Gore Fabrics is discontinuing its popular Gore-Tex Shakedry fabric due to ongoing supply challenges
(Image credit: Gore)
Gore is set to discontinue production and manufacturing of its highly popular Gore-Tex Shakedry material, according to reports.
Gore released the Shakedry material in 2016 to much fanfare and it has proved a highly popular and desirable option for cycling and running jackets since. In fact, Gore-Tex Shakedry garments even come with a 'guaranteed to keep you dry' promise.
The construction of the material, which eschews a face fabric and instead puts the waterproof membrane on the outside - means water simply beads up and runs off rather than soaking in. As the name suggests, a few quick shakes will remove the majority of all water from the outside of the jacket.
In a report from Road.cc, the brand says, “Gore-Tex Shakedry is and will remain a central part of GoreWear product offering to serve the needs of endurance athletes in all weather conditions. Unfortunately, the Gore-Tex Shakedry technology is no longer offered by Gore Fabrics due to ongoing supply challenges, but we are excited about the Gore-Tex Shakedry technology and therefore did invest into our inventory position last year to ensure we can offer it until the current inventory runs out.”
What this could mean for cyclists
Our understanding of the above statement is that once stocks of Shakedry products are gone, they will be gone for good, but that GoreWear - the brand's in-house consumer-facing brand of cycling clothing - has stockpiled the fabric to ensure it is able to continue serving its customers.
The result of this is that competitor brands' Shakedry products will almost certainly be phased out of production. In fact, this has already begun. While researching for our recent guide to the best waterproof cycling jackets, we were unable to get samples of certain competitor products.
"We’ve always had supply issues with the fabric," explained a representative of 7 Mesh - makers of the Oro Shakedry jacket. "The Oro is going to be discontinued after this next shipment."
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Meanwhile, Castelli's UK distributor Saddleback explained that "From AW22, Castelli aren’t using Shakedry as the material is no longer available to 3rd parties." With that said, Castelli looks to already have a similar alternative available; the 'Slicker Pro' jacket is made using a material it describes as "two-layer ultralight 50 g/m2 waterproof breathable fabric with PFC-free external microporous polyurethane membrane."
The new Castelli Slicker doesn't mention Shakedry in its spec list, but it looks remarkably similar (Image credit: Castelli)
If you have been considering investing in a Gore-Tex Shakedry jacket, you may want to secure one before stocks run out. We doubt that such a popular material would be discontinued without at least a plan for its replacement. We don't currently know what this will be, but we'll be keeping our ears to the ground for news and updates.
If your hunt has already begun for a Shakedry jacket we do have a Rapha one included in our Rapha dealsdeals hub. You can also see all of our other deals on our main Cycling clothing deals page.
Tom joined the Cyclingnews team in late 2022 as a tech writer. Despite having a degree in English Literature he has spent his entire working life in the cycling industry in one form or another. He has over 10 years of experience as a qualified mechanic, with the last five years before joining Cyclingnews being spent running an independent workshop. This means he is just as happy tinkering away in the garage as he is out on the road bike, and he isn’t afraid to pull a bike apart or get hands-on with it when testing to really see what it’s made of.
He has ridden and raced bikes from an early age up to a national level on the road and track, and has ridden and competed in most disciplines. He has a keen eye for pro-team tech and enjoys spotting new or interesting components in the wild. During his time at Cyclingnews, Tom has already interviewed some of the sport's biggest names including Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Alberto Contador. He's also covered various launches from brands such as Pinarello, Ridley, Specialized and more, tackled the Roubaix Challenge sportive aboard his own rim-brake Cannondale SuperSix Evo, tested over 20 aero helmets in the wind tunnel, and has created helpful in-depth buying advice relating to countless categories from torque wrenches to winter clothing.
