Reusch, the most famous sports glove company in the world (not just goalkeeper gloves)

There are brands that are not just industry leaders. They become synonymous with their own products. In sports, when people talk about gloves, the first name that comes to mind is Reusch. Founded in Germany in 1934, Reusch became the first company to introduce goalkeeper gloves in football in 1973, focusing not only on the most advanced technologies but also on a striking and easily recognizable design: the brand’s name printed on both index fingers and the arrow drawn on the backhand. But Reusch’s impact goes beyond football. Alpine skiing is another sport where Reusch products set the benchmark for all the competitors. A clear example is R-LOFT, a system developed and patented directly by the company to retain warmth inside the gloves.

Ensuring the glove’s insulation from external conditions is one of the main goals in glove manufacturing. Two other key elements are protection and grip. This is confirmed by Lara Colturi, a skier born in 2006 and Reusch ambassador, whom we met in Vignate, near Milan, at the company’s new headquarters – a state of the art facility resulting from an investment of almost 20 million euros. "Gloves during a race," Colturi explains, "are very important because of the grip on the poles, the start, the speed, and the impacts. In Slalom we hit gates, while in Giant Slalom it can happen that you touch the snow with your hand. You need protection. It sounds obvious but it’s not. Then the glove must be comfortable. With Reusch I’ve never had any issues. The last things I put on are gloves and helmet, and then I’m ready to go.”

Designing and producing a glove involves a long series of considerations: whether or not to add knuckle protectors for the fingers, what kind of padding to use, and what type of wrist closure depending on whether the glove will be worn over or under the jacket. Aesthetically, colors and patterns are considered, but not the logo: a stylized r where the top part represents the crossbar of a football goal and the vertical part symbolizes a slalom gate. Another consideration is whether to opt for a design with five free fingers, which offers less protection from the cold, or to introduce a mitten design that leaves only the thumb free and covers the rest of the palm, providing more warmth. This is a dilemma even for athletes depending on the event: "It depends on the outside temperature," Lara Colturi points out. "Sometimes we have to race in temperatures as low as -30 or -40 degrees Celsius, so I care a bit less about a solid grip and prefer staying warm rather than having a frozen hand. Lately, I wear finger gloves in Giant Slalom and mittens in Slalom. Aesthetically, I also did a collaboration with Reusch dedicated to the tourist segment. I'm happy and I really like it. I’ve always liked personalizing my suit, my helmet, having my own colors – it’s something I care a lot about.”

In Italy, Reusch is not only about football and skiing, but also about swimming. Since 2023, it has been the official distributor of Speedo. A partnership that connects two elite brands in the field of performance materials research and development. Because just like choosing the right glove can affect the final result, so can the choice of a swimsuit. "It has to be comfortable," Simona Quadarella tells us, silver medalist in the 1500-meter freestyle at the 2025 World Championships held in Singapore. "I compete in long-distance events, so it has to be soft, not too tight. It needs a lighter fabric, and that’s why I feel good with Speedo. Everyone needs their own suit depending on their body type and the distance. You feel the difference between the training suit and the race suit. People outside the sport may not know this, but it takes us a while to put the race suit on because it’s really tight. It takes a long time to put it on and take it off. It’s very tight, you have to be careful not to tear it because it can rip easily with your nails or if you pull too hard. It becomes like a second skin.”