Endura

Endura was founded in Edinburgh in 1993 by Jim McFarlane, a trained engineer who had spent time working as a management consultant in London and Sydney before returning to Scotland and his first love — cycling. Dissatisfied with the cycling clothing available at the time, McFarlane began stitching up prototype bib shorts on his kitchen table in his Edinburgh flat, going for a ride and seeing what worked. He had no background in textiles. That no-nonsense, function-first approach became the brand’s defining characteristic.

The first Endura product was the MT500 range of shorts, tights and jerseys, launched at a moment when mountain biking was growing rapidly in Scotland. Scottish weather being what it is, durability and protection in all conditions became the brand’s bedrock — qualities that translate directly into triathlon and open-water swimming, where the Drag2Zero aero triathlon programme was developed in partnership with aerodynamicist Simon Smart through over 70 wind tunnel prototypes. On the road, Endura sponsored Movistar Team from 2013 to 2019, a period that included Grand Tour victories, Monument wins and Alex Dowsett’s Hour Record. Endura was one of the first brands in the industry to go PFC-free in waterproofing treatments, dropping the chemicals in 2018, and its custom kit facility in Livingston, Scotland, is certified carbon neutral. In 2018 the brand was acquired by Pentland Brands, but remains headquartered in Livingston with McFarlane continuing to lead it.