Skincooler™ Stretch,
Skincooler™ Piqué,
Skincooler™ Knit,
and Skincooler™ Mesh
All are designed to cool you in hot weather. The special moisture-radiating composition actually offers a cooling effect. The moisture dissipates through channels to the outside of the fabric so that it dries 3 times faster than regular polyester and 5 times faster than cotton.
Skincooler Stretch, Skincooler Piqué, and Skincooler Knit block 75% of UVB rays, which is about as much as a cotton t-shirt or any bike jersey you may wear (Skincooler Mesh blocks about 50%).
Skincooler Stretch and Skincooler Mesh are blended with spandex to offer more fitted and aerodynamic styles.
Carrera™ Skin, and Carrera™ Piqué is a nylon/spandex blend that is lightweight, breathable, quick-drying and keeps its support and fit, even when wet. Carrera Skin is smooth which makes it non-abrasive so it is comfortable for training and racing. It also blocks 75% of UVB rays. Carrera Piqué is a very soft breathable stretch fabric we have incorporated into our new high-end bike shorts for more comfort against the abdomen.
Forza™ Compressor lifts and supports muscles to dampen the vibration due to dynamic flexion and extention, as well as isometric flex during exercise. De Soto was the first company to produce compression garments in 1997. Since then we have offered Forza Products that have helped thousands of triathletes win as well as improve on their personal best. Research findings from extensive university studies show the Forza™ Compressor fabric used in our garments help to improve athletic performance by as much as 12%, by delaying the onset of fatigue and by giving an improved sense of body position. We assemble the garments of this fabric with proprietary articulated stitching techniques that maximize comfort and fit while minimizing constriction and drag. The result is the best fitting and highest quality product that money can buy.
Stitching and Microflat™ Stitching are innovative and proprietary combinations of thread and two-pass-stitching techniques. These techniques, invented by De Soto, provide the most durable seams in existence, yet yield an eloquent appearance.
NanoSurf™ is our answer to the demand for a soft, non-abrasive fabric. We have developed a fabric that is softer than the finest Egyptian cottons, while offering a strong material that is difficult to rip or wear out. NanoSurf is lighter than our MicroSurf (lightweight surf-trunk material) so it dries fast, and drapes comfortably on your body. NanoSurf does not shrink, pill or deform, so your De Soto garment will take you through many training sessions and still look new.
At speeds below 5 mph (8 kph) the best surface to flow though water is a smooth surface like Liftfoil. Liftfoil is a hydrodynamic fabric designed to be worn very tight. When stretched on a moving body, Liftfoil becomes thinner, so it absorbs less water. Because it compresses against the skin, it reduces passive drag, and acts as a foil to lift the body at the water surface.
A high quality pad designed specifically for De Soto by one of Italy's most reputable pad companies. It is soft yet dense, seamless in the middle, anti-bacterial, and it actually stretches with the short to conform better between your body and the saddle. We offer the 400-Mile Pad in men's and in women's cut.
Designed to meet the demands of the most hardcore endurance athletes. This high-tech polyester fabric absorbs very little moisture, and wicks it away from the skin, so it dries faster than mesh materials. It is soft to the touch, yet very durable. The mesh holes make it more breathable so you will stay cooler and be more comfortable during long workouts.
Is a soft micro polyester similar to a lightweight surf-trunk material, so it is non-abrasive even when wet. It has a wrinkle-free sheen, dries fast, and drapes comfortably on your body. Micro-Surf does not shrink, pill, or deform so your De Soto garment will take you through many training sessions and still look new.
Is a unique mesh/spandex blend that does not deform or lose its elasticity when used in products that get wet. It has a very low drag coefficient so it is ideal for garments used in competitive swimming.
Is incorporated into all our padded racing garments. The pad has no seams, stretches in all directions, and offers enough padding for comfort on the bike, yet is not felt when swimming or running.
This is a new generation of polypropylene, a fiber we have been using for many years. Polyolefin is the ultimate fabric to use as a first layer garment. It not only keeps you warm, it regulates your body temperature during exercise in hot or cold weather. The skin stays dry, keeping the body warm in winter, and cool in the summer. It is odor resistant because it is treated with AM Microstop, an anti-microbial treatment that stops odor producing bacteria from forming over extended use. It has moisture transfer properties that move moisture to the surface of the fabric where it evaporates.
Technical Highlights
- Provides warmth without the weight and bulk of traditional insulating fabrics
- Highly breathable to provide comfort in all activities; does not restrict the movement of moisture vapor
- Dries quickly to minimize heat loss
- Durable; will outlast other fleece fabrics
- Machine washable
- Versatile; appropriate for a broad range of activities
Technical Highlights
- 4 Times more wind resistant than traditional fleece; greatly reduces wind chill
- Provides warmth without the weight and bulk of traditional insulating fabrics
- Water repellent surface sheds rain and snow
- Highly breathable; no laminates so it does not restrict the movement of moisture vapor
- Durable; will outlast other fleece fabrics
- Machine washable
- Versatile; appropriate for a broad range of activities
How does it work?
Moisture and high relative humidity next to the skin cause discomfort. Polartec® Power Stretch® keeps the skin dry through three complementary mechanisms:
- The fabric is highly breathable and does not restrict the movement of moisture vapor.
- "Touch Points" on the fabric inner surface draw off the sweat. Sweat is wicked off the skin to the outside of the fabric, where it spreads rapidly for evaporation.
- When the sweat reaches the outside of the fabric, it spreads out to many times its original surface area, enabling it to dry at least 2 times faster than cotton.
Technical Highlights
- Body-hugging 4-way stretch provides unrestricted freedom of movement
- Keeps your skin dry when you sweat
- Highly breathable to provide comfort in all activities; does not restrict the movement of moisture vapor
- Provides warmth without the weight and bulk of traditional insulating fabrics
- Wind resistant to reduce the effects of wind chill
- Machine washable
NanoSurf™, Forza Compressor™, Riviera™, Windansea™, Liftfoil™, Open-Air Mesh™, Micro-Surf ™, Liquid Mesh™, Microlock™, Microflat™, Skincooler™ Series, Arm Coolers™, Leg Coolers™ , Cool Wings™, Compressor Leg Sleeve™, Liftfoil™, Carrera™ Series, 400-Mile Pad™, Micro Series™, QTKini™, Playa Run Short™, Tuesday Run Short™, Transition Pack™, Bibjohn™, Triathlon Femme™, Dotted S™, are Trademarks owned exclusively by De Soto Clothing Company, Inc.
De Soto Triathlon®, DSS®, T1 Wetsuits®, First Wave®, Black Pearl®, smart1®, Speed Collection®, Speed Vest®, Speed Tube®, are trademarks registered in the United States and in other jurisdiction for products available only from De Soto Clothing Company, Inc.
Malden Mills®, Polartec® Power Stretch®, and Polartec® Wind Pro® are trademarks registered in the United States and in other jurisdictions for fabrics available only from Malden Mills Industries, Inc.