Between performance and style, something has quietly dissolved. Sportswear is not related only to performance anymore. The runner’s kit is no longer confined to the track, the ski jacket no longer ends on the ski slopes, and the football shirt has escaped the pitch to become a visual symbol of belonging.

That shift is the premise behind Zalando’s evolving sports vision—one that treats sport less as a category and more as a world to discover. Thanks to a new storytelling ecosystem able to narrate the craft behind product—design thinking, R&D, athlete’s thoughts—Zalando is positioning itself as a curator of modern athletic identity. The goal is not just to sell a product, but to translate the codes that surround it: color, silhouette, subculture, and the creative energy that turns niche disciplines into the front edge of fashion.

In this conversation with Matthew Glynn, Head of Sports Strategy, and Nina Graf-Vlachy, General Manager Sports, we explored why community and offline presence is becoming the most powerful engine of relevance. From the production of a special documentary to the cultural gravity of freestyle skiing, they unpack a philosophy that feels increasingly defining for sport right now: performance and identity are no longer separate stories. 

In your communication, you place a strong emphasis on the concept of the “behind the multi-specialist.” Could you define what this idea means—and why it plays such a central role at Zalando?

Matthew Glynn – Head of Sports Strategy: “When we talk about ‘multi-specialists’, it helps to think about ‘generalists’, back five or ten years ago. Historically, customers would go into a physical store—a specific retailer—where you might see running shoes lined up on a wall. People would look for technical gear, and you’d often see them training in whatever was ‘for sport’: a football top on a run, or purely performance-driven pieces with less attention to style. Zalando has moved from a generalist perspective into a multi-specialist approach—and that means we focus very vertically on individual sport types. When we create a destination and an experience for a running customer, it should be built around that customer’s specific needs. The same applies to football, and the same applies to winter sports.

At the same time, Zalando’s strategy of evolving to support our customers’ lifestyle choices gives us a distinct point of difference in the market. Customers aren’t only looking for performance—they’re looking for the fashion and style that surround the sport. This plays a central role because we’re seeing a real shift: sports enthusiasts still care deeply about the technical piece, but they also want style, design, and color. In a way, it compartmentalizes their life—performance and identity are no longer separate. Bridging that gap between performance and lifestyle gives Zalando a distinct position in the marketplace. 

The product and storytelling we bring to life are really the epitome of today’s version of this. You see it in running activities; you see it around ski resorts and Olympic moments—these worlds can be genuinely glamorous. High-performance products are still incredibly strong, but for us the recipe is performance, culture, and story.”

The world of sport you’re developing feels like a celebration of sports culture—built around one of Athleta’s core pillars: storytelling. How are you evolving Zalando’s communication ecosystem in a way that elevates that DNA?

Nina Graf-Vlachy – General Manager Sports: “For example, regarding winter sports, we want the customer to have the best skiing experience—where there’s all the assortment out there, but also the possibility to deep-dive into each individual piece. We want them to understand why this jacket, or this ski, is exactly right for them. What’s the new technical innovation behind it? What were the designers thinking when they created it? What R&D went into it? Then they can click through and see which of their favorite inspirational athletes are using it and why they believe it’s the best. And through that, you get to know the stories behind it: what they went through, how they got there. That’s what we’re trying to do. There’s so much information out there—about athletes, what motivates them, why they make the choices they make; about brands, why they develop products the way they do; all the way to consumers, how they experience things. A lot of this usually remains hidden. What we’re trying to do is surface it—make it accessible for the consumer—while also using our data engine to make sure we’re not overwhelming people. We want to target those who are actually interested, so they can consume it at the pace they want.”

Beyond the digital dimension, another key direction you’re pushing is building a real, physical connection with people—like the LAAX event. When it comes to sport-specific communities, how do you approach them? And how important is it to meet people directly and engage with the community?

Nina Graf-Vlachy – General Manager Sports: “It’s extremely important. We cannot be experts in everything—so we have to go on the ground. We have people who are extremely passionate about sport and specific sport types, but it’s just as important to stay humble: to enter the community and learn from the community itself, without forcing anything.

We learn from the people who are athletes, from the people wearing the product, from the people who live in that realm of the sport. The only way to truly learn—and the only way to build a connection—is to be there offline. And if you want to make an impact—if you want to elevate a sport, create visibility, create inspiration and education—that’s where our digital world comes into play. Those 53 million consumer touchpoints give us the ability to take learnings from the ground and bring them to more people.”

What is Zalando’s vision for less mainstream snow-sport disciplines?

Matthew Glynn – Head of Sports Strategy: “From our point of view, these non-mainstream disciplines are critical. They support our broader reach categories like running and football, but they also have distinct niches—and real cultural relevance.

If you talk about freestyle, for example, that community has massive cultural relevance. It acts like an innovation lab. It’s a younger community, very connected, moving around the world in certain circles. The trends you see there—product types, sizes, technical priorities, true self-expression—often transcend sport and move into broader fashion and culture. You’ll see graffiti artists, designers, and different forms of creativity that shape the aesthetic.

You could argue cycling is similar, in the sense that it has a very specific culture within the sport. And when we get on the ground, meet people in their disciplines, and create an emotional connection, we position ourselves next to that creative energy—sometimes as a source of it.

We appreciate the art of the sport. We appreciate culture as a community. These disciplines are critical for us because they show knowledge and relevance within those sport types.”

How important is it for Zalando to build relationships with world-class athletes through special productions? And what guides your selection of athletes to represent the brand?

Matthew Glynn – Head of Sports Strategy: “For us, building these relationships is less about a commercial agreement where we show up only when we need to. It’s about being a meaningful part of their journey of support—whether that’s through the creative expression of the sport, or through training, and the whole arc of the journey. We’re drawn to individuals who have a unique voice—who treat sport as an art form. That will be critical for us as we move forward over the next few years and as sport continues to grow.”

Nina Graf-Vlachy – General Manager Sports: “It’s really important for us to pick people willing to share their stories—not just the shiny, golden things, but how hard it is to get there. What motivated them to get up again after an injury, How it doesn’t always work out. They go through lows, not just highs. We want authentic storytelling.

When we work with athletes or ambassadors of any kind, we want people who can share their story—and we’re here to give them a platform to connect with as many people as possible who can benefit from it, who are interested in it, who are motivated by it. We are that connector. So we choose people who are authentic, who have that special something—and who can inspire others. People might want to be like these athletes, or take a small step toward it—try skiing, discover something new—because they’re inspired by their way.”