Rheon Labs, the London-based materials technology company, specializing in high-tech protection and muscular supportive solutions attached to sports garments, has for the first time partnered with Decathlon’s performance running brand Kiprun.
When the product team at Kiprun wanted to develop high-performance compression tights, they turned to Rheon Labs. The developer has formed numerous collaborations with sports equipment brands, including Adidas (running gear), Macron (padel racquets), Rapha (mountain bike protection), Xenith (American football helmets), and more.
The Kiprun team wanted a product that genuinely improved muscle support without compromising comfort. With Rheon’s technology, a self-developed reactive superpolymer that can adapt to movement and impact in real-time, the result was the Kiprun Run Compress 900 Rheon tights. 
The results from the laboratory tests at Rheon Labs showed a 4.6 percent reduction in acceleration forces on the quadriceps, compared to Decathlon’s previous model.
SGIE spoke with Olga Kravchenko, Development Director at Rheon Labs, about the collaboration.
SGIE: What was the pitch from Decathlon to you at Rheon Labs?
Olga Kravchenko: The Kiprun team at Decathlon was looking for a new type of compression for running tights that could target specific muscles, but not compress the entire leg, allowing for a tight that would be both comfortable and effective in improving runner performance.
Rheon Labs was created to solve problems without compromise. We identified ways our technology could be applied to real-world problems in sports and apparel – how can we control the muscle and tissue movement that makes performance less efficient, without adding the compromise of additional compression, which can often be uncomfortable for the wearer.
What are the major unique technical details that Rheon has implemented into the product, and can you please tell us a little about those?
Rheon is a polymer, unique because it is stain-rate sensitive. This means it’s dynamic – so it’s soft and flexible in its natural state, but quickly stiffens and absorbs energy when subjected to movement or force.
We amplify the performance of the polymer with generative design, so when it is applied on textile in a specific pattern, this allows Rheon to control muscle movement, such as the leg muscles moving as you run –without relying on additional compression, like most performance fabrics do.
How long did the product development process take before production?
The whole project from concept to production took around 6-8 months. This was an iterative and co-operative process between the two companies that included: design, 3D visualisation, sample making, and user testing, collecting both objective biomechanical data as well as subjective feedback.
How big is this product for Decathlon? Is the product to be sold globally, online and in retailers all over the world?
The Kiprun running tight is the first project we are launching as part of a wider ongoing partnership with Decathlon. The tight launches Europe-wide, both online and in Decathlon stores, with later launches planned to be available globally.
What kind of product development will you do together in the future with Decathlon (if you can share this). If so, what can you tell us about it?
The product development opportunity with Decathlon goes far beyond this first launch of tights, and the shorts that will follow in SS26 – it can extend into bras and other garments, where achieving both comfort and support has long been a challenge. Together with Decathlon, we can tailor solutions to the unique needs of different sports, body shapes, and lifestyles. This opens the door to a world of benefits, making performance sportswear more inclusive, accessible, and game-changing for every athlete.
