My job sits right at the dreamy overlap of brand and marketing, and the outdoor/active/wellness industries. And every year, I make a series of predictions that sit at this same junction. 

Welcome to the 6th annual edition of Crystal Baller.

It’s based on dozens of inputs: podcasts like Good Thinking, the Business of Fashion, and Articles of Interest; Substacks like Running Supply, The Sweat Lookbook, As Seen On; and other emails like Fitt Insider and The Future Party. But more importantly, it’s intel I collect on the ground at tradeshows like The Running Event and Switchback, from dozens of conversations with marketing leaders—in our podcast My Best Campaign, at Monday’s signature Tailgate Talk events, and all the coffees and Zoom calls that happen in between. 

With all of that in mind, here’s what I think we’ll be seeing in 2026.

1. Cinematic social

In China there’s a huge trend towards made-for-social minidramas, and it’s changing how we do social advertising. Call it “Instagram premium” or social “worldbuilding”—in short: the best content right now contains a whole world in a 30-second (or even a 5-second) post. Keep an eye on Jacquemus, Ffern, Burberry and Chanel as leaders in the space—but inside our industry, Satisfy dropped the second edition of their absolutely captivating series “I think I saw you on my run today”—a visual celebration of human form and the cities in which we run. Even Diadora got in the mix. 

In her episode of My Best Campaign, Shawna Olsten—former Director of Marketing Creative at Aritzia/current Director of Marketing Ops at Wealth Simple flagged this shift: we’re over the low-fi GRWM, and all the UGC tropes. Instead, pull us in with a story arc, then bring it to life with high production, curation, stars and styling. 

2. Topical vitamins 

Every new year brings a new health trend. For ages we’ve thought about what we put in our bodies, but in 2026 we’ll be thinking about what we put ON our bodies. As the fear of absorbing microplastics grows, we’re seeing more awareness of what we put next to our skin. Moving way beyond the vitamin E ointment of our childhoods, we’ll see the rise of “skin electrolytes” and nutrient-rich clothing. Take Coperni’s probiotic “bacteria-infused” clothing. Our clients at Huha just saw a category-breaking $20m investment for their line of mineral undies—using natural fibres woven with antimicrobial zinc-oxide. And ingredient brand Celliant is infusing clothing with infrared technology to increase circulation and cellular oxygenation. 

In a time when longevity is driving huge spend and our concern for the planet has melded with concern for our bodies, give consumers more ways to care for their health from the outside in. 

3. Vintage-inspired workout wear

We’re not totally through with Alo Yoga matched sets in the pilates studio, but an aesthetic shift is happening. My mornings at the gym are starting to look a bit like my late ’90s gym strip: oversized vintage cotton tees and sweatshirts, or long-sleeve soccer jerseys, Adidas tearaways, Umbro shorts—all straight out of high school PE class. 

Out of a desire for both comfort and self-expression, this year I think we’ll see technical apparel that doesn’t look quite so technical—vintage-inspired looks with performance properties. Like what Hikerkind has done on the trail, I’d love to see someone do for the gym and the studio: a top that fits like the classic band tees I steal from my boyfriend’s closet, and still wicks sweat. In the meantime, I think you’ll see more of us embracing secondhand workout wear and repurposing street looks for the gym. 

BTW, Westbeach—one of my favorite ’90s skate/snow brands—is about to relaunch, and I’d love to see them take on this challenge. 

4. Track and Field for the rest of us

I love a track day. A recent training session at a local high school made me wonder: why does Track and Field stop after college? There are endless 10km, half-marathon and ultra races, but there are very few opportunities to recreationally compete in a sprint, thousand metre, relay or good ol’ steeplechase. 

Just this past December, Diadora made a landmark announcement that they’re offering $40,000 NIL (name, image, likeness) sponsorship deals to the first high school boy to break a 4-minute mile, and the first high school girl to break a 4:35-minute mile. The brand already announced their first landmark NIL deal back in April with Villanova University cross country runner Marco Langon.

With a new spotlight on track events, I think we’ll see interest from the broader public in short- and middle-distance races, relays and maybe even a resurgence of hurdle training. Something to think about as you read prediction #7, below. 

5. Boredom, gamified

On my 2026 wishlist is more boredom—more time logged off and staring into space. I think we’re about to see a glorification of boredom as THE path to creativity (I wrote about it here!). The paradox is that we’ll probably see this gamified, adding a layer of competition to motivate tech-free time. It’s the luxury of unplugging, made into an event. Perhaps I should call this trend “Performative Boredom.” Think: office challenges rewarding the least screentime; exclusive phone-free events that capitalize on the desirability of IYKYK; an alleycat race you’re not allowed to track on Strava; friend groups committing to the 12-hour walk and convening at the end to share their reflections. We’ll see more Brick phone-blocker purchases, more disposable film cameras, and more celebrating AI-free work created in airplane mode. 

6.  Cortisol blockers

This time last year, I saw a wave of social content claiming the best way to manage weight is to reduce your cortisol levels (comment “New year, new me” for the link…)—as though cortisol is something you could simply manage through a diet, like cholesterol. In fact, cortisol is just a stress hormone, best managed with more sleep, deep breathing, regular exercise, human connection, time in nature—and yes, also reducing sugar, caffeine and alcohol. 

Taking it a step further, I recently heard an “Instagram academic” talking about stress contagion, suggesting cortisol can spread through the air like a virus. I can’t verify this, but it’s easy to connect with the notion of second-hand stress. I can imagine a wave of products emerging that not only claim to reduce your cortisol levels but also “block the spread” of cortisol from others. Whether it’s a supplement, a garment, a meditation technique, I think this is the year someone monetizes cortisol resilience. 

7. Flagship-branded sporting events

In 2025, Bandit Running launched The Bandit Grand Prix—a meticulously executed and hyped one-day event that was conceptual at every touchpoint. It was a level up from some established events like the Tracksmith Twilight series and Rapha Prestige rides, and even Redbull Rampage. With Bandit as the new benchmark, I think 2026 will bring a wave of flagship brand-owned sporting events. Rather than merely sponsoring existing events—with many details out of their control—brands will curate every detail, partnership and media moment to make something they can really own.

Races are an obvious choice, but if you’re not in the run or bike spaces, what could a branded competition look like for you? Pickleball? Breakdancing? Parkour? Tennis? A mini Hyrox-style challenge? Go wild, but do it REALLY well.

8. Substackification of branded emails

Brand-building is back. 

There was a pandemic-era swing towards performance marketing, but in 2025 we saw the counterswing, with a huge push towards community, events and re-finding your brand purpose. Meanwhile, Substack exploded in 2025, and those same brand-builders are catching on. 

In 2026 we’ll see brands dipping their toes into Substack, and I suspect we’ll also see Substack’s influence on our existing marketing channels. What does that look like? A human touch: more BTS content from founders and creative directors; a peek into their closets, their moodboards, their process; the chance to follow them through Fashion Week or vacation. When done well, it might also include deeper takes on the state of the industry or their personal evolution (Mara Hoffman’s personal Substack is a great example).

It’s a bit reminiscent of the brand blogs of a decade ago—back when YETI and Huckberry made a name for storytelling and Tory Daily shared BTS of Tory Burch’s life (not just seasonal lookbooks)—but with an incredibly personal twist. 

Because of the nature of Substack, it works best when owned by one individual—like Tibi founder and creative director Amy Smilovic’s The Creative Pragmatist or Ghia CEO Melani Masarin’s Nightshade—as opposed to impersonal branded platforms like Wellsaid by Madewell or Rare Beauty Secrets. I’d love to see a brand fully hand the Substack reins to an ambitious junior staffer, the way Everlane gave Instagram to their social team in the early days. 

So that’s 2026 from my desk. I have a dozen other predictions that didn’t make the cut. If you want to chat about them or explore how any of these could shape your brand in the year ahead, drop me a note.

Or, check out my track record—see my predictions from 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021.