USA unveils 2014 National team kit with Nike Soccer

Nike- USA home kit

Combining the best in performance innovation with a classic and bold new design, the new 2014 USA home kit is the ultimate expression of American style and patriotism.

“The new kit clearly showcases the USA’s national pride and distinct sense of style, while also capturing the nation’s eternal optimism,” said Martin Lotti, Creative Director for Nike Soccer.

The classic jersey is white with gray horizontal pinstripes across the body and sleeves, a reference to the USA’s historic tradition of using stripes. The jersey has a white polo collar featuring red trim, a nod of respect to this iconic piece of American fashion and sportswear.

Inside the back of the neck a blue pennant tab features the original thirteen stars of the American Flag, representing the most evocative symbol of American national pride.

The back of the jersey includes a unique and specially designed font for the names and numbers, which is modern, angular and directly influenced by U.S. sports teams.

Each number on the back of the jersey also houses a small U.S. Soccer crest at the bottom.

“It’s always an honor to wear the colors of your country, and this summer we will be hard to miss in an all-white look,” said U.S. Men’s National Team captain Clint Dempsey. “We will be traveling all over Brazil and playing in a lot of different conditions, so the innovative Nike designs will serve us well.”

The new shorts are white with a red stripe on each side. Simple and iconic, the fit is slimmer and more tailored to the body, with a cut specifically designed to aid movement and comfort. The center back of the shorts feature Nike’s signature laser vents to aid in cooling and allow for moisture management. The new socks coordinate with the classic aesthetic.

“The cut of the women’s kit fits well and is comfortable, so I don’t have to think about the uniform and can focus on the game at hand,” said U.S. Women’s National Team striker, Alex Morgan.

The kit aids performance by helping regulate player body temperature over the course of a match. By using a combination of Nike Dri-FIT technology, mesh panels and laser-cut ventilation holes, designers are able to localize cooling where players need it most.

Nike Dri-FIT technology pulls moisture away from the skin to the outside of the garment where it evaporates quickly. Laser-cut ventilation holes and engineered mesh in key areas allow for increased breathability and airflow across the skin.

“By managing sweat and keeping the body cooler longer, players feel more comfortable, sweat less and perform better,” said Lotti.

In addition to helping players stay cool, the kit is made with a new dual-knit fabrication that incorporates cotton and recycled polyester for the best in moisture-wicking properties, while adding a softer feel and more flattering shape.

In line with Nike’s commitment to superior performance with lower environmental impact, the shirt, short — and for the first time in a national team kit, the socks — all feature fabric made from recycled plastic bottles (100 percent recycled polyester in the shorts, 96 percent recycled polyester in the shirt and 78 percent in the socks). Each kit is made using an average of 18 recycled plastic bottles. Since 2010, Nike has diverted almost two billion bottles from landfills, enough to cover more than 2,800 full-sized football pitches.

“Incorporating environmental sustainability is a key part of the design and development process for us,” said Lotti. “Our aim is to create a kit that performs for players and is good to the planet.”

Designers utilized three-dimensional body scans of elite footballers to collect data on the form of today’s players and identify an updated fit, improving comfort and allowing the body to move more naturally within the kit.

While looking at every element of the modern football kit, Nike designers even paid special attention to the kits” socks. Combining athlete insights and research with new materials and fabrications, the Nike Elite Match Fit sock for 2014 features a sleeker fit specific to football. Strategically cushioned zones provide comfort and protection at the big toe and anklebones where the majority of impact occurs, while arch support locks down the foot to help prevent slipping. Material was also eliminated to enhance touch and decrease bulk, and flex grooves were added to the ankle and the top of the foot to prevent bunching.

The new Nike Pro baselayer is the lightest ever from Nike and features increased venting and breathability.

Players have a variety of Nike Pro baselayer styles for players to choose from. These are designed for the varying temperatures and conditions athletes will encounter in Brasil, which are expected to vary from high heat during mid-day matches, to much colder temperatures in the southern match locations during evening games.

Nike has redesigned its baselayer short for 2014 taking insights directly from some of the best players in the world.

“When we asked players to talk about the kind of protection they need during a match, they showed us scars and abrasions on their upper-back hip area from sliding,” recalled Lotti. “Several players showed us these same injuries so we set out to add more protection, while balancing the need for lightweight breathability.”

The result is the Nike Pro Combat Ultralight Slider Short. Featuring increased and adjusted abrasion protection zones to match the athlete’s sliding pattern, the short is also 20 percent lighter than previous versions and made with 87 percent recycled polyester. Weight was eliminated through the addition of mesh for increased breathability and cooling where the athlete generates heat.