Transparency
in every fibre.

Transparency in every fibre.

Supply chain partnerships

Natural fibre innovation

Regenerative farming

Transparency isn't a buzzword for us, it's woven into the very fabric of our brand.

Our commitment to transparency and visibility across our brand has guided us from day one, from open, honest communication about our materials to direct sourcing, we believe you deserve to know exactly how your gear comes to life, from fibre to finished product.

Our direct relationships provide full visibility across our production journey, from sheep to shirt. This enables us to implement responsible practices at each stage, identify improvement opportunities, and focus on accountability throughout our natural fibre ecosystem.

We actively seek out natural alternatives to synthetic materials, with the aim of reducing the need for petrochemical plastics in our performance gear. Our rigorous testing confirms that these natural solutions deliver measurable technical benefits while helping to eliminate unnecessary plastics from the products you rely on.

We prioritise and support regenerative farming principles and renewable resources across the merino stations we supply our wool from to help lighten our environmental footprint. Regenerative agriculture is a term that encompasses a variety of environmentally and socially conscious practices which aim to help promote biodiversity, enhance water cycles, improve soil health and sequester carbon.

DOWNLOAD 2024 TRANSPARENCY UPDATE

Move to natural™

Move to natural™ is more than our vision, it's our commitment to embrace a more natural way of living. We invite you to join this movement and choose natural fibres over synthetics.

Move to natural™

Our journey to
100% plastic-free
* fibre usage

Since embarking on our plastic-free journey in 2018, with 84% plastic-free fibre composition, we've made remarkable progress.

Today, 97.56% of fabrics in our 2024 collection are plastic-free—an achievement we're proud of, but it's a milestone rather than the destination.

Our commitment to creating performance apparel without unnecessary plastic remains stronger than ever.

*not including trims or decoration

2000
1995
2000
2005
2010
0%
2018
0%
2019
0%
2020
0%
2021
0%
2022
0%
2023
0%
2024
2025
2009
Merino WoolTENCEL™ LyocellCottonLinenPetrochemicalNylonElastanePlant-based elastane
*2024 icebreaker fibre breakdown usage

Ultra-fine fibres from Merino sheep create a soft next-to-skin feel that's naturally temperature-regulating, moisture-managing and odour resistant. Unlike regular wool, merino doesn't feel scratchy while still providing warmth, making it comfortable for both outdoor activities and everyday wear.

Merino Wool

TENCEL™ Lyocell (sourced from Lenzing) is made from a natural raw material, wood. The wood pulp is turned into cellulosic fibres using a closed-loop production process.

TENCEL™ Lyocell is incredibly soft on the skin with good moisture management properties, which is why we blend it with merino wool for our Cool-Lite™ and Featherlight™ products.

TENCEL™ Lyocell

Cotton is a versatile, renewable plant fibre celebrated for its softness and breathability. In some of our products, we thoughtfully blend cotton with merino wool to create fabrics that combine the best attributes of both, comfort, moisture management and durability for everyday adventures.

We prioritise organically grown cotton to align with our commitment to responsible sourcing throughout our supply chain.

Cotton

Linen is a natural fibre derived from flax plants. Our high-quality linen is grown in its natural habitat, Belgium. We blend our merino wool with linen to complement wool’s natural absorption of moisture before feeling wet.

Linen

We still use a small amount of petrochemical synthetic fibres (Nylon, Polyester, Elastane) to serve specific performance requirements, such as adding stretch.

We’re constantly working to minimise them, replace them with natural solutions, or redevelop them as bio-based alternatives.

Petrochemical

We still use a small amount of petrochemical synthetic fibres (Nylon, Polyester, Elastane) to serve specific performance requirements, such as adding stretch.

We’re constantly working to minimise them, replace them with natural solutions, or redevelop them as bio-based alternatives.

Nylon

We still use a small amount of petrochemical synthetic fibres (Nylon, Polyester, Elastane) to serve specific performance requirements, such as adding stretch.

We’re constantly working to minimise them, replace them with natural solutions, or redevelop them as bio-based alternatives.

Elastane

Plant-based synthetics are made from either wholly or partly renewable resources, in place of petrochemical inputs.They're technically plastics, because they are a man-made material, but they are derived from natural renewable materials rather than non-renewable petrochemical based plastics. We're currently using bio-based synthetic fibres in some products across our range. We see this as an interim solution to minimise our dependency on fossil fuel-based synthetic material, with no product performance compromise.

Plant-based elastane

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

Merino Wool

80.75%

TENCEL™ Lyocell

15.88%

Cotton

0.85%

Linen

0.08%

Petrochemical

2.44%

Nylon

1.40%

Elastane

0.50%

Plant-based elastane

0.39%

*2024 icebreaker fibre breakdown usage
Better wool, better products.

Better wool, better products.

Our signature merino wool comes from select farmers who meet our rigorous standards for both fibre quality and environmental stewardship. While we remain deeply connected to our roots in New Zealand's heritage merino stations, growing demand has led us to carefully expand our sourcing to include select growers in South Africa and Australia.

We’ve partnered with The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) and their ZQ certification programme which aims to ensure every farm—regardless of location—maintains the same standards for animal welfare, land management and fibre quality that define our products.

DISCOVER MERINO WOOL
Section decorator

ZQ

93% of our merino wool is ZQ certified.*
The ZQ Merino standard represents the world’s leading ethical wool. Growers meet strict standards of animal welfare, environmental sustainability, fibre quality, traceability and social responsibility.
What it takes to be ZQ-Certified:

*Based on 2024 merino wool volumes
01Animal Welfare
02Enviromental sustainability
03Quality Fibers
04Traceable to source
05Social responsability
01Animal Welfare

Animal Welfare

In 2008, we became among the first outdoor brands to ban sheep mulesing— a shocking practice that involves the removal of skin to prevent parasites. This early commitment to animal welfare and ethical sourcing has since been adopted industry wide.


DISCOVER THE 5 FREEDOM OF THE SHEEP
02Enviromental sustainability

Enviromental sustainability

03Quality Fibers

Quality Fibers

04Traceable to source

Traceable to source

05Social responsability

Social responsability

DISCOVER MORE

ZQRX Programme

79.98% of our wool is sourced from ZQRX farms*

ZQRX is a wool sourcing programme for ethical wool grown using regenerative farming principles. ZQRX growers work to improve farming practices, supporting the health of soil, biodiversity, carbon sequestration to minimise impacts on the environment and preserve the land for the future.


*Based on 2024 merino wool volumesDISCOVER MORE
ZQRX Programme

Pioneering the Growers Club

67
As of 2024,
67 dedicated New Zealand stations are part of the Growers Club.

Pioneering the Growers Club

In 1997, we revolutionised industry standards by establishing the world's first long-term contracts with select merino growers.

Things evolved in 2018 when we partnered with The New Zealand Merino Company to create the 'Growers Club', unprecedented 10-year rolling contracts that provide security for farmers while ensuring consistent, merino wool fibres for our collections.

DISCOVER OUR GROWERS

67 Growers

Back

AWAPIRI

7,500 ha.
4,500

BENMORE STN HEART HEART

5,600 ha.
20,800

BLUE MOUNTAIN

9,500 ha.
14,500

BLUFF

13,800 ha.
11,125

BOG-ROY

2,720 ha.
10,500

CAIRNMUIR

6,000 ha.
5,010

CASTLE RIDGE

5,900 ha.
17,500

CORA LYNN

1,600 ha.
2,716

EREWHON

13,475 ha.
4,500

GLEN LYON

36,000 ha.
8,290

GLEN ORKNEY

1,926 ha.
4,800

GLENALLEN

974 ha.
3,800

GLENTANNER

2,764 ha.
5,500

GODLEY PEAKS

14,000 ha.
6,000

IDA VALLEY

12,428 ha.
39,000

LAKE HERON

19,620 ha.
11,000

LAKE OHAU

8,322 ha.
6,510

LINDIS PEAKS

3,371 ha.
13,542

MAHERUA

1,100 ha.
4,650

MATAKANUI

9,138 ha.
17,000

MIDDLEHURST

16,650 ha.
12,000

MT NICHOLAS

36,400 ha.
29,000

NOKOMAI

34,000 ha.
33,000

NORTHBURN

13,380 ha.
10,000

OMARAMA STATION

12,000 ha.
18,500

OTEKAIEKE

5,800 ha.
6,750

OTEMATATA

40,000 ha.
29,310

QUAILBURN DOWNS

2,466 ha.
5,600

WAITANGI

21,000 ha.
14,300

WALTER PEAK

26,000 ha.
12,000

ARDGOUR

3,150 ha.
6,900

BLACKSTONE HILL

4,220 ha.
16,500

BONJEDWARD

1,330 ha.
6,000

BRAEVAAR

280 ha.
1,400

CARRICK

9,800 ha.
1,200

CATHERINE FIELD

485 ha.
2,000

CECIL PEAK

15,000 ha.
5,000

CLAREVALE

243 ha.
1,700

CLUDEN

12,000 ha.
10,000

CORLEGGY

3,300 ha.
5,700

CRAGSIDE

1,522 ha.
6,800

CRAIGROY

7,600 ha.
6,200

DIP CREEK

3,500 ha.
5,000

DOLPHINS

3,100 ha.
4,000

EARNSCLEUGH

21,000 ha.
26,000

GLENFOYLE

5,500 ha.
6,000

GOULBURN

9,126 ha.
20,000

GRAMPIANS

18,265 ha.
15,000

GUIDE HILL

3,500 ha.
6,500

HARTFIELD

3,500 ha.
9,700

LAKE COLERIDGE STATION

8,026 ha.
10,000

LAKE TAYLOR

7,948 ha.
6,852

MANGAITI

900 ha.
4,900

MONAGHAN

1,600 ha.
4,500

MT MASON

3,000 ha.
10,500

MT ROSS

1,706 ha.
2,500

MT WHITNOW

4,500 ha.
4,500

MULLER

38,500 ha.
13,000

MUZZLE

16,000 ha.
7,000

PATEAROA STATION

7,800 ha.
9,120

REDCLIFFS STATION

1,985 ha.
7,000

RICHMOND BROOK

4,400 ha.
2,500

ROSENEATH

3,441 ha.
6,634

ROUGH RIDGE

900 ha.
3,500

STONEHENGE

10,000 ha.
15,000

THE GUMS

920 ha.
4,755

UPCOT

13,500 ha.
5,600

Relationships that matter.

We know every partner in our supply chain by name, because to us, they're not just suppliers, they're partners in our Move to natural mission.

As of 2024, we directly source 100% of our fabrics, 93% of our fibres and 93% of our trims. The remaining materials are sourced by our trusted fabric and garment partners, all adhering to our rigorous standards.
Relationships that last speak volumes.
That's why we're proud that nearly two-thirds (62%) of our production still comes from the first international partner we began working with over 20 years ago. In an industry known for constant supplier hopping, we choose to grow together.
Logistics and transport
In 2024, 80% of our shipments travelled by sea, with less than 5% requiring air freight. This is a result of thoughtful planning and our commitment to reducing costs and our impact on nature.

Air shipping remains our last resort, reserved only for exceptional circumstances beyond our control. Through careful forecasting and logistics management, we maintain sea and truck transport as our standard methods.
Image of our fabrics
100%
of our fabrics
Image of our fibers
93%
of our fibers
Image of our trims
93%
of our trims
Image volume is still made by the first supplier
62%
volume is still made by the first supplier
Image of our product were shipped by sea
80%
of our product were shipped by sea
We know every partner in our supply chain by name, because to us, they're not just suppliers, they're partners in our Move to natural mission.

As of 2024, we directly source 100% of our fabrics, 93% of our fibres and 93% of our trims. The remaining materials are sourced by our trusted fabric and garment partners, all adhering to our rigorous standards.
Image of our fabrics
100%
of our fabrics
Image of our fibers
93%
of our fibers
Image of our trims
93%
of our trims
Relationships that last speak volumes.
That's why we're proud that nearly two-thirds (62%) of our production still comes from the first international partner we began working with over 20 years ago. In an industry known for constant supplier hopping, we choose to grow together.
Image volume is still made by the first supplier
62%
volume is still made by the first supplier
Logistics and transport
In 2024, 80% of our shipments travelled by sea, with less than 5% requiring air freight. This is a result of thoughtful planning and our commitment to reducing costs and our impact on nature.

Air shipping remains our last resort, reserved only for exceptional circumstances beyond our control. Through careful forecasting and logistics management, we maintain sea and truck transport as our standard methods.
Image of our product were shipped by sea
80%
of our product were shipped by sea
Section decorator
From sheep to shirt
Our journey from raw fibre to finished product reflects our commitment to quality and transparency at every step.
Wool fibre source

01. Wool fibre source

Top processing

02. Top processing

Yarn spinning

03. Yarn spinning

Fabric mills

04. Fabric mills

Garment production

05. Garment production

Distribution

06. Distribution

Shop or ship

07. Shop or ship

Wool fibre source

Wool fibre source

Premium merino wool from trusted growers who share our commitment to ethical land stewardship and animal welfare.

Wool fibre source
Top processing

Top processing

Raw wool is cleaned, carded, gilled and combed—preparing it for the next stage.

Top processing
Yarn spinning

Yarn spinning

Fibres are expertly drawn and twisted into fine, performance-ready yarns.

Yarn spinning
Fabric mills

Fabric mills

Yarns become fabric through knitting, weaving, bonding or felting, with dyeing at either yarn or fabric stage.

Fabric mills
Garment production

Garment production

Fabrics are precisely cut and sewn, or directly knitted into finished garments and accessories.

Garment production
Distribution

Distribution

Finished garments are transported to distribution centers in our key regions.

Distribution
Shop or ship

Shop or ship

Our gear finds its home with you, through our retail stores or direct to your doorstep.

Shop or ship
Packaging

Packaging

We're committed to sourcing packaging sustainably and working towards using more recycled packaging wherever we can.

Packaging production 2024

618,071

Boxes

Packaging production 2024

1,536,059

Box stickers

Packaging production 2024

403,107

Swing tags

Packaging production 2024

622,009

Accessories hangboard

Packaging production 2024

1,097,332

Socks hangboard

Packaging production 2024

1,968,111

Socks stickers

Packaging production 2024

1,514,328

Recycled poly-bags

01

100% of our paper and cardboard packaging is Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.

FSC sustainable forests ensure that the productivity of natural systems is maintained and best practices are used to minimise unwanted impacts to soil, air and water.

All stickers used in the boxes are 100% paper.

02

Our swing tags are currently made with non-corrugated cardboard (PAP21), while the cords are 100% cotton.

03

Our hangboards, for both accessories and socks, are made with 100% FSC certified paper packaging.

04

All our polybags are 100% recycled LDPE (low density polyethylene).

Latest highlights

Real since '95.
Real since '95.

On Earth Day 2024, we launched an impact vote initiative, in collaboration with the fantastic folk at The New Zealand Merino Company.

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POW x icebreaker
POW x icebreaker

We teamed up with Protect Our Winters to help preserve our wild places and to raise awareness of the critical issue of melting glaciers and the impact downstream.

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Empowering change
Empowering change

In 2024, the icebreaker community helped to select a New Zealand grower-led project focused on regenerative grazing practices.

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100% plastic-free mid layers.
100% plastic-free mid layers.

In 2024, we introduced two new lightweight mid layers, the 200 RealFleece™ Descender and 400 RealFleece™ Descender. The best part? They’re made entirely without plastic fibres.

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Archive

Report 2024
Report 2024READ
Report 2023
Report 2023READ
Report 2021/2022
Report 2021/2022READ
Report 2020
Report 2020READ
Report 2019
Report 2019READ
Report 2018
Report 2018READ
Report 2017
Report 2017READ