There’s nothing wrong with wanting your gear to be stylish as well as functional — and this week has plenty of gear that checks both boxes.
Looking to add some color to your outdoor life? Then you’ll find sporty shades and trendy backpacks as well as sexy dive watches and intergalactic hiking shoes. Or maybe you’re the type that likes to keep things classy? Then look no further than knives from The James Brand, versatile apparel from Allover, and Topo Designs.
Find all that and more right here in Emerging Gear.
American Tall Camping Gear
The online-only brand American Tall specializes in making apparel and gear aimed specifically at tall folks (that’s roughly 6′ and up, evidently). Ironically, it’s actually based in Ontario, Canada, though it has warehouses in both the U.S. and Canada.
More to the point: The brand just released a capsule of camping gear aimed at the taller crowd. So if you’ve ever felt that your body is too long for your backpacking setup, this might be worth a look. The collection includes a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and camping chair — all of which are designed to accommodate people up to 7’1″. I guess this is where NBA players will be looking for their camping gear!
Gazelle E-Bike
When you’re looking at bike brands, it’s not a bad idea to pick one from the most bike-friendly country in the world: The Netherlands. That’s especially true of Gazelle, one of the world’s largest e-bike makers. The brand has been making bicycles for more than 130 years, even earning a “royal” designation from the country’s leaders upon reaching its 100-year mark.
Gazelle’s Ultimate lineup of e-bikes just got upgraded, and the two new models are already getting positive reviews. These Class 3 bikes combine 28 mph speed with an upgraded 80mm travel suspension fork and wider 55mm tires.
There’s the Ultimate C380+ 2.0 ($5,000), which Gazelle calls “the pinnacle of maintenance-free luxury.” It has a Gates CDC Belt drive and an Enviolo Trekking hub. There’s also the Ultimate T11+ ($4,500). As “the athlete of the family,” it sports a “high-performance” derailleur system, the “T11+ is built for riders who want a responsive, mechanical feel while conquering steep hills and varied pavement,” Gazelle said. Looking for lower prices? Some of Gazelle’s older models are also on sale.
A Spyderco Icon Gets a Premium Sprint Run
Knife legend Spyderco launched in 1976. You do the math, but it’s a big birthday. And to celebrate, it’s launching an absolute stunner of a sprint run.
The Native 5 50th Anniversary is finished by hand in Golden, Colo. It has an exceptional CPM S90V steel blade, gorgeous damascus bolsters that Spyderco says took 1,200 hours to create, and an amber-hued bone handle. The limited edition drops soon and retails for a hefty $1,200. For the few who really appreciate a once-every-50-year heritage piece (who also have deep pockets), this is an exceptional blade. Collectors, grab them quick, as this run looks like one that’ll go fast.
Topo Designs Teardrop
Colorado-based Topo Designs has received plenty of GearJunkie coverage over the years, including positive reviews in our guide to the Best Travel Backpacks. I see them a lot among climbers and the outdoorsy crowd, and their colorful, creative aesthetic always stands out from the crowd.
That’s certainly true of the brand’s latest release: a colorful (and affordable) lineup of small packs. The Teardrop ($100), a 20L pack available in four colors and comes with a curved design, internal laptop pocket, external waterbottle pockets, and even an ice axe loop.
‘Color of the Year’ Diving Watch
One of the best things about Luminox is the Swiss brand’s ability to thread the needle between sophistication and bright colors. It accomplishes that balance once again with its “Color of the Year” edition of its Pacific Diver lineup.
The brand is also marking World Ocean Day with this limited-edition model, which uses Transformative Teal: the WGSN x Coloro “Color of the Year 2026”. Limited to only 777 pieces worldwide, the Pacific Diver 3120 Transformative Teal edition retains the functionality of these reliable dive watches.
It has a black stainless steel case, unidirectional rotating bezel, and 200m water resistance. This limited-edition watch costs $945.
Affordable Sports Shades
It’s rare these days to find a pair of performance shades that are functional, good-looking, and affordable. But Goodr has struck the right balance in my experience with them (if only I could stop losing them!).
The brand’s latest drop is a performance frame called the Sonic G. These wrap-style sunglasses aim for max visibility, with ventilated lenses to avoid fogging. And with several brightly colored options, you’ll be sure to stand out from the crowd while wearing them. Best of all: They only cost $45.
Versatile Outdoor Pants
You should consider ditching your hiking pants for Allover’s overalls, according to a recent review from GearJunkie Staff Writer Mary Andino. But if you’re not quite willing to leap into overalls, Allover, which is based in beautiful Salida, Colo., has some more traditional outdoor wear as well.
The brand just dropped the Daily Driver Pants for men and women. Known for its signature OG Overalls, Allover made the pants to reflect its central mission: blending outdoor functionality with “an everyday style you might actually want to wear to a local brewery or a concert.” The Daily Driver Pants have a flattering fit for women and an athletic fit for men, the brand said. Grab a pair for $130 for either men or women.
Kelly Slater Water Bottle
Plenty of athletes leverage their fame with product collaborations, but surfing GOAT Kelly Slater has fronted lots of solid outdoor gear. Most notably, his brand Outerknown makes outdoor gear that’s also sustainably produced.
Slater continues the trend in a new partnership with Purist Collective. The brand has a different approach to water bottles. Its stainless steel bottles have an interior layer of silicon dioxide, a naturally occurring compound found in quartz and glass. This glass-like lining supposedly helps maintain a “pure taste,” the brand said. Outside of that, the bottles have a minimalist design that’s likely to attract many kinds of people. Find five different-sized options on the Purist Collective website.
Recycled Hiking Duds
Swedish brand Peak Performance has a pretty cool summer hiking capsule worth checking out. The Discovery Collection, available for both men and women, is a lightweight hiking line that uses ripstop fabrics in support of the circular fashion movement.
A standout item is the Discover Midlayer ($140). It’s Peak Performance’s second garment to be verified against the Circular Design Criteria Standard by circular.fashion. The women-only midlayer is “built from recycled materials, designed for durability and repairability, and made to be recyclable at end of life,” the brand said.
Galaxy-Themed Hiking Shoe
Hiking shoe aesthetics have come a long way in a short time. Not too long ago, you could get a solid pair of hiking shoes in any color — of brown, that is. Now there are reliable hikers that also offer completely outside-the-box designs. In this case, it’s more like outside the planet.
The result of a collaboration between Oboz Footwear and visual artist Casey Lutz — both based in Montana — the ST Orbit 01 combines Oboz’s technical hiking expertise with Lutz’s intergalactic aesthetic. The shoe itself is the first release of Oboz Rewilding, a “limited series that takes classics off the shelf and pulls them back into the wild,” the brand said. It includes Galactica trail tread (get it?), something called “nebuleather,” which is supposedly a “long lasting upper material,” and also GORE-TEX.
Unfortunately, most of the shoe sizes have already sold out. But that also means you can probably expect a restock of this one soon.
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