What do spacesuits, bulletproof vests and sports bras have in common?
A lot, if you’re talking about Reebok’s new PureMove bra.
The just-released workout staple incorporates Sheer Thickening Fluid, or STF, which is featured in NASA spacesuits and serves as a major component in lowering the weight of the military’s bulletproof vests.
STF, a solution resembling a gel, boasts innovative properties enabling it to assume a liquid-like state at no or low speed and stiffen for greater support at higher velocities, creating what the athletic brand has dubbed Motion Sense Technology. In Reebok’s PureMove bra, that means wearers are comfortable “at rest” and get the support they need during high-impact routines. The result is a responsive garment that reacts to factors like how quickly or slowly breast tissue is moving, the wearer’s body shape and the force of movement.
Reebok said PureMove is three years in the making, created in partnership with the University of Delaware. Years of testing evaluated not just how breasts move but also put product iterations through the paces. Together, the brand and the educational institution “upped the ante” on breast biomechanics, using 54 motion sensors—instead of the previously standard two to four—to monitor breast bounce and support.
The PureMove garment includes many of the standard features in modern sports bra, including breathable panels to keep wearers cool, molded panels for a supportive fit, and minimalist seamless construction using just seven pieces of fabric.
“Many would assume that the more support a sports bra gives would equate to the more fabric, straps or hooks it’s comprised of. However, by utilizing our Motion Sense Technology, PureMove’s design is quite deliberately the opposite,” Danielle Witek, Reebok’s senior innovation apparel designer, said. “The minimalist design of the bra may seem deceiving when you first hold it, but you should not confuse this for lack of support or technology. Every single detail is intentional and directly informed by years of our testing and research.”