Fitness and cosplay intersect in a growing roster of licensing deals pairing characters with workout wear. Many of the pieces emulate superhero garb, which can be inspirational for someone pursuing better fitness, whether by weightlifting or doing yoga or aerobics, while others simply integrate cute, fan-favorite characters to add some fun to a trip to the gym:
- SuperX launched its latest partnership, with Crunchyroll for My Hero Academia, in September 2026, debuting with men’s and women’s performance hoodies, shorts, and joggers inspired by the character Deku. The company specializes in premium licensed gym and training apparel, such as compression shirts and performance biker shorts, that are patterned after the suits worn by superhero characters. It also holds licenses for a range of other character IPs, including Marvel, Transformers, G.I. Joe, Power Rangers, DC Comics, Star Wars, and Assassin’s Creed.
- Crowned Athletics paired with Disney in October 2025, debuting with a size-inclusive Disney Princess line of tanks, skorts, leggings, ball caps, sports bras, and hair bows. It has since expanded the deal to include properties under Disney’s Lucasfilm, Marvel, and 20th Century Fox umbrellas. New drops have been released throughout the year, with the latest being two Halloween-themed collections, one consisting of Disney Villain Cruella de Vil leggings and sports bras and the other a range of The Nightmare Before Christmas items. The company also has a license with Coca-Cola.
- CosFitness is another marketer that focuses on workout apparel, such as compression gym shirts and tanks, emulating the costumes worn by superheroes, with a stated goal of encouraging fitness through cosplay. The company specializes in anime properties, with partnerships over the past few years encompassing the DragonBall, Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, and Naruto franchises.
- Gym Heroics similarly focuses on compression shirts and tanks inspired by the costumes worn by Marvel characters including a long list of offerings tied to Spiderman, Thor, Black Panther, Deadpool, Venom, and many more. It also holds the rights to DragonBall and has done several drops tied to that anime.
- Dance fitness brand Zumba’s character collaborations have included limited-edition capsules of fitness apparel including sleeveless sweatshirts, high-waisted leggings, and drop-shoulder tops, as well as accessories such as one-pound toning sticks, with properties including The Smurfs in 2024, Peanuts in 2023 (with a second drop in 2024), and Hello Kitty in 2021.
Other activewear and streetwear companies include character-connected gymwear as part of their broader ranges. YoungLA, for example, released a Naruto capsule of hoodies, joggers, and t-shirts this fall that work both as fashion and for the gym, capitalizing on the popularity of anime in both spaces.
In addition, a growing list of gym equipment companies are tying in with characters, especially anime. Two recent examples tied to the DragonBall brand include ByZoom’s line of dumbbells, kettlebells, mats, and recovery accessories like massage balls, which debuted in December 2025, and Gravity Fitness’s range of calisthenics gear, which got its start with weighted vests released in March 2025.
Comments are closed.