Waiting for a complete wardrobe overhaul before starting your workouts? Don’t.

When I was 22, I learned firsthand how endorsement deals between shoe companies and major league ballplayers worked. Adidas reached out to me. In exchange for donning their spikes and batting gloves, they offered me cash and a selection of merchandise. The cash part is self-explanatory; the “merch” was much more interesting.

Every season, we’d receive a thick catalog with all the latest trends (snickering). My velour tracksuit game was on point. My closet had shoes of every color for every outfit. My pops had hoodies with three stripes for his morning walks.

Eventually, I arrived exactly where Adidas wanted me. I wasn’t willing to wear another brand. I had a soft, old, quality pair of Nike sweats that I stopped wearing because I didn’t have shoes to match. I’m ashamed (not really).

This wasn’t an accident. The apparel companies spend millions to make sure you’re thinking like I did. They want you to assume that training sessions require special outfits and coordinated shoes. Oh, and it doesn’t stop at the outer layer obsession. They have designed useless undergarments like compression shorts to take advantage of your buying habits. From deadspin.com:

Manufacturers of compression apparel want customers to feel that way. Adidas tells me its Techfit “focuses your muscles’ energy to generate maximum explosive power, acceleration and long-term endurance.” Under Armour says its leggings “deliver increased power and stamina.”

Enough people believed these claims to make sales of compression gear jump 170 percent from 2008 to 2010, giving it a 5 percent share of the sports apparel market, according to a recent consumer-research report. Customers are willing to pay a premium for the squeeze; according to the same report, retail margins for compression gear are 46 percent, compared to 43 percent for regular athletic clothing.

If only I had access to this “maximum explosive power” technology in that 1999 catalog, I’d have smashed Cal Ripken’s record. With my goods well supported, who knows how many bombs I would have hit.

Perhaps I have convinced you that most workout gear won’t make you a better athlete. However, everyone knows that top shelf running shoes are essential to keeping those athletic feet safe and thriving, right? Bzzzz. From smashrun.com:

Actually, there was a study done with 4,358 runners in the Bern Grand Prix (a 9.6mile road race) where they found that 40% of the participants experience injuries not because of training surface, running speed, weekly mileage or even competitive training…”runners in shoes that cost more than $95 were more than twice as likely to get hurt as runners in shoes that cost less than $40″

You’ve been following the blog for a long time, so you know I prefer to workout sans shoes these days. Additionally, I don’t have any fancy accessories or flashy workout clothes. I like my shirts tattered and torn and my sweats soft. I wear flip-flops to the gym and take walks barefooted.

If society is pressuring you to be a fashionista (like my misguided 22 year old self), remember the true spirit of training. It’s gritty, sweaty, dirty and anything but pretty. It doesn’t matter how much glue you spent on your gear. Nobody looks attractive deadlifting 400 pounds.

Save your shekels and spend them on a suit and tie or a little black number instead. Fancy gym clothes are a waste.

Grab your cutoff whatevers. I’ll meet you at the weight pile,

Kap