One year ago, the name Velites was largely unfamiliar to the North American CrossFit and functional fitness community.
However, in recent months, the Spanish company — known for its jump ropes, grips, apparel, and shoes — has made significant strides not only within the CrossFit space but also in the World Fitness Project and HYROX communities.
As a result, they are quickly becoming a household name.
Remind Me
Velites is not only the official apparel and footwear partner for the 2025 CrossFit Games season; they are also the official partner for jump ropes, hand grips, and wristbands for the 2025 WFP season.
Additionally, Velites is a leading HYROX gear partner, a particularly important partnership given HYROX’s current growth trends.
- More than 600,000 people registered to compete in HYROX events in 2025, and this number is projected to double next year. Ultimately, the HYROX community includes tens of thousands of athletes worldwide, all of whom need fitness gear, apparel, and training shoes.
Although it may appear that Velites emerged from nowhere this year, they have actually been part of the European CrossFit community for 10 years, spreading their influence over a considerable period.
The Velites Story
Ten years ago, CrossFit enthusiast Matías Hernandez Van Waes had a problem with double-unders.
In short, he couldn’t do them, he explained in this YouTube video.
- “Being an engineer, I blamed the jump rope,” he said. “The jump ropes at the box were made of plastic, always tangled, never my size.”
So Fernandez decided to make his own.
He went to the hardware store to buy the necessary materials to build his first jump rope, a prototype. When he tested it out, “something very magical happened,” he said.
Fernandez could finally do double-unders.
Others at his gym became interested in his rope, so Hernandez started making them for friends and training partners. Before long, Velites was born.
By 2021, Velites had expanded to create hand grips designed to be worn without chalk, and a year later, in 2022, they released a backpack.
In 2024, they expanded their product line to include apparel, beginning with their HOLO T-shirt collection.
- Today, they offer a complete range of technical fitness apparel, including sports bras, liners, leggings, joggers, shorts, and hoodies.
Last October, Velites launched their first training shoe, the Hybrid 1.0, in six colorways, which sold out within a week. Velites’ Marketing Specialist Itxaso Palacios told the Morning Chalk Up.
- About the Hybrid 1.0: The shoes were designed with both versatility and performance in mind—good for both running and lifting. They also have a more minimalist style—“similar to a barefoot shoe,” Palacios explained—than many other training shoes on the market today.
Furthermore, 90% of the shoe’s components are made from recycled materials.
Each time Velites introduces a new product, their team conducts thorough research, which involves “buying everything that’s out there” first, Fernandez said. Afterward, they speak with as many athletes as possible to gather feedback, enabling them to create products that address problems and enhance what others overlook.
Next up: Velites is preparing to launch a new collection of apparel and shoes specifically for the 2025 CrossFit Games, and “there are more products coming,” Palacios said.
The Big Picture
Two years ago, Velites strategically began expanding into the CrossFit and HYROX markets, attending every possible event to boost brand awareness, Palacios explained.
- “Everyone was traveling every weekend, everywhere, to be at the events and to talk about the brand [and build relationships],” Palacios said.
They also started collaborating with ambassadors and sponsoring athletes, including Calum Clements, a rookie at the 2024 CrossFit Games who earned his second Games berth earlier this season.
This effort is paying off, as the company has grown tremendously in the last two years, when it had a team of 24.
Today, the Velites team has nearly doubled in size to 45 members. More importantly, they have established themselves as a leading brand in CrossFit, the WFP, and HYROX. Nevertheless, their ultimate goal remains unchanged since day one, when Fernandez made his first jump rope: to foster success.
- “What Velites does through innovation, through engineering, is facilitating the joy of success for all the athletes around the world. That’s what we stand for,” he said.
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Featured Image: @velitessport / Instagram
