While not exactly “mainstream” yet, extreme sports have become incredibly popular over the last decade or so. Sports like surfing, snowboarding, and BMX still don’t draw the crowds that football and baseball do, but they have slowly been infiltrating the collective consciousness of sports fans everywhere in surprising ways. One area where these sports have had a huge influence is in the world of fashion. BMX clothing and other types of sports fashion have become very popular not only among extreme athletes, but also among people from all walks of life.
From a certain angle, the rise of the extreme sports craze is not surprising. Sportswear has always been popular with athletes and non-athletes alike. Sportswear is not only designed for comfort, but it fits perfectly with most casual clothing styles in the United States. Sportswear has gone from being strictly for athletes in the early 20th century to what most people imagine when they think of casual wear. Fashion designers now regularly incorporate sportswear elements into their work, even in garments that are not intended to be casual. These days, it’s hard not to go out in public and see people wearing T-shirts, baseball caps, and other apparel originally designed as sportswear, even when there’s no sporting event going on. Sportswear has become casual wear for all purposes.
Of course, comfort and casual style aren’t the only reasons sportswear has become so popular. As the name implies, extreme sports can be dangerous. Professional skateboarding requires pads and a helmet at a minimum, and the right BMX clothing can save BMX riders from some really nasty injuries. At a glance, this may not mean much to someone who would never get on a skateboard or BMX bike, but the protection offered by some extreme sports gear can come in handy in other situations. The heavy fleece jackets worn by snowboarders are some of the warmest winter jackets available, and the shoes worn by skaters can take a beating and last much longer than most sneakers.
Due to the popularity of these high-adrenaline sports, many clothing designers have started marketing such extreme sportswear to the mainstream. People are more likely to wear a soccer jersey than BMX gear in casual situations, but the growing popularity of sports fashion hasn’t gone unnoticed. Many professional extreme athletes now have their own clothing lines, and it has gotten to the point where many people wear the clothing without having any knowledge of sports. Many like the clothes themselves, which can probably be considered the final victory for any clothing designer.
In the end, the popularity of extreme sports fashion is not that different from the popularity of most other sports apparel. Ultimately, most people wear clothes like BMX clothes because they fit in with the casual style of dress that is so popular in the United States. On top of that, most of these clothes are durable and stylish. Extreme sports are still seen as a niche, but many of the fads associated with them could become mainstream in the next few years.
