GORE-TEX Brand Celebrates 50 Years of Innovation

When you say “waterproof breathable”, you immediately think of the company that created the category, GORE-TEX. This month, it celebrates its 50th anniversary of keeping us dry.

During a recent visit to WL Gore & Co’s headquarters in Delaware I had a chance to get a look at the history of this iconic brand. One of the most amazing pieces in their archive is this prototype garment which was worn during a camping trip by Founder Bill Gore’s family.

This no-frills parka design even features taped seams and led to the first crop of commercial GORE-TEX products including the Early Winters mountaineering tent. This was followed immediately with multiple clothing options.

Footwear wasn’t far behind and by 1979 GORE-TEX lined running shoes by Brooks had hit the market followed quickly by boots from Danner.

While my first encounter with GORE-TEX was in 1986 with a pair Danner Ft Lewis Boots and experimental Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS), the first military use of a GORE-TEX product was almost a decade earlier in 1978 when a Marine Corps officer wore this Marmot Mountain Works jacket on a rotation to the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in California.

The color wasn’t right, but the material worked and within a few years Special Operations Forces were wearing commercial items to increase their operational capabilities. Take for example this lightweight 2-layer GORE-TEX ensemble in Woodland camouflage from the archives.

Today, GORE-TEX brand continues to innovate and you’ll find their products all over the battlefield including on this tethered drone which relies on a GORE brand cable offering both power and data transmission.

To learn more on this amazing history, visit www.gore-tex.com/about/50-years.