“Gore-Tex Shakedry is and will remain a central part of Gorewear product offering to serve the needs of endurance athletes in all weather conditions. Unfortunately, the Gore-Tex Shakedry technology is no longer offered from Gore Fabrics due to ongoing supply challenges, but we are excited about the Gore-Tex Shakedry technology and therefore did invest into our inventory position last year to ensure we can offer it until the current inventory runs out.”
That statement came out near the end of November without much fanfare. It was originally reported by Road.cc, who dedicated roughly 300 words to it in a Saturday news roundup; our Shakedry will be retired coverage was only a bit more robust. There was a general sense of surprise but no one, including me, seemed to think much of it. Over the last few years, we’ve all seen supply chain interruptions cause companies to shift strategy. There was an expectation that there would be a shift and a new wonder material would hit the market soon enough.
The reason no one took it all that seriously is that Shakedry is hugely popular and incredibly effective. When I put together my list of the best winter cycling jackets, I knew I wanted to include the material and it showed up multiple times. Living in the American Pacific Northwest means winter riding is rain riding and there’s no fabric more capable. When our list of the best waterproof cycling jackets came out, it once again featured a pair of Shakedry options.
When I read the news of the discontinuation, I immediately wanted to look at why it was being discontinued, what else was out there, and what was coming next. I expected to find that Gore had a clear path forward, and I planned to look at what competitors were planning.
I had no idea what I was about to dive into.
The real reason Shakedry is disappearing
“While the Shakedry fabric has been great for its characteristics as a cycling jacket (waterproofness, breathability and lightweight), the membrane also contains PFOA chemicals and Gore is dedicated to being PFOA free by 2025, so the future of Shakedry was always limited,” explained Steve Chapin, brand strategist at Castelli. “Gore is dedicating their engineering resources to next-generation sustainable fabrics so we can understand their decision to focus on the future.”
Supply chain issues undoubtedly play a part, but it appears that’s not…
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