Dialogue: Martin Daniels, Haglöfs CEO

Swedish outdoor brand Haglöfs, founded in 1914, designs, develops and markets shells, mid-layers, insulation, base layers, footwear, backpacks, sleeping bags and accessories. Some of its key technologies include L.I.M (Less Is More), a lightweight series focused on reducing weight while preserving performance, and Proof or Proof Eco, its waterproof/breathable outer fabrics. In the insulation category, customers can choose between natural down (H Down) or recycled polyester (Mimic). Mimic Gold features PrimaLoft Pure insulation while Mimic Platinum adds graphene for extra insulation. Haglöfs has been owned by private equity firm LionRock Capital since December 2023.

How do you ensure Haglöfs remains distinctive and true to its Scandinavian heritage, and how does your partnership with the Swedish Olympic Committee solidify that?

We’ve recently updated our brand platform to express our Swedish heritage with greater confidence. For us, being Scandinavian isn’t just about where we come from — it’s about how we think: purposeful design, responsibility and a deep respect for nature. Our partnership with the Swedish Olympic Committee brings this to life beautifully. The new mitten we’ve created for the 2026 Games symbolises that link between Swedish design, outdoor performance and national pride — a modern expression of our heritage on the world stage.

What tactics do you use to keep customers informed of your brand ethos, or communicate sustainability, in a way they can engage with?

Our new purpose, “To inspire adventure in Nature, the Greatest Playground Ever Made,” captures both the joy and responsibility we feel toward the outdoors. It’s our way of saying that we design not just for performance — but for the planet itself. When it comes to sustainability, we believe in being transparent about both progress and challenges. We don’t oversell small wins or make lofty promises. Instead, we focus on real impact, like keeping our products in circulation longer. Haglöfs Restored is one of my favorite examples — repaired, renewed products that let consumers buy a piece of Haglöfs at a lower price while helping to reduce waste. It’s an honest, tangible expression of our sustainability ethos.

How does this fit into circular thinking?

Circularity for us begins with durability — products that last, can be repaired and deserve a second life. That’s why we’re building repair programs with our retail partners and piloting repair-as-a-service in Chamonix. Haglöfs Restored takes this further — bringing repaired gear back into circulation and giving consumers a more sustainable way to access our products. Over time, we want new and restored items to live side by side, fully integrated in our online experience. Looking ahead, we’re exploring mono-material products and take-back models to make true circularity a reality. It’s early, but the direction is clear: fewer products wasted, more stories extended.

You have recently opened your first stores in Japan, South Korea and China. Can you tell us about the opportunity you see in the Asian markets?

We’ve built brand awareness in Asia for nearly 15 years, and now we’re entering a new growth phase with strong partners in Korea and Japan who share our long-term vision.

In China, our new joint venture between our owners LionRock and Viva Group gives us the scale and speed we need to grow. The opportunity is enormous — both because consumers are passionate about performance and because outdoor demand is growing extremely fast in China. Before the end of 2025, Haglöfs will have 25 mono-brand stores in China alone and will be a much stronger voice in the region!

What do you look for in your suppliers/ manufacturers, and how do your relationships help in terms of realising your vision?

Our supply chain vision is simple: we want long-term partnerships built on trust, quality and shared responsibility. We choose to work closely with a smaller number of suppliers who combine technical excellence with high ethical and environmental standards. These partnerships are not transactional — they’re essential to achieving both our product ambitions and our sustainability goals.

Where do you get inspiration from, in terms of sourcing new fabrics, finishes or insulation? Are there any innovations you are particularly impressed with?

Innovation often starts with curiosity. We draw inspiration from both outdoor technology and unexpected places — from Swedish design studios to material science labs. Right now, we’re particularly excited about recycled synthetics with lower impact, bio-based insulation and mono-material developments that simplify recycling.

How hard is it to balance net-zero or other targets, with production growth? Which reduction areas make the most impact?

Balancing growth with emission reduction is challenging — but it’s the only way forward. We’re confident we can achieve our targets by focusing on the areas that make the biggest difference: renewable energy in our supply chain, solution-dyed materials and reduced air freight.

The European Outdoor Group’s carbon- reduction project, which we’re proud to be part of, is helping the entire industry move faster. The future of outdoor performance must also be the future of climate responsibility.

F/W 25 is the first collection made exclusively without PFAS. The outdoor sector has had a long journey towards this goal, famously being flagged up in a Greenpeace report in 2012. Can you explain why it has been difficult to source durable water repellents with the same performance, without these chemicals? How important is this milestone for Haglöfs?

PFAS have long been one of the toughest challenges in outdoor apparel. They deliver excellent performance — but at a high environ- mental cost. Finding alternatives that meet our standards for durability and function has taken years of collaboration with partners like Gore.

With F/W25, all our products are finally PFAS-free — a major milestone for us and for the industry. It’s proof that high performance and responsibility can go hand in hand.

What are you most looking forward to over the next seasons?

What excites me most is seeing our new brand identity fully come to life — in products, stores and how consumers experience Haglöfs globally. We have an incredible pipeline of new products and materials, major expansion ahead in Asia, and a team that’s more aligned than ever around our purpose. It’s an exciting time to lead Haglöfs into its next chapter.

Martin Daniels: “With F/W25, all our products are finally PFAS-free — a major milestone for us and for the industry.”
All credits: Haglöfs

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