I am one of a selected number of bloggers who has been asked to trial a new type of SKINS running tights called K-PROPRIUM. The tights include new integrated Proprioceptive Power Bands that SKINS claim will offer extra support to your muscles. Here is my review.
The first thing to note is the sizing of the SKINS. I told the brand my height and weight and they sent me XS. I am normally size S in SKINS and even then they can be tight. The XS are super tight and can present a bit of a struggle to get them on. I was told that XS was my size and that once the tights were on it would be worth the struggle.
It’s true! Getting the tights on and off does get easier and you get used to doing it. Once on, the tights feel amazingly supportive. I was worried they would feel too tight when running, especially around the waist, but in fact they feel, on the whole, very comfortable.
What I have found odd is that while they are super tight everywhere, the fabric is quite loose around the lower calves and ankles. This might be because I have much slimmer ankles than other runners but I doubt it. Or perhaps it’s to aid the on-off struggle by allowing more room to get the tights over your feet.
Where i noticed the tights being too tight, however, is around the backs of the knees. You need to get them exactly in the right place to stop the tight feeling and even then, a few times during a long run, I found I needed to adjust the height of the knee area so as to “release” the tight feeling at the back of my knees.
Perhaps I have an extra bit of fat at the back of my knees or the bottom of the back of my thighs or, maybe, the tights have a bit of an odd shape.
Another positive thing to note is that the tights look quite flattering. They suck you in from calf to waist and this offers a slimming appearance.
However, I have noticed that if you bend over at the waist and small areas of plumpness are revealed in the tight creases of the tight. That is not so flattering!
The #KPRO SKINS are just about long enough for me and I have long legs.
What are SKINS’ K-PROPRIUM tights?
Launching in February, SKINS’ K-PROPRIUM combine “Dynamic Gradient Compression with strategically placed Proprioceptive Power Bands (PPBs) to fight fatigue, reduce the risk of injury and improve performance by enhancing proprioception”.
Never heard of proprioception? Apparently it’s the unconscious perception of motion and spatial awareness.
SKINS have come up with a product that they believe will help to improve an athlete’s performance. Here is how it goes.
“Proprioception is the body’s ability to sense movement in the joints, so you’re aware of where your limbs are without having to look. It’s important for everyday activities such as standing and walking, but it’s even more important during physical activity where dynamic movements and co-ordination are vital for optimal performance.
“When you’re active for long periods, the body’s ability to perform at a sustained intensity drops as the muscles become fatigued. This reduces the joint support that controls normal motion effectively and can lead to poor form and increased risk of injury.
“Built using SKINS’ Dynamic Gradient Compression, K-PROPRIUM helps improve your performance by getting more oxygen to your active muscles and removing waste products from the body faster. The addition of the unique PPBs, with a similar effect to athletic strapping (kinesiology taping), the SKINS K-Proprium tights take the benefits of compression one step further by stimulating proprioception.
“The strategically placed bands are embedded in the long tights and wrap the body’s prime movers – the lower body muscle groups used most for running, jumping and rotating – giving them the support they need to stay activated and able to control motion for longer periods of time.
“This helps to delay the rate of fatigue so you’re able to work for longer at a higher intensity. In addition, an ergonomically shaped waistband provides additional lower back stability and core support.”
Goodness… and it goes on.
Other features include:
- A precision-fit based on 3D body scanning data to maximise compression benefits
- 360-degree reflective logos
- Combination of five technical fabrics
- 50+ UV sun protection
- Moisture management wicking and ADAPTIVE Technology to optimise body temperature.
- SRP £150.
SKINS’ Head of Product Development Pär Westerlind says, “SKINS exist to make a difference both on and off the field of play. This is what drives us to innovate and create the very best performance products that inspire and enable athletes to be the best they can be. K-PROPRIUM is just the next step in our journey of development and delivers something really special for endurance athletes.”
On test: SKINS K-PROPRIUM running tights
I was sent the tights to test prior to seeing the press release so although I wasn’t sure I guessed that the PPBs were a non-sticky kind of kinesiology tape. If you look at the inside of the tights there are long bands of fabric that feel strongly elasticated with a lightly rubberised sort of backing. It’s hard to describe but it seems to be like a heavy duty form of kinesiology tape sewn into the design of the tights. In these areas fabric is less elastic and sort of sticks to the skin, but not in a negative way.
You do need to make sure the tights are exactly in the right place with the circular knee sections exactly over the knees and nothing twisted into the wrong place so as to feel properly comfortable.
I have no scientific proof to say whether the bands help with muscle support and therefore reduce fatigue and increase endurance but I could find no negatives to wearing them and I really enjoy running in them. They do feel supportive overall, perhaps because they are so tight (?!) and it’s almost like I am wearing a second skin.
I have enjoyed a period of more consistent running and with improved endurance and while I have not always worn these tights I have found I am running better and for longer.
I have noticed that on days when I wake up with tired legs, perhaps after a spin session, I can still find some spring in my legs to do a run if I am wearing the tights.
There are a couple of negatives, however. Getting the tights on – and especially off – is hard work. I can remember what it was like to take off skin-tight jeans in the 1980s and the SKINS tights feel the same. You get them down so far, towards the calves, and then you have to somehow step on the loose part of the tights to force them over your feet. Sometimes I’ve ended up sitting on the floor to grapple with the tights to get them off.
When the knees are not in the right position the fabric feels too tight at the back of the knees and is really uncomfortable. I have had to stop quite a few times mid-run to adjust them.
Sitting down in the tights can cause your stomach area to feel uncomfortably constricted.
If you think it all sounds like a bit a hassle for a pair of running tights you are right but I do really like exercising in the tights.
It will be interesting to see what other people think of SKINS K-PROPRIUM running tights once they launch next month.