From Anime to Athleisure: Why Sportswear Collaborations Are Becoming Bigger Than Sport

September 12, 2026

Something interesting is happening to sportswear.

The biggest conversations aren’t always about a new running shoe being lighter, a training shirt becoming more breathable or an athlete breaking another record.

Increasingly, they’re about culture.

Music. Anime. Fashion. Art. Gaming. Streetwear.

One of the clearest examples arrives later this month, when Nike⁠ launches an official collection with One Piece globally on September 25, 2026.

The collection transforms the enormously popular manga universe into Air Max Plus sneakers, jerseys, T-shirts, caps and a gilet. Nike has even incorporated actual manga panels into the apparel.

It’s easy to dismiss something like this as another limited-edition sneaker release.

But look around sportswear in September 2026 and a much bigger pattern emerges.

Athletic clothing is no longer simply clothing for athletes.

Nike x One Piece Shows How Far Sportswear Culture Has Expanded

The Nike x One Piece collection⁠ is particularly interesting because Nike isn’t simply printing characters onto a T-shirt.

Three versions of the Air Max Plus have been redesigned around the fictional Devil Fruits from the One Piece universe. Jerseys and caps reference Nike’s own archive, while other apparel incorporates manga imagery.

Nike describes sport as a canvas for creativity and self-expression within the project.

The rollout itself looks more like a cultural event than a conventional product launch.

Tokyo hosted the first pop-up from September 4–6. Retail experiences are taking place today, September 12, across cities including Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei. Another international wave arrives September 19 before the worldwide SNKRS launch on September 25.

That tells you something about where sportswear sits today.

A sneaker can simultaneously belong to sneaker culture, anime culture, streetwear and sport.

And the person buying it doesn’t necessarily need to be heading to a gym.

adidas Is Making the Same Move Through Music and Fashion

Look at what adidas⁠ has released during the same month.

On September 1, adidas Originals launched its first co-designed collection with JENNIE.

Rather than simply placing a celebrity in an advertising campaign, adidas moved JENNIE from ambassador to creative collaborator.

The FW26 collection is built around what the company calls “Functional Grace”, combining sportswear heritage with JENNIE’s approach to proportions, layering and personal style.

Two days later, adidas announced another FW26 collection with fashion designer Simone Rocha.

That collaboration reworks adidas silhouettes through Rocha’s design language, incorporating elements such as pearls, diamanté-inspired details and unconventional interpretations of performance footwear.

Three different worlds:

Sport.

Pop music.

High fashion.

One sportswear brand.

Athleisure Is Becoming a Cultural Uniform

This helps explain why the word “athleisure” no longer fully describes what’s happening.

Originally, athleisure essentially meant athletic clothing comfortable or stylish enough to wear outside training.

Leggings left the yoga studio.

Joggers left the track.

Sneakers became everyday footwear.

Hoodies became acceptable almost everywhere.

But today’s crossover is deeper.

Sportswear has become part of how people communicate identity.

Someone can wear an oversized training-inspired T-shirt with relaxed sweatpants without having trained that day.

A football jersey can be styled as fashion.

A performance sneaker can appear on a runway.

An anime fan can buy a Nike shoe inspired by a manga character.

And a professional athlete can become as influential for their tunnel outfit as their performance during the game.

The separation between sportswear and streetwear is increasingly difficult to define.

Why Oversized Fits Keep Working

One silhouette sits particularly comfortably between those worlds: oversized clothing.

There is a practical reason oversized tees and relaxed sweatpants continue appearing across gym and streetwear wardrobes.

They work in both environments.

An oversized T-shirt provides room through the shoulders and torso during casual lifting sessions while also creating the boxier proportions associated with contemporary streetwear.

Relaxed sweatpants can handle a warm-up and then move directly into the rest of your day.

Hoodies perform the same function during cooler months.

That’s very different from highly specialised performance clothing.

A compression top might be excellent for a specific training environment.

It probably isn’t what most people want to wear to dinner afterwards.

Modern active wardrobes increasingly contain both.

Performance pieces when performance matters.

Relaxed athletic silhouettes when versatility matters.

Performance Clothing Isn’t Going Anywhere

The growth of lifestyle sportswear doesn’t mean technical activewear is disappearing.

Quite the opposite.

It means wardrobes are becoming more specialised at one end and more versatile at the other.

For a hard running session in Dubai, lightweight moisture-managing clothing makes sense.

For strength training, freedom of movement matters.

For the journey to and from the gym, coffee afterwards or the rest of the day, people may prefer something more relaxed.

The interesting part is that consumers no longer necessarily see those as separate identities.

You don’t become “an athlete” when you enter the gym and turn into someone else when you leave.

The clothing follows the lifestyle.

That’s one of the ideas behind ActivX⁠.

Performance shirts have a different job from a heavyweight oversized tee. An oversized hoodie has a different purpose from lightweight training gear.

They can still belong in the same wardrobe.

The Athlete Is Becoming a Lifestyle Identity

Another recent collaboration makes this shift particularly clear.

On September 8, adidas and Detroit-based artist Tyrrell Winston released The Athlete, the second chapter of their partnership.

The collection is explicitly positioned as an elevated off-duty athletic uniform, built around themes such as dedication, setbacks, growth and perseverance.

That framing matters.

Being athletic is increasingly presented as more than competing professionally.

It’s a mentality.

Someone training before work can identify with it.

Someone preparing for their first 5K can identify with it.

Someone lifting four evenings a week can identify with it.

Someone who plays padel every weekend can identify with it.

You don’t need a professional contract to live an active lifestyle.

What This Means for Gym Style in 2026

The easiest mistake is assuming every trend requires buying a completely new wardrobe.

It doesn’t.

The more useful approach is building around interchangeable pieces.

For Training

Prioritise breathable performance shirts, comfortable shorts and footwear appropriate for the activity.

For Strength and Lower-Intensity Sessions

Oversized tees can provide a more relaxed alternative when maximum moisture management isn’t necessary.

For Before and After Training

Sweatpants, sweatshirts and hoodies create an easy transition between training and everyday environments.

For Personal Style

This is where the biggest change is happening.

Mix categories.

Performance top with relaxed pants.

Oversized tee with athletic shorts.

Sweatpants with lifestyle sneakers.

Technical clothing doesn’t have to look technical from head to toe.

The major sportswear collaborations appearing this month are essentially demonstrating the same principle at a much larger scale.

Could Anime and Gaming Become Even Bigger in Sportswear?

Almost certainly.

Nike’s One Piece collection is significant because it acknowledges something brands increasingly understand: today’s sportswear consumer can belong to several communities simultaneously.

Someone can love football and anime.

Bodybuilding and gaming.

Running and fashion.

Basketball and music.

Those interests aren’t contradictory.

They overlap.

For sportswear brands, that creates an enormous creative playground.

The next generation of activewear may therefore be influenced as much by entertainment and digital culture as traditional professional sport.

That doesn’t make the clothing less athletic.

It reflects how much the definition of athletic culture has expanded.

Because in 2026, sportswear isn’t staying inside the gym.

It’s becoming part of everything around it.

FAQ: Sportswear Trends in 2026

When does the Nike x One Piece collection launch?

Nike confirms the worldwide launch for September 25, 2026 via SNKRS, following regional pop-ups and retail releases throughout September.

What products are in Nike x One Piece?

The official collection includes three interpretations of the Air Max Plus alongside jerseys, T-shirts, caps and a gilet inspired by One Piece.

What is adidas Originals by JENNIE?

It is JENNIE’s first collection as a co-designer for adidas Originals. The FW26 collection launched globally on September 1, 2026 and includes footwear, apparel and accessories.

Is oversized activewear still trending?

Relaxed and oversized athletic silhouettes remain relevant because they sit naturally between training clothing and contemporary streetwear. Recent sportswear releases continue to emphasise versatility, proportions and clothing designed to transition beyond sport.

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From Anime to Athleisure: Why Sportswear Collaborations Are Becoming Bigger Than Sport

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