What Athletic Knit does

Athletic Knit (AK) is a Toronto-based manufacturer and distributor of custom and in-stock team uniforms, athletic apparel, and sports equipment, founded in 1962 and family-operated under co-presidents Daniel Sliwin and David Sliwin. The company operates a 150,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Toronto producing jerseys, pant shells, socks, shorts, pants, hoodies, jackets, and toques across ten-plus sport categories including Hockey, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Soccer, Lacrosse, Volleyball, Cycling, Track & Field, and Rugby, supported by an in-stock catalogue of over 20,000 SKUs.

The core technology stack combines cylindrical knitting for proprietary fabrics (FULL MOON, POLYSPAN, SHIELD ENDURANCE, HDX, ULTRAFLEX, REPELSHELL, PROTECH), cut-and-sew construction, and dye sublimation transfer, with multiple in-house decorating departments offering screen printing, tackle twill, embroidery, sublimation, heat transfer, and perma twill. A digital dye sublimation process enables custom artwork on fabric panels, and the company maintains an extensive sublimation pattern library spanning 12+ sports alongside a logo bank and design templates.

Athletic Knit generates revenue exclusively through a global authorized dealer network composed of sporting goods retailers, decorators, and promotional companies; the company does not sell directly to end consumers. Dealers purchase at net-net pricing with no minimums on in-stock items, 12-unit minimums on initial custom blanks, 6-unit minimums on repeats, and service surcharges below thresholds. The customer base spans schools, clubs, recreational teams, corporations, and promotional buyers, with marketing conducted via downloadable catalogues, a Magento-based website, dealer portal, email/newsletter, and Instagram. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and no public financials are available.

Name

Athletic Knit

Legal name

Athletic Knit

Website

https://athleticknit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Athletic Knit is a Toronto-based manufacturer of custom and in-stock team uniforms and athletic apparel, founded in 1962 and family-owned. It serves schools, clubs, recreational teams, and corporations across 10+ sports via an exclusive global authorized dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Team Uniforms and Athletic Apparel Manufacturing

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992), Apparel Manufacturing (315)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Team Sports Equipment & Uniforms Retail (CRAMABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Team Sports Equipment & Apparel Distribution (CRAOAJAA)

Keywords

• Custom team uniforms
• Athletic apparel manufacturing
• Hockey jerseys
• Sports team wear
• Uniform decoration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Team Uniform Sales: Athletic Knit generates revenue through the sale of custom hockey jerseys, team uniforms, and athletic apparel. Products are sold exclusively through an authorized dealer network. In-stock products have no minimum order requirements. Custom blank uniforms or decorated orders require minimum 12 garments for initial order and 6 unit minimum for repeat orders.
2. Custom Manufacturing Services: Revenue from custom manufacturing including sublimation, screen printing, tackle twill, embroidery, and other decoration services performed at their Toronto facility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Athletic Knit manufactures and distributes custom and in-stock team uniforms, athletic apparel, and headwear for ten sports (Hockey, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Soccer, Lacrosse, Volleyball, Track & Field, Cycling, Rugby) from a 150,000 sq. ft. facility in Toronto, Canada. In-house decoration services include sublimation, screen printing, tackle twill, embroidery, heat transfer, and perma twill. Products are sold exclusively through a global network of authorized dealers with no required minimums on in-stock items and minimum order quantities on custom decorated orders.

Product overview

Athletic Knit is a team uniform manufacturer offering both in-stock and custom-made uniforms across multiple sports categories. The company operates with over 50 years of experience from its 150,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Toronto, Canada, maintaining over 20,000 in-stock SKUs while also providing custom production capabilities. The product portfolio spans Hockey, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Soccer, Lacrosse, Volleyball, Track & Field, Cycling, Rugby, and general Apparel categories. Core products include sport-specific uniforms (jerseys, shorts, pants, socks), while the apparel line encompasses hoodies, shirts, jackets, toques, and caps. Customization is enabled through in-house decoration services including sublimation, screen printing, tackle twill, embroidery, heat transfer, and perma twill. Products are distributed exclusively through an authorized dealer network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hockey Jerseys Custom and in-stock hockey jerseys, pant shells, and socks for hockey team uniforms; sold to authorized dealers for supply to hockey teams, schools, clubs, and recreational players.
• Baseball Uniforms Baseball team uniforms including jerseys, pants, shorts, and accessories for organized baseball teams; sold through AK's authorized dealer network.
• Basketball Uniforms Basketball team uniforms consisting of jerseys and shorts for organized basketball teams, available in-stock and via custom manufacturing.
• Football Uniforms Football team uniforms including jerseys and pants for organized football teams; available in-stock and through custom production.
• Soccer Uniforms Soccer team uniforms including jerseys and shorts, available in-stock for rapid fulfillment to soccer teams via authorized dealers.
• Lacrosse Uniforms Lacrosse team uniforms including jerseys and shorts for both box and field lacrosse; in-stock and custom orders through authorized dealers.
• Volleyball Uniforms Volleyball team uniforms consisting of jerseys and shorts sold to teams, schools, and clubs through AK's authorized dealer network.
• Track & Field Uniforms Track and field team uniforms including jerseys and shorts available in-stock for schools and clubs purchasing through AK dealers.
• Cycling Uniforms Cycling team uniforms including jerseys and shorts/bibs, in-stock and custom manufactured for cycling teams via the AK dealer network.
• Rugby Uniforms Rugby team uniforms including jerseys and shorts, manufactured via custom sublimation and distributed through AK's authorized dealers.
• Athletic Apparel Athletic apparel including hoodies, shirts, pants, shorts, jackets, caps, and toques for sports teams, corporate teams, and promotional buyers; sold through authorized dealers.
• Sublimated Jackets Custom sublimated jackets in full zip, cage jacket, and scuba hood styles for team apparel, manufactured at AK's Toronto facility.
• Sublimated Apparel Joggers and Pants Custom sublimated jogger and pant styles for team apparel, manufactured through AK's in-house dye sublimation process.
• Custom Apparel Sweatshirts Cut-and-sewn custom sweatshirts made from individual fabric pieces, used as team uniforms and athletic apparel sold through AK dealers.
• Custom Toques and Jacquard Toques Custom knit headwear including toques featuring custom jacquard patterns, manufactured using AK's cylindrical knitting capability.
• Sublimation Decoration Service Digital dye sublimation transfer service that prints artwork onto fabric panels for lightweight, durable custom team uniforms; available at minimum order quantities through AK's in-house decoration department.
• Screen Printing Decoration Service In-house screen printing (silk screening) service for logos, numbers, and names on team uniforms, with a 6-unit minimum order and below-minimum surcharge.
• Tackle Twill Decoration Service Tackle twill decoration where letters and crests are cut from polyester twill, tacked with adhesive, and sewn with zig-zag or embroidered stitching; a traditional premium process used by professional sports teams (12-unit minimum).
• Embroidery Decoration Service Direct automated embroidery service that stitches logos and crests onto garments at AK's in-house embroidery department (12-unit minimum, below-minimum surcharge applies).
• Heat Transfer Decoration Service Heat transfer decoration method applied at AK's Toronto facility for team uniform customization, supporting logos, numbers, and names on garments.
• Perma Twill Decoration Service Perma twill decoration service offering durable sewn twill crests for team uniforms; produced in AK's in-house decoration department.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Holloway Sportswear: U.S.-based custom team uniform and athletic apparel manufacturer offering comparable cut-and-sewn and sublimated team apparel across multiple sports — a direct production-side peer to Athletic Knit.
• Augusta Sportswear: Manufacturer and wholesaler of custom and stock team uniforms and activewear across team sports, serving dealers and distributors — overlapping Athletic Knit's dealer-led wholesale teamwear model.
• Badger Sport: Team athletic apparel and custom uniform manufacturer with broad sport coverage and in-house decoration, closely comparable to Athletic Knit's apparel plus customization offering.

Broad incumbents

• Champion Teamwear: Champion's custom team uniform platform serves schools, clubs, and organizations across multiple sports with a much larger brand and product breadth — broadly overlapping Athletic Knit's customer segments.
• Nike Team Sports: Nike's team uniform and custom team apparel division serves the same schools, clubs, and athletic organizations as Athletic Knit, but at vastly larger scale, brand reach, and direct-to-consumer strength.
• Adidas Team: Adidas' custom and stock team uniform program covers soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey, and more — directly addressing Athletic Knit's sports categories with global brand and customization capabilities.
• Under Armour: A large athletic apparel and teamwear producer with custom team programs, offering scale, brand, and R&D resources that significantly exceed Athletic Knit's — applicable competitive pressure across multiple sports.

Others

• Riddell: While primarily focused on football helmets and protective equipment, Riddell is an adjacent team-sports supplier whose relationships with football programs and athletic departments overlap Athletic Knit's buyer base.

Regional players

• Eastbay Team Sales: Eastbay's team sales division supplies custom and stock team apparel and footwear to U.S. schools and clubs; relevant comparator for Athletic Knit's dealer-mediated team-uniform distribution.
• LIDS Team Sports: LIDS' team sports division supplies custom uniforms and gear to schools and clubs in North America — an adjacent channel-based peer relevant to Athletic Knit's dealer-driven GTM motion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/athletic_knit
• Xx.com/athletic_knit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Athletic Knit