Best of Both Worlds

Everyone knows the story of Secretariat, one of the greatest racehorses of all time. Everyone also knows how to pronounce Secretariat’s name. Now, look at the end of his name—“Ariat”. Like Secretariat, Ariat as a brand has been strides ahead of competitors in design and technology since the company’s inception in 1993.

    While constantly creating the most advanced boots, apparel, and denim every season in the industry, the brand completely reinvented men’s performance apparel when they joined forces with 24-Time World Champion, Trevor Brazile, in 2017 with the Relentless line.

    Designers at the Ariat Biomechanics Lab attached cameras and sensors to Trevor’s body, analyzed the results, and created samples of boots and apparel based on test results of Trevor’s movements. Then, Trevor himself put these samples to the absolute test to ensure durability, quality, and practicality.

    Relentless Wrinkle-Resistant Shirts feature four times the arm mobility of a traditional shirt and offer cool climate insulation while maintaining the appearance of a professional, button-down shirt. Relentless Stretch Denim is an enhanced fabric twice as strong as comparable cotton denim and features no-chafe inseams. The strength and stretch allow for easy movement on and off the saddle and minimizes the risk of tearing. Relentless DualPro Boots sustain a shock absorbency equivalent to an athletic shoe, have traction zones on the outsole to allow quick release from the stirrup, and come in a variety of styles, including exotics.

Trevor Brazile

A Let’s Rope team member had the chance to visit with Trevor about his line so far and what we can expect from Relentless in 2019.

Trevor: There’s a lot of technology brands, and there are cowboy brands. Ariat is the best of both worlds. That’s why it is the perfect partnership with Relentless. They take the same technology that’s out there in other sports and bring it to the western world. They test it and know it will perform in our industry.

When Relentless products were being developed in the Ariat Biomechanics Lab, you were literally the test subject; sensors and cameras were applied to your body to capture your every move. What was the developmental experience like to see the test results analyzed and transformed into high-tech performance apparel?

Trevor: Well, you have to understand that I came from dealing with a lot of companies in the industry, and I could not believe the attention to detail when it came to the research and development of these products. That is what impressed me the most—their willingness to go the extra mile to make sure that they could make riders and ropers better athletes. They don’t just put a technology out. They put a technology out that they know works for what we do.

This gear lasts. The design, quality and durability are put to the test by you personally! What is the most impressive feat a Relentless style has survived?

Trevor: That’s a good one! There is a lot of stretch in the market. The stretch in our Relentless denim was tested in Texas at places that know how to heavy-starch jeans. That was one of the things we knew was important to cowboys, and we weren’t going to put out a stretch that would break down in those conditions. As far as the boots go, the reason that I stayed with the soles I use in the DualPro soles--we did the testing, and I have the results of the foot pressure placement technology to track where we needed grip. I tested the DualPro soles in the wash racks, in the arena…and they didn’t let sand in. [Ariat] was always famous for their rubber-soled boots, but I was big fan of leather outsoles. For them to have a hybrid sole for me to use when I was tying down in and out of the saddle, or whatever it is people in the western industry do every day, that product impressed me the way it stood up. I took that same pair of boots back to [Ariat] 12 months later at the NFR and said, ‘This is the boot that I want to have.’

What new additions can we anticipate with Ariat’s continued partnership for 2019?

Trevor: All of our new shirts will offer some stretch, but one thing I am really excited about is the outwear piece from the quarter-zip pullovers to the jackets to vests; they have been so much fun to work on. [Outerwear] is one of Ariat’s strongest suites; that has been one of the coolest pieces of the Relentless Ariat relationship is working on some of the outerwear. You get to think outside of the box and why this works for cowboys.