In Greek mythology, Zelus or Zelos was the daimon that personifies dedication, emulation and zeal. The English word "zeal" is derived from his name.
Essential Meaning of zeal : a strong feeling of interest and enthusiasm that makes someone very eager or determined to do something.
The Adidas Zelus collection is designed to fully adapt to its individual user in order to guarantee him/her a fully personalized experience. Every Adidas Zelus garment is equipped with a sensor on each following body parts: the chest, shoulders, arms, back, abs, glutes and thighs. The sensor scans the muscle activity during a chosen workout and records every necessary information directly on the Adidas Zelus app. The app then gives its user the needed information to track their progress and better their workouts depending on their goal. This method also helps avoiding injury, as the muscle scanning can alert the user if they aren’t properly moving during a certain exercise. If worn outside of a workout, the user can choose to have the Zelus garments continuously scan it’s bodily activity and keep him/her up to date on its bodily status.
The researches
Through the sketches you can understand part of the graphic and partly technical research progress. The idea was always to combine clothing with digital tools. One idea was also to include a "lounge" set into the collection, but it's baggy shape weren't ideal for the sensor technology, as the devices need to be close to the body.
Textile sensors
Sensors woven or sewn into clothing have been in developing for several years now and it is only a matter of time before interactive clothing, especially in sports, will become a norm. It seemed obvious that this would be a main actor on 2025's sport market.
Body mapping
One of the most important parts was body mapping. I used my knowledge in physiology and my biomechanics classes to define the main parts of the body that should be scanned by the sensors in order to have an accurate personalized experience.
Colourways
The Zelus palette reminds of sunsets and sunrises. Endings and beginnings, echoing the collections philosophy to always move forward, no matter the circumstances, through our daily cycles. The bright orange and electric pink, contrast the night blue and ice white.
The Prints
The Zelus collection prints always mirror the emblematic three stripes of Adidas. They have been given a more futuristic touch, with fluid movements embedding the bodies form