Odlo

With the motto “Always make sure you’re one step ahead,” Odlo was born in 1946. An enthusiastic Norwegian sportsman named Odd Roar Lofterød started the company with a heaping portion of creativity and courage. The company began producing training tights for ice-skating athletes that protected from the cold, and from there the concept soared.

In 1963, the company introduced the first elasticized and functional ski outfit for cross-country skiers and speed skaters made from the Helanca synthetic fiber. The entire Norwegian national ski team donned these revolutionary outfits for the 1964 Olympic Winter Games, and by the 1972 Olympic Games in Sapporo, 22 national teams were wearing Odlo sportswear.

The company went global in 1986, the year after the company launched the cutting-edge Athletic Clothing System, which provided three layers to ensure moisture regulation, temperature control, and protection from the elements. The company then branched out in 1994 with running and outdoor collections that ensured athletes of all types could comfortably exercise in any climate.

A fabric breakthrough was achieved in 2002 with the development of the effect by Odlo fiber – the first underwear made with odor-reducing silver ions. In 2006, another high-tech fabric was created; the lightweight, all-year-round underwear fabric cubic had a three-dimensional structure that ensured optimal body temperatures.

These days, Odlo has a market-leading range of gear for all climates, with more than 550 different products for all types of athletes. And the future for Odlo is an exciting one.

If you asked Odd Lofterød Jr. about his vision of the future, he says: “My father always set the goal of being a step ahead of everyone else. Nothing has changed in this respect.”