Today in Gear: The Gear Shaping Today’s Conversation

It appears like Reebok has changed hands once again. Formerly owned by German sportswear giant adidas, Reebok has recently been acquired by the Authentic Brands Group (ABG). As far as fashion and licensing conglomerates are concerned ABG has quite the portfolio, spanning everything from legacy fashion brands like Eddie Bauer and Brooks Brothers — to the likenesses (or, brands) of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. The sale is basically a sign of failure on adidas’ part, who bet on Reebok’s legacy to garner cool and establish a better foothold in the U.S. — and, by extension, bring in profits. As sportswear giants like Nike and adidas offload extra brands in an effort to galvanize their own eponymous labels in a post-pandemic retail environment, and brands like Reebok continue to flounder somewhere in the middle between cult drops (like its blockbuster JJJJound releases) and general market obscurity, a partner like ABG should help Reebok optimize its distribution model and cut costs as it tries to both handle product and get it into stores. Time will tell if this will be the catalyst for the rebound Reebok needs to stay relevant in a buzzing sneaker and sportswear industry. Whatever Reebok’s fate will be in the future, today, we’re delivering the download on Sonos’ affordable portable speaker, Sagamore Spirit’s rum cask-finished whiskey and a Razor scooter revival. This is Today in Gear.

Sonos drops stripped down (and more budget-friendly) version of the portable Roam speaker.

Sonos

The Roam is one of the more versatile and affordable Sonos speakers, thanks to its portable and wireless design. As its first new speaker of 2022, Sonos has dropped the Roam SL — a roam speaker with the voice assistant support (like Amazon Alexa). This also means it won’t have the automatic EQ adjustment via Automatic Trueplay or Sound Swap — which moves audio from one Sonos speaker to another. That said, if you’re just looking for a quality portable speaker, at $159, this is one of the most budget-friendly Sonos options available.

Sagamore Spirit adds rum cask-finished whiskey to Reserve Series.

Sagamore Spirit

If you ask us, rum just doesn’t get enough love. That’s why we’re stoked by the release of Sagamore Spirit Reserve Series Rum Cask Finish Rye Whiskey. For context: Sagamore Spirit’s Reserve Series represents some of the label’s most interesting and limited expressions when it comes to whiskey. While this rum cask-finished style was once only available in a small release at its Baltimore distillery, the whiskey — a blend of its 5- and 6-year-old straight rye whiskies placed in both South American and Jamaican barrels — should have rum-like hints of banana, creme brûlée and tropical fruit.

Trust us, this isn’t the Razor scooter you remember from your childhood.

Courtesy

I can’t speak for anyone else, but growing up in the suburbs, Razor scooters were a mainstay in driveways and cul-de-sacs growing up in the suburbs during the 2000s. The brand — on the back of a rising interest in EVs and motorized scooters — is roaring back with the Razor Icon. Visually similar to the Razor you remember, this aluminum scooter will boast a 35V battery and go up to 18 miles on a full charge. The brand is funding the project via Kickstarter, with plans to ship out units sometime later this year.

Cotopaxi highlights activists (and great products) in Spring 2022 collection.

Cotopaxi

Outerwear brand Cotopaxi has revealed its Spring 2022 collection, tapping into athletes and activists fighting for body positivity and accessibility. Case in point: Nicole Ver Kuilen, an activist who “is fighting for the fundamental rights of amputees.” Of course those uplifting stories are presented alongside beautiful products, spanning from active packs to fleeces and outerwear. Check out the full collection down below.

Give your EDC kit some shine with Nitecore’s thumb drive-sized flashlight.

Nitecore

At 500 lumens, with an 89m beam distance and not much bigger than a USB stick, the TINI2 Ti is a small-yet-mighty flashlight that should perform on the campsite or as just a part of your EDC. Made from lightweight (but durable) titanium, a built-in digital OLED display shows battery life, brightness and runtime. Speaking of runtime, a full battery should operate for up to 60 hours, and can be charged by any USB-C cable.

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