Le Coq Sportif know-how and values

French excellence at Le Coq Sportif: 140 years of textile and sports know-how

Founded in 1882 in Romilly-sur-Seine, Le Coq Sportif continues the tradition of excellence in French hosiery. Our brand cultivates unique know-how in the manufacture of sportswear and footwear, combining performance and elegance. For 140 years, we have been developing quality products for all sportsmen and women, from Olympic champions to sports and field enthusiasts. Our textile expertise and our commitment to local production make French craftsmanship shine throughout the world.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at our know-how through an immersion in our factory.

BRUT x LE COQ SPORTIF commercial partnership

THE HERITAGE OF ROMILLY-SUR-SEINE SINCE 1882

The story begins in Émile Camuset’s café, a passionate craftsman who designed jersey shirts for his cyclist and footballer friends. His small hosiery workshop quickly became a benchmark in the Troyes textile region.

From the very beginning, the brand was innovative: the creation of the first tracksuit in 1939, development of technical fabrics tailored to athletes’ needs. Romilly-sur-Seine’s unique know-how is particularly evident in cotton dyeing and knitting.

Le Coq Sportif has been present at the birth of events and institutions that now define the global sports movement (IOC founded in 1894, revival of the Olympic Games in 1896, French Rugby Federation in 1903, 1st Tour de France in 1903, etc.). The brand has been part of the very foundation of sport—its true DNA since the beginning.

Today, our historic factory trains a new generation of artisans in traditional techniques. A dedicated training center passes on this living heritage, continuing French excellence in designing uniforms for French athletes in international competitions. We believe employment is a powerful tool for inclusion, which is why we’ve expanded recruitment through the "Second Chance School" network and partnerships with ESATs (vocational rehabilitation centers).

Le Coq Sportif’s factory is still located in Romilly-sur-Seine, near Troyes in the Aube region.

APPAREL & FOOTWEAR EXPERTISE

Le Coq Sportif’s research and development is driven by close collaboration with elite athletes. This synergy allows us to fine-tune each product to the specific demands of various sports.

Our design labs incorporate cutting-edge technologies like memory foam soles and thermoregulating fabrics. These innovations meet athletes’ needs: dynamic cushioning for running shoes, maximum breathability for training jerseys.

We also develop technical collections tailored to each discipline. For example, the Performance Tennis line combines lightness and support with a patented lateral reinforcement system, while the Training line uses sweat-wicking materials for long-distance comfort.

WHAT ARE THE BRAND’S VALUES ?

Authenticity is the core of Le Coq Sportif’s DNA, embodied through fundamental values that guide every brand initiative. Proximity to athletes is key, fostering long-term bonds between champions and passionate amateurs.

Social commitment is reflected in concrete initiatives. The brand actively supports professional integration and trains new generations in textile trades in its home region.

Environmental respect also drives the company’s decisions. Collections include eco-friendly materials and prioritize short supply chains. This responsible approach is exemplified by the use of recycled fibers in our gear.

Team spirit and pushing one’s limits are daily motivators for our teams, carrying on Émile Camuset’s legacy and his vision of sport as accessible to all.

INNOVATION FOR THE PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

For the Paris Games, Le Coq Sportif developed a revolutionary dye-free and bleach-free technology. This advancement reduced the carbon footprint of the French Olympic and Paralympic team uniforms by 80%, while maintaining peak performance.

We also created a 100% French judogi. This achievement was made possible by restoring an old loom adapted to meet modern international competition standards.

Podium outfits incorporate a new luminous-effect fabric, the result of two years of research with local partners in the Aube region. This collaboration gave rise to a unique collection that merges aesthetics with environmental respect.

The creation of a textile center of excellence in Romilly-sur-Seine furthers this innovation dynamic, training artisans in tomorrow’s technologies.

PROXIMITY AND QUALITY AT THE HEART OF THE INDUSTRY

For over 10 years, Le Coq Sportif has reinvented its textile manufacturing model. As a proud part of France’s heritage, the brand has revived its historic Romilly-sur-Seine factory—the birthplace of both the brand and sports hosiery. The factory remains the central hub for designing and developing all our textile ranges.

We oversee the entire supply chain, from yarn selection to finished product, to ensure:

• High-quality, comfortable, and durable materials
• Unique, deep, vibrant colors that remain stable season after season
• Perfectly tailored fits

THE HISTORIC LE COQ SPORTIF FACTORY LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

In 2009, Le Coq Sportif returned to its roots to revive its historic factory and iconic craftsmanship as a sportswear tailor. Twelve years later, in 2021, the brand took a new step forward in its development in France by expanding its workshops and headquarters to support the production of uniforms for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In 2024, after three years of work, Le Coq Sportif officially opened this major 3,300 m² extension, effectively doubling its production space.

Today, we are proud to count 330 employees, one-third of whom are based in Romilly-sur-Seine. The Paris 2024 Games served as a springboard for employment, enabling us to mobilize over 750 indirect jobs in France, particularly through our local partners in Aube for knitting and dyeing.

EXPERIENCED AND LOCAL PARTNERS

Our philosophy is built on proximity and close collaboration with our partners.
This approach allows us to:
• Ensure better control over the production chain and optimize quality
• Support the local economic and social fabric
• Minimize transport distances for goods

It is complemented by a commercial strategy aligned with these values: producing in just the right quantities to limit overproduction—the main cause of pollution—and thereby reduce waste.

This strategy includes:
• Weekly sales tracking to identify and produce best-sellers
• An industrial model that allows restocking of out-of-stock items
• A permanent product range accounting for 50% of the offer

SPINNING, KNITTING, AND DYEING

Staying true to our commitment to proximity, our cotton spinning operations are located in the Mediterranean basin, in Turkey.

To ensure a locally sourced supply chain, Le Coq Sportif collaborates with regional industries. Having chosen cotton—a natural fiber—as our main material, our fabrics are knitted in Troyes by Aube Tricotage, just 40 kilometers from Romilly-sur-Seine. They are then dyed at France Teinture, also in Troyes, one of the last remaining dye houses in Europe and the largest in France.

Recently, we have also begun developing dyeing and knitting operations at our factory in Morocco to be closer to our production site and further reduce transportation of materials.

MANUFACTURING

Le Coq Sportif has built a close relationship with experienced partners and suppliers, with whom the brand has established high-end quality standards.
• IKS in Morocco, our partner since 2014, produces 80% of our annual volumes. This partner shares our values of sustainability and has implemented numerous responsible initiatives:

• A solar panel structure with 2,900 panels producing 25% of electricity needs—the first private solar farm in Marrakech.
• The introduction of cotton dyeing and knitting using a new bleach-free dye process that is more eco-friendly (fewer chemicals) and energy-efficient (dyeing time and temperature cut in half).
• After treatment, water used in dyeing is recovered for use in public spaces (e.g., irrigation).
• Textile waste recovery: fabric scraps are compacted and sent to Portugal to be recycled into dyed yarn for resale.

• P&R in Portugal, our partner since 2011, designs our technical and ultra-technical products.
• Ventura in France, located in Romilly-sur-Seine, manufactures all of our socks.

We also produced some iconic pieces directly at our Romilly-sur-Seine factory, such as the jersey worn by the French national rugby team for the Rugby World Cup and some Olympic outfits.

CREATION OF THE APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING CENTER (CFA) IN ROMILLY-SUR-SEINE

At Le Coq Sportif, our shared ambition has always been to pass on our historic textile know-how, combined with our mindset shaped by the values of sport, proximity, enjoyment, and sharing. It was only natural for us to create our own Apprenticeship Training Center (CFA) in October 2021 to support this vision.

This 2-year program, run entirely by Le Coq Sportif employees, grants a CAP diploma in “fashion professions: soft garments.” It also helps address the shortage of skilled workers in the textile industry.

Open to everyone, it is centered on human development and the desire to learn, with no selection criteria other than motivation!

We collaborate with partner companies such as APTH and Ventura, who share our commitment to inclusion and knowledge transfer and may become future employers of our apprentices.

Since November 2022, we have been Qualiopi certified, a quality certification granted for Apprenticeship Training Programs.