If you like to people watch, then you know an airport can be almost as interesting as a cruise ship, a Vegas casino, or a professional bull riders’ rodeo. Today it’s just the airport for me, thankfully, and it’s reasonably calm here at the moment as I settle onto a comfortable leather bench in a corner of the gate area. I am within sight of the food court and it’s mid morning, so there is lots of coffee and late breakfast going down around here.

I’ve got time to kill, but my back’s to the wall and the watching is good as I sit and write… and already something’s grabbed my attention. In the past 60 seconds I have seen four separate individuals pass through here wearing Adidas track suits. Sorry, make that five. Now six. I mean head to toe, color matching tops-and-bottoms, 3-stripe, fully logo’d athletic suits, like the one I wore to track meets in junior high. But none of these folks are that age; and none are working out or racing on a Tuesday morning in January. This is not a team (no school emblems), and these people are not together. And get this: every one of them is munching on something – bagel with cream cheese, slice of pizza, cinnamon roll, ice cream. One guy is settling in at the Coors Light bar 50 feet away, and it’s not quite 11:00 am. Okay, there go another four track suits, but they actually look like a team. Heading somewhere athletic, and yes, the suits are Adidas.

So, where am I going with this? Well, I’ve been analyzing outdoor and sports industry sales data for quite a few years. Usually I stare at numbers or charts or marketing content, but this morning I am gawking a little at the market itself, right here in front of my eyes.

First thing, the data ain’t lying – Adidas is a VERY loved brand in athletic apparel, especially among the hip consumers, and even with the clearly un-athletic. They are still not the biggest-selling brand in t-shirts and sneakers, but they’ve been stealing overall market share from the two larger brands for several years, and I continue to hear strong consumer opinions in favor of “adi” (pet name for Adidas), most having pretty much nothing to do with the actual product itself. Adi’s unique brand strength is wholly worthy of social research, which is another story. (For the record, I am dressed in jeans and a collared fishing shirt… what a self-unaware and uncomfortable dork I must look like. Oh well.)

Second thing, “athleisure” isn’t even an industry-only term anymore. We all see athleisure sold and worn for practically any occasion at any hour of the day, at least west of the east coast. In the office, at restaurants, parties, business meetings, and definitely in airports; and it’s not just about comfort anymore. This is, of course, a carefully chosen, totally cool, low-maintenance fashion for a lot of people. And despite what one or two outdoor industry experts have professed in recent seasons, it is not “leveling off,” it’s not a passing thing, and it’s not on the decline. Funny, one very senior executive representing a huge athletic apparel brand told me recently that he expects the bulk of consumers to transition back to blazers, skirts and wingtips in the near future, and to don premium athletic wear just for working out. Wow, really? That is not in the market data, and it’s not what I see in the world I inhabit. So, I’m not buying – neither the blazer nor the prediction.

(There goes another one, but it’s Nike this time, and with furry boots and huge earrings, no less.)

You know, with all the comfortable, durable performance fabrics being made into casual- and street-wear today, it amuses me that these folks got out of bed, brushed their bucks, and then slipped into their track suits and said to the mirror, “there, I’m ready for the world.” But it does look easy. People love their bright stretchy suits, and they wear ‘em everywhere.

Outdoor Retailer is on next week in Denver. If someone there tells you the athleisure thing has played itself out, don’t believe it, not yet. In fact, you ought to feel perfectly confident digging up your old track suit. Then just be comfortable and rest assured. It’ll still be cool.