with innovative technical fabrics and Save the Duck with vegan apparel. This very fusion of sport function and streetwear aesthetics still shapes what you wear on the street today-often without you even thinking of the exhibition hall behind it.

Looking back, it’s striking how early these brands showed up at ISPO. Much of what in 2020 felt like an experiment on the fringes of the outdoor world is now a staple of streetwear. If you prefer movement without high-tech gear, we’ve got ideas for leisure sport without the heavy kit, right in the spirit of the low-threshold entry to exercise that ISPO celebrated in 2020.

Running remained the evergreen, the date did not

In 2020, lack of movement was a societal issue, and running was hailed as the simplest remedy. Since the 1970s it has ranked among the world’s most popular sports, driven by casual and hobby runners who keep the market open for ever-new brands and models. That year’s Runner’s World Running Symposium-held for the seventh time and packed with more than 300 attendees-showcased the latest running shoes in the newly opened Shoe Village, a nod to the market’s growth.

Running has only expanded since then, even fuelled by the pandemic. How deeply running is now woven into lifestyle culture is also evident at our sister magazine InspiredBySports. As for ISPO Munich itself, things took a different turn: 2020 was the final edition in the traditional January slot. From 2021 the date shifted permanently to November, the fair shrank in size and pivoted toward community and experience rather than sheer exhibitor volume. By 2026 the flagship event had relocated to Amsterdam under the ISPO banner and merged with the early-summer OutDoor format.

The January pilgrimage to Munich-once drawing 80,000 people in 2020-has become history. What remains is the momentum the show set in motion: sustainability as second nature and the fusion of function and fashion you now find in almost every collection.