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Next generation Alpkit Jeanius Jeans just in time for winter (Read 7226 times)

shark

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https://www.alpkit.com/blogs/develop/developing-the-jeanius-and-sequence-jeans

Back in 2008, we launched ‘Jeanius Jeans’: innovative in their day, the water-resistant jeans were made with EPIC denim for cragging, hiking or just generally hanging out.  They are a much-loved product that people still remember to this day. Our big-budget promotional video (see below) no doubt adding to their cult status.



Jeanius Jeans strike a real chord with our customers though, and we’ve had many requests to bring them back ever since we stopped making them in 2012. So we’ve gone back to the drawing board to re-think jeans to hike, bike, climb and just spending time outside.   

Back to the drawing board

We spent years checking out denim mills all over the world, from US to Japan, trying to find performance denim that met our criteria. What was that criteria? Primarily, they had to look and feel just like our favourite jeans, with specific tailoring so they’re comfortable to hike, bike and climb. Plus added technical features to stand up to the demands of an active outdoor lifestyle. Most of all they had to be sustainable: cotton sourced from ethically and environmentally responsible sources and long lasting so you will want to wear them for years to come.

Denim is a wonderfully comfortable fabric; there's a reason so many of us wear jeans day in, day out. To reimagine jeans designed specifically for outdoor use we decided to go back to basics, asking ourselves: why do we choose to wear jeans, what are their limitations, and how could we make them even better for active use?

Technology responsible jeans that are better for our environment...
None of us would deliberately choose to pollute the wild places we love. After studying new research covering the environmental impact of chemical based water-resistant treatments, we decided DWR's have no place in jeans as Alpkit is looking to be totally PFC-Free next year.

So we ruled out making water-resistant of fully waterproof jeans early on.

Working within this constraint has led us to a new and much better fabric.  Our denim is truly innovative and as step on from our EPIC jeans of 2008-2012. Its mix of sustainable cotton, Thermalite and Coolmax has an authentic denim feel that is both temperature-regulating and better at moisture management. It keeps you cool when its hot; warm when its cold; wicks away moisture when you're active and is quicker drying than regular denim. Applying a PFC-Free DWR would actually work against the moisture management qualities of our jean denim.

Denim can have serious social and environmental consequences. But this isn’t the way it has to be. So we have used denim that is sourced from sustainable farms, certified as free from slavery or forced labour and tough enough to last a lifetime.

Taking a different approach to the humble denim jeans - this time focusing on unhindered movement rather than water resistance where it isn't needed

Drastically Different Denim

So, what is special about the denim we’ve selected after all that research? Firstly, we looked at how we could make your favourite pair of jeans last longer by building durability into the very fabric of the denim. Enter our old friend Cordura®, the brand behind high tenacity nylon 6,6 – a fabric which you might more commonly associate with packs and bouldering pads. By adding Cordura® yarns into the fabric blend we were able to increase the durability (specifically tear strength and abrasion resistance) by a factor of four when compared to regular denim. 

Not satisfied with that, we also looked at how we could improve the comfort of the jeans through temperature regulation and moisture management. The addition of Thermolite Core (a hollow core polyester that we also use in our much-loved Woodsmoke shirt) gives the jeans more warmth than their weight would suggest extending their use into the colder months. On the flip side, the inclusion of Coolmax All Season polyester helps to manage moisture better than pure cotton denim would, meaning you stay cooler and drier on warmer days or during a stiff walk uphill.

Conventional jeans can be a bit restrictive for the type of activities we often end up using them for. With that in mind, the final ingredient in this special denim blend is a mixture of stretch T400® polyester and a touch of Lycra®, to provide great stretch properties and prevent the jeans from losing their shape over time. They needed to still feel and look like a traditional pair of jeans though, so the fabric blend is still 57% cotton.

The cotton we’ve selected is certified by the Better Cotton Initiative which ensures it is grown using sustainable methods

Made for movement

With the magic baked into the fabric, the next task was to bring the design of the beloved Jeanius Jeans up to date. No-one was keen to bring back the almost bell-bottomed bootcut style! We all have our preferences when it comes to the cut and wash of our jeans, so we developed two very different styles. Both have specific fits for men and women and a host of practical features.

First up, the original Alpkit jeans’ namesake: the Jeanius. In a darker wash, these are the stealth performance jeans that you can wear anywhere. With a subtly articulated side seam and diamond crotch, they are made for movement whilst maintaining a modern shape. The men’s style is a slim, straight leg, while the women’s is a slim-fit without being too skinny. This cut lends itself to use on a bike, where the narrow leg is less likely to get caught in your chain, or for climbers who like to be able to see their feet clearly without needing to roll up their trousers.

Then there’s the Sequence: a mid-wash denim with a worn-in look that will develop more over time, and a regular fit through the leg. If ultimate freedom of movement and comfort are your priority, these are your go-to jeans. With a panelled articulated cut and a diamond crotch, they’re fitted looser through the lower leg than the Jeanius. They also have a handy drop pocket on the thigh for your phone, guidebook or bouldering brush.

We’ve included all the usual design details that you’d expect from a pair of jeans: rivets, metal buttons and the classic five pocket layout. We’ve also taken particular care to make sure the pockets are a useful size – yes, even on the women’s! We’re offering Short, Regular and Long leg lengths in both styles for men and women too so you can get your perfect fit.

It’s been a long time coming but we can finally say that Jeanius Jeans are back!

Jeanius Jeans Put to the Test



Try them on here:

Hathersage - Main Road, S32 1BB

Ambleside - 100 Lake Road, LA22 0DB

Keswick - 48 Main Street, CA12 5JJ

Gateshead - Metrocentre, NE11 9YS

Or buy online

SA Chris

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£65, ouch. That'll get me 2 pairs from Decathlon.

shark

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£65, ouch. That'll get me 2 pairs from Decathlon.

Not quite at £34.99. Decathlon jeans not what they were and wear out quickly I've found. Bet these are not only better but last twice as long.

Will Hunt

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£65, ouch. That'll get me 2 pairs from Decathlon.

Black bin liners also make a fabulous low-cost alternative to Gore-tex.

galpinos

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£65, ouch. That'll get me 2 pairs from Decathlon.

Black bin liners also make a fabulous low-cost alternative to Gore-tex.

Gore-Tex is the old, Futurelight is the new, get with the programme Granddad!

SA Chris

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£65, ouch. That'll get me 2 pairs from Decathlon.

Not quite at £34.99. Decathlon jeans not what they were and wear out quickly I've found. Bet these are not only better but last twice as long.

OK, a fuckall short. They are usually on sale for less in stores anyway. I've still got a few pairs from when they were what they were, still going strong.

SA Chris

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£65, ouch. That'll get me 2 pairs from Decathlon.

Black bin liners also make a fabulous low-cost alternative to Gore-tex.

Why would I wear bin liners, when I have a perfectly good set of Goretex, which I would wear if it was raining. Not that I ever go climbing in the rain anyway.

Lesson 1 in marketing - a feature is not a benefit unless there is a need.

cheque

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Do Decathlon sponsor the forum you’re the most enthusiastic user of though Chris?

If you don’t think you need the Alpkit jeans then don’t buy them. No need to try and turn it into something to show off about.

SA Chris

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Fuckinghell,it was a viewpoint that, in my view, they are pretty expensive. Thereafter I responded to comments made. Is that "showing off"??

teestub

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I think the decathlon trousers are very cheap rather than these being  expensive. BD and Patagucci jeans are like £90.

tomtom

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How do they compare to the Bear Gryls jeans you have Shark?

shark

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Alpkit hasn’t sold out

teestub

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How do they compare to the Bear Gryls jeans you have Shark?

Is he a site sponsor now too?

Mr E S Capegoat

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Fuckinghell,it was a viewpoint that, in my view, they are pretty expensive. Thereafter I responded to comments made. Is that "showing off"??

Ahahaha I wasn’t going to post on here again but that is too funny. Yeah Chris stop dissing the jeans man. You’re upsetting the psychic defences of the ukb millennials u big bully.

shark

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Is he a site sponsor now too?

Don’t even joke about it

shark

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I’m happy to climb in my underpants. It’s just everyone else that’s got a problem

mrjonathanr

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I’m happy to climb in my underpants.

Over your jeans, obvs

kingholmesy

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These sound pretty good. I’d be interested to know how stretchy they are if anyone has a pair?

I need some new trousers for tradding. Stretchiness essential!

My current pair are Mountain Equipment Ibex, but were £85 and haven’t been that durable.  Bit too warm too.

I guess it’s pretty personal, but any recommendations?

kingholmesy

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What about Moon Cypher trousers?  Are they pretty stretchy?

Ps - I do realise it’s pretty lame asking for recommendations for trousers of all fucking things.  :-[
« Last Edit: October 03, 2019, 08:58:37 pm by kingholmesy »

tomtom

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What colour pants Shark?

Details are everything...


Anyway - I thought leggings were now not jeans?

shark

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Anyway - I thought leggings were now not jeans?

Moon leggings for Sport. Alpkit jeans for bouldering. Bit hazy on trad

Duncan campbell

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These sound pretty good. I’d be interested to know how stretchy they are if anyone has a pair?

I need some new trousers for tradding. Stretchiness essential!

My current pair are Mountain Equipment Ibex, but were £85 and haven’t been that durable.  Bit too warm too.

I guess it’s pretty personal, but any recommendations?

Prana stretch Zion do me for anything where it’s not Baltic bouldering connies to blazing hot shorts weather. Last a decent amount of time and not crazy expensive (not dirt cheap either) can get them in small sizes which is a plus for me.

davehinton

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Remember that anyone with Decathlon jeans can send them back once the arse has fallen out of them within 12 months and get a new pair.

cheque

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Sorry Chris, should know better than to post on the internet when I’m stressed at work- now I’m not fresh out of a disciplinary hearing without having any lunch I care significantly less about people’s opinions on a jeans infomercial.  ::)  :lol:

FWIW I like Prana trousers the most. Virtually all the kecks they do are good but I have two pairs of their jeans, one of which has just started it’s ninth grit season (bear in mind that I climb chimneys etc.) and another which has done seven and has another two in it at least. They don’t have elasticated bits or logos stitched on in weird places and the fabric behaves almost exactly like normal denim- I made the mistake of getting some Marmot jeans a few years ago and pulled a thread(?!) in them almost immediately which was like a strand of see-through nylon sticking out that I had to melt off with a lighter.  :shit:

tomtom

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I think this thread is a marketing stitch up. What a turn up eh!

 

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