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#007/English
The Genius behind

So this was how you first got involved in the clothing industry?
So how did X-SOCKS ® come about after this?
How can you reinvent a sock?
This was the question occupying the respected industrial
engineer Professor Bodo W. Lambertz. The answer has
revolutionised the technical functional clothing market,
despite the fact that he actually hadn’t set out to have
anything to do with socks.
With his now legendary X-BIONIC ® and X-SOCKS ®
brands, he has risen to the technological peak of the
clothing industry in record time. As confirmed by Ironman
European Champion Timo Bracht, ski star Aksel
Lund Svindal, the world’s biggest innovation prize for
technology, sport and lifestyle, not to mention more than
180 international design awards.
In the global, cross-industry “Best Creative Ranking” by
Industrie Forum Design [iF], Professor Lambertz and
his company occupy position 19 [in 2012], just ahead of
BMW Inhouse Design.
X-BIONIC ®
CEO and Designer in chief
Dear Professor Lambertz. How are you?
For the fifth year in a row, X-BIONIC ® has been selected as
the most innovative brand of the year by the Plus X Award,
the world’s biggest innovation prize for technology, sport
and lifestyle. No other brand has ever achieved this.
On this basis, I really couldn’t be better.
What was your dream career when you were a little boy?
Did you always want to work in the clothing industry?
No, my real passion is actually aeroplanes and engines. You
could say that my success in the clothing industry has been
“accidental”.
What do you mean by that?
After studying industrial engineering, I worked as a consultant
for international groups. At a dinner with some business
acquaintances, one of our dining companions was a young
Italian man. He and his father managed a small sock knitting
factory to the south of Lake Garda. My reputation as a “problem
solver“ had no doubt preceded me. He asked me to come
up with some new designs and a communication campaign.
I told him that I didn’t know the first thing about socks, but
he wouldn’t give up. I asked him to tell me what the problem
was and his reply, with a strong Italian accent, was something
like this: “Whenever I wanna sell my socks to Kaufhof
[department store], two days later, a Turkish man iz there
and he izza 20% cheaper.” Well, it was a pretty big problem.
Not quite. The young man wouldn’t give up. Of course, I
realised that advertising wasn’t the solution to his problem.
“OK, if you go an agency, a reasonable campaign will cost
you two million Deutschmarks”, I explained to him. This
made him gulp.
“But, I have a suggestion for you. I can help you to save one
million and achieve the same result”, I continued. “You give me
a million, we don’t do anything, and you save the other million”.
It wasn’t easy to make him realise that advertising wasn’t
the way to tackle this kind of problem. But just try telling
someone whose family has been making socks for three generations
that we need to reinvent the sock!
So that was the end of this conversation at the table?
Not at all. At the next dinner, Marco Redini, the persevering
young Italian man, was there again and was very insistent
that I needed to visit him at his factory in Italy. However,
the Redini family’s business was so tiny – just a few knitting
machines and a handful of employees – that no sooner had
I arrived than I wanted to turn on my heels and leave again.
It’s a good thing you didn’t do that. This small Italian
factory is now an innovative, international multi-million
euro company. How did that come about?
First of all, Papa Redini asked me the question, “What exactly
do you want to reinvent about the sock?” I wasn’t prepared
for this. “I have no idea, Signore Redini. I need to invent
it first”, I replied.
No doubt out of politeness, the energetic torrent of Italian
that flowed from his lips was never translated for me, but I
now suspect it must have been something like this: “What
were you thinking, inviting these idiots from Germany who
know nothing about socks?”, he said to his son. “...and
what‘s more, we‘re paying!”
When I went on to mention selling socks to Redini’s customers
for 5-7 Deutschmarks, Papa Redini completely lost it. “I’m
trying to sell socks to Kaufhof for one Mark and one Pfennig,
and they wanna to pay just 99 Pfennigs, and you’re saying
five-a to seven-a marks?!”, he raged, storming out of the room.
His son, the young Marco Redini, understood a bit more
what I was trying to do. He asked me to design a concept for
a new sock. In the end, the fact that I wasn‘t a textiles specialist
was definitely an advantage, because there was hardly
any differentiation at all in the sock market. I set about analysing
the market, researched various materials and worked
with knitting machine manufacturers to enable the creation
of new technical solutions.
One year later, the result was the first X-SOCKS ® . A sock,
with a patent application, featuring X-Cross ® Bandage,
AirConditioning Channel ® and many technologies tailored
to specific sports. The market was dominated by the
white tennis sock. This was when I invented the functional
sock.
We now have around 150 models for sport and business and I
hold some 200 international patents for the textile area.
So X-SOCKS ® was first on the market. What then led to
the X-BIONIC ® high-tech functional clothing?
At some point, I found myself sitting in my house by Lake
Garda, feeling slightly bored and, over a good bottle of red
wine, pondering the question of why the entire sports clothing
industry is so focused on transporting perspiration away
from the skin. After all, it took evolution millions of years to
develop sweating, resulting in the complex human temperature
regulation system.
This system enabled us to achieve top performance in all
climatic conditions, and in doing so ensured our survival.
For example, it meant we could go hunting in all climate
zones, whatever the ambient temperature. The body relies
on sweating to maintain its optimal operating temperature of
37 °C. And the balance is very sensitive, an increase of just
one degree means a fever.
I thought to myself how absurd it was to transport sweat
away. Try this for yourself. Dampen your finger and stroke
it over your forehead. [Editor’s note: The professor licks his
finger and urges us to follow his example]. The process of
evaporation creates an immediate cooling sensation. Now,
wipe the moisture off your forehead again. The cooling effect
immediately stops. It’s obvious, isn’t it?
Sweat
Complex human
temperature regulation system

But the focus was still on transporting sweat away?
That’s right. For more than 40 years, the industry has been
completely pulling the wool over consumers‘ eyes by avoiding
the key factor in ensuring human performance. Cooling
created by the evaporation of sweat.
Amazingly, no-one challenged this. Even today, the market
leaders are still unable to make this paradigm shift. After all,
for decades people have been saying that sweat needs to be
taken away from the skin.
In our society, it is regarded as unhygienic, smelly and unpleasant.
Solutions were developed a long time ago to address
all of these issues, but how do you suddenly explain
to thousands of employees and consumers: “Hey, that was a
load of rubbish. It’s the other way round now!”?
I think that the fear of losing credibility is preventing such
a radical change of direction and a sudden switch to a prosweat
attitude.
At any rate, we’re trying to promote the opposite among our
employees, in other words, belief in change and pride in representing
the ‘No-Moisture Wicking Any More’ philosophy.
What did you do differently?
My theory was that people use a significant amount of energy
regulating their body temperature.
So I developed a garment that saves energy, by cooling the wearer
when he or she sweats and providing heat when he or she gets
cold. The result was the Energy Accumulator ® , now a classic with
the 3D Bionic Sphere System ® patented in the functional clothing.
Hundreds of thousands of people are now using this unique
garment to boost their potential performance or to simply
have more pleasure in their sport.
What did sports science have to say about this?
A few years after the market launch, Dortmund University
issued proof of the importance of cooling for athletes. A
study by Dr. Ückert and Professor Joch showed: in endurance
sport, the athlete uses up to 97% of his or her energy
solely to maintain his or her body temperate at 37 degrees.
So this proved your theory.
Was this the breakthrough?
It was another important step for X-BIONIC ® . The continuous
process of development and differentiation was the
breakthrough. This is the reason why we have been singled
out as the “most innovative brand of the year” for the fifth
consecutive time in 2013.
Special developments in relation to compression, for example,
partial compression, implemented in products such as
our Effektor line, are additional factors in our success. We
moved on, year after year.
We are getting ready to present “The Trick ® ” by X-BIONIC ® at
“Eurobike”, one of the biggest cycling trade fairs in the world.
To a certain extent, this system tricks the physical sensors
close to the spine to call up natural performance. But I don’t
want to give away too much before the fair in Friedrichshafen.
What happened to your passion for aeroplanes and
engines?
I still maintain this passion as a hobby. I received my pilot’s
licence forty years ago, but for time reasons it expired. I’ve
now renewed it and bought a few planes. I also have some
great cars and motorbikes – mainly Harley Davidsons.
I share this fascination with a group of people I know. It was
also in this little circle that I came up with the idea for my
latest passion, APANI®: standing for “As Pure As Nature
Intended”.
My friends and I have been living the “natural life” for a
long time now. This naturalness applies to our behaviour,
of course, but also to the products we use and the food we
eat. I suddenly realised something when someone said: “Do
you realise, the very natural way we meet up each time also
applies to our food.”
We cook together, we philosophise together and we simply
chill out, the counterbalance to our hectic everyday lives.
This inspired the idea and awoke my marketing passion.
Other people wanted to share this life and collective values
with us and over time the circle grew. Stephan, an ex-banker
and one of the wealthy members of our community of “family
and friends”, is a cook by profession and by passion. At
one of our dinners, a few of us seasoned our food with a
well-known chilli sauce. “Far too bitter, far too salty”, he
complained each time. “Then make it better!”, was our reply.
Three weeks later, “Baergfeuer” was born. Pure chilli, with
no salty or bitter aftertaste to detract from the flavour of the
food. This once again drove the great APANI ® idea.
Today, we have APANI ® clothing, food, wine, whisky and
we are always pleased to welcome new “family members”
whose products can contribute to the development of the
APANI ® philosophy.
Who or what inspires you?
….situations where I can simply let myself go, flying, an
excellent wine, out on a motorbike or spending time with
friends.
Can you please define, in your view, the concept of “father
& son”.
I view “father and son” as a process that ends when the son
no longer sees his father as a father who allows him to do
certain things, and stops him from doing others. Instead,
somewhere along the way, the son has acquired the maturity
to discuss, live and operate on an equal level with his father.
We then have a situation where they can work together productively
in an atmosphere of trust or discuss issues.
In an emancipated world and one with many single
mothers: how important is a father, is he still needed at
all?
To grow up to be a “complete” person, we need input from
a father and input from a mother. We can’t exclude either of
these two sources of input if the young person is to develop
a complex psyche and grow up to be a “complete person”.
What virtue does the word “manliness” imply for you?
“Being a man”. Us men work in a completely different way
to women. We fight to gain an edge over other men, we want
to make decisions, we are less socially oriented, in some
ways still the Stone Age hunter. The person who brought the
best piece of meat back home had the highest social status,
and got the “best” woman.
Things are no different today, but our society is slightly distorted:
woman is becoming more man and man more woman.
This has definitely not been good for our society and for
men, or for women. Woman can’t be woman without man.
And vice-versa.
Manliness
Woman can’t be woman without man

Heat-Transfer-Zone
Who needs Q?
The most intelligent weapons to increase performance come from X-BIONIC ® .
Built-in rocket launchers? Integrated laser grenades? X-BIONIC ® has much better to offer: High-tech apparel, filled to the
brim with innovative technology. Intelligent function down to smallest fibre to increase your stamina, optimise your sweat
management, and increase your performance. That’s how you effortlessly win your athletic duel. Without a firearms license even.
The extremely fine mesh between the compression
ridges allows heat to be optimally dissipated.
Sweat Traps ®
Designed for large underarm areas to prevent
dripping and to cool more effectively.
ISO-Pad
Researched and developed
in Switzerland
Crafted in Italy
Effektor Running
PowerSHIRT ®
Put pressure on your performance
With performance-enhancing
X-Bionic ® Partialkompression ® .
from 100,– EURO
The wave-like air chambers create heat exchange zones
to support muscles and skin for thermal economy.
3D Bionic Sphere ® System
Guarantees effective ventilation so moisture is
quickly wicked and transported away. No sweat
means insulating air pockets in the wavelike
structure protect against cold.
Protected by Patent EP1476033, DK1476033,
SI1476033T, CN3807886, JP 4 546 734
During activity
Cools, when
you sweat.
During recovery
Warms, when
you are cold.
Scientific illustration
AirComPlex-Zone
Nerve fibres from individual organs come together at
the solar plexus. In order not to effect the nerves’ ability
to transmit information, nature has already made this
area a temperature-regulating zone. We start sweating
rather quickly here in order to cool ourselves down
again. This effect is intensified in the Effektor Running
Powershirt ® with its climate channels, even before we
start to heat up.
Researched and developed by X-Technology Swiss R&D AG, © 2013
What tip for life would you give the young generation of
“man”?
Does he need to be very clear about what he wants to
achieve? And he needs to follow this path. Consistently!
How would you define “style”?
I view style as something constant. In fashion, for example,
style is something you don’t chase after. For me, style
is where you always put on the same thing, no matter how
funny that may sound.
I have decided on three brands that represent my style. I am
a fan of Loro Piana, I like tailored Zegna suits and when I’m
not working I like to wear Ralph Lauren.
In your view, what makes a real “gentleman”?
A gentleman has tolerance and composure. Rosa Luxembourg
springs to mind: “Freedom is always the freedom of
the person who thinks differently.”
Not every path is easy, you need to take some detours
as well. Do you think there are still some real “heroes”
around these days? People who follow their own path,
even if it takes strength and perseverance to reach their
goal.
Nowadays, young people need to be trained to be heroes,
because things can be too soft in their parents’ homes.
There are a lot of young people working in my company,
but they often find it hard to follow “their own path”. Young
people need a secure framework, but enough uncertainty
to maintain a balance and find themselves. Over the past 6
years, I think I have developed a team which undoubtedly
includes a few future heroes.
In real life, who do you view as a real hero?
I think that real heroes are people who are capable of making
a paradigm shift. In other words, coping with the transformation
of established frameworks.
I think Karl Lagerfield is a real hero. He has consistently done
his own thing ever since he was a young man. He doesn’t allow
himself to be influenced, he says what he thinks.
For our magazine, James Bond represents a man and a
hero who stands for pride, believing in something, and
honour, no matter what it costs. Which James Bond do
you think was best and why?
Of course, Sir Sean Connery is the very first name that
springs to mind.
However, I was impressed by Pierce Brosnan’s elegant
manner. I also like Daniel Craig more and more as a tough
guy, although in the beginning he wasn’t well received by
the public. Three completely different characters, but each
unique in his own way.
What is your personal favourite James Bond song?
Goldfinger.
Finally: Please tell us your favourite quotation or your
personal motto for life.
I have developed three important mottos in my life: “Even
the dialectic thinker finds it hard to withstand ambivalence
and avoid lapsing into rigidity. Because rigidity means certainty.
Dead certain”; “Without an idea, everything is nothing”
and “We make reality”.
Thank you very much. Professor Lambertz!
www.x-technology.com
www.x-bionic.com
X-BIONIC ® Partialkompression ®
A new benchmark in compression technology.
Partialkompression ® by X-BIONIC ® utilizes the advantages
of compression without neglecting cooling.
Protected by Patent ZA 2011/01805
Neural-Response-Effect
Partialkompression ® by X-BIONIC ® puts peripheral nerve
cells in a constant state of readiness; optimises the exchange
of neural impulses between muscles and brain;
increases muscle reactions, contractions and coordination;
and decreases the risk of injury and exhaustion.
35 °C/
95 °F
Partialkompression ® applies targeted
pressure on the higher ridges and uses
the skin as a surface for cooling.
Effektor Running
Power PANTS
X-SOCKS ® Running
Speed Two
30 °C/
86 °F
25 °C/
77 °F
Open capillaries
Optimal release of heat
Pressure on the ridges
Skin
Cooling film of sweat
Let your blood
run faster, too.
With the Neuro-Response-
Effekt for quicker muscle
activity.
For those who want to
eke out the last little
grain of technology.
X-BIONIC ® Powershirt ® awarded for degree of innovation, outstanding design
quality, workmanship, choice of materials, functionality and ergonomics.
turn sweat into energy ®
Developed by scientists – proven by athletes.
www.sportscience-laboratories.com | www.x-bionic.com
High-tech for your feet

X-BIONIC ® IS WINNER of the
“MOST INNOVATIVE BRAND”
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
ACCLAIMED for high quality, innovation, ease of use, TECHNOLOGY
and design. OVER 390 INTERNATIONAL AWARDS AND TOP TEST RATINGS
FOR PRODUCTS WITH THE « ».
“The Plus X Award is world’s biggest technology, sport and lifestyle contest.
Renowned trade journalists and industry personalities form the expert panel who
decide, which is the most innovative brand with the most innovative products.
Their decision: X-BIONIC ® is Innovation World Champion 2009 to 2013.”
Researched and developed by X-Technology Swiss R&D AG, © 2013
turn sweat into energy ®
Developed by scientists – proven by athletes.
www.sportscience-laboratories.com | www.x-bionic.com