Speedo LZR main

At the Beijing Olympic pool, perhaps the only star bigger than Michael Phelps was his swimsuit. The Speedo LZR (pronounced “laser”), like Phelps, didn’t disappoint: 16 of the 32 gold-medal winners wore the full-body suit, and another 13 wore LZR pants. The suit was so effective, in fact, that some swimmers claimed it was illegally buoyant. Polyurethane planks replace woven fabric at key locations such as the upper legs, lowering drag by 24 percent over previous versions. And although the LZR proved to be worth its weight in gold at the Olympics, it can make just about any swimmer feel like Phelps. $550; speedo.com