Comics/Graphic Novels

Workout Gear for Real Life Superheroines

Jessica Plummer

Contributing Editor

Jessica Plummer has lived her whole life in New York City, but she prefers to think of it as Metropolis. Her day job is in books, her side hustle is in books, and she writes books on the side (including a short story in Sword Stone Table from Vintage). She loves running, knitting, and thinking about superheroes, and knows an unnecessary amount of things about Donald Duck. Follow her on Twitter at @jess_plummer.

I would not by any stretch of imagination call myself athletic (I used to strike out at T-ball. T-BALL.) but I do like to run. Being a big ol’ geek, I like to take my favorite superheroes as inspiration when my energy is flagging. And what better way to remind myself of those heroes than with some kickass workout gear?

Alas, even in this day and age most superhero fitness stuff is designed for men – but not all! Here’s some neat exercise clothing I’ve found in various women’s sections lately:

Her Universe always kills it with stylish, subtle superheroic designs, and this partnership with DC and Kohl’s is no exception. I’m in love with the Supergirl (or Superwoman, or Superman, or even Krypto the Superdog, depending on your Super of choice) shirt above – that cape! – but they’ve also got Bat and Wonder stuff on offer. And I love that they have plus sizes in the range. It’s a junior’s collection but you might be able to find the right fit by sizing up – or just grab something for a geeky teen in your life! Browse the full collection here.

Just in time for the movie, the Gap is getting into the action with some Wonder Woman-themed workout gear. Now let’s be honest: the cheery every day wear for little girls is way more fun than the mostly black and gold aesthetic they’ve settled on for adults. Still, those lasso leggings are pretty darn cool. Browse the full collection here.

Under Armor’s Alter Ego collection is also jumping on board the Wonder Woman train with a couple of shirts and some compression shorts and leggings. They’ve also got a bunch of Star Wars gear for women, and Jedi are basically superheroes, right? (Don’t @ me.) Browse the full collection here.

Gymheroics is all about the compression shirts, which aren’t really my bag but might be yours? The cool thing is that they offer characters I haven’t seen on any other workout gear, like Winter Soldier and Reverse Flash. Browse the full collection here.

Speaking of rarely represented characters, I’ll admit that Roni Taylor Fitness seems to be a bit more about thinspiration than body positivity, which isn’t my favorite approach to exercise…but they have She-Hulk leggings, which is amazing. Browse the full collection here.

And on the other end of the scale is Superfithero! They don’t use any licensed characters on their stuff, instead choosing to embrace you as the hero, but their stuff looks all-around fantastic and comes in the most inclusive range of sizes I’ve seen. Plus they have a feminist collection! Browse their site here.

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