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“The half-and-half appearance is a traditional football design, but we added a new twist,” said Martin Lotti, Creative Director of Nike Football. “We wanted to utilize vibrant color so the kits look brighter at night against the grass and beneath floodlights. Under a dark sky, the kits will look electric, as if powered by batteries, and will provide an almost electric flash of color on the pitch.”
This season, FC Barcelona will wear a bold new third kit that captures the club’s inherent brilliance and energy.
The kit consists of two tones of Volt yellow, which first appeared in Barcelona’s away kit in 2005. The shirt, shorts and socks all feature the distinct Volt color on the front, with a darker tone of the same yellow on the back.
The two tones are divided by blue stripes — honoring one of Barcelona’s famous home colors — that stretch along both sides of the kit from the collar, along both shoulders, down the shirt and shorts, and right down to the socks. The stripes are designed to accentuate the impression of speed when the players are in motion.
The shirt also boasts a classic design with a sophisticated polo neck collar and a three-button placket in the darker tone of Volt.
The right sleeve of the shirt features a small Senyera, the flag of Catalonia and an enduringly proud symbol for Barcelona.
Inside the back of the neck, a blue pennant tab displays Barcelona’s inspirational club motto, “Mes que un club” (More than a club) and their foundation year of 1899, while “Barca” adorns the back of the neck in the same blue as their iconic home kit.
The new FC Barcelona third kit will be available to pre-order at nike.com/fcb from Sept. 16 and available to purchase in stores and online from Sept. 25.
Italian champions Juventus will play this season in a vibrant new third kit that features an intense burst of color to give players an even greater presence on the pitch.
For the first time, Juventus will wear an entirely green kit, which includes two tones of the color to create maximum impact. The shirt, shorts and socks all feature a lighter tone of green on the front, while a darker green cloaks the entire back.
In a nod to one of Juventus’s famous home colors, a black stripe divides the two tones along the sides of the kit. The stripe, designed to accentuate the players’ speed when they’re in motion, stretches from the collar, along both shoulders, down each side of the shirt and shorts, and right down to the socks.
The Juventus third kit will be available at nike.com, Nike Stores, juvestore.com, Juventus Store and select shops from Sept. 25.The shirt also boasts a classic design with a sophisticated polo neck collar and a three-button placket in the darker tone of green. Inside the back of the neck, a black-and-white-striped pennant tab honors Juventus’s famous home shirt and displays the message, “Fino alla fine” (Until the end).
The Barclays Premier League champions Manchester City will wear a bold new away kit featuring two tones of purple in cups this season. The new kit is inspired by designs City wore in the early '90s and as recently as the 2007-08 season, and also features a lime green tone that City fans will recognize from kits of the past.
The shirt, shorts and socks are all in a lighter tone of purple on the front, while the entire back is a darker purple. These two tones are divided by a lime green stripe on both sides of the kit.
These stripes stretch from the collar, along both shoulders, down each side of the shirt, the shorts, and right down to the socks. The stripe will accentuate a sense of speed when players are in motion.
The shirt also boasts a classic design with a sophisticated polo neck collar and a three-button placket in the darker tone of purple.
Inside the back of the neck is a marbled purple pennant tab with the message, “We are City.”
On the back of the shirt, the names and numbers are in a new italicized font in lime green with a drop-shadow purple border.
While this new kit features Nike’s signature style and passion, it has also been designed to offer players the very latest in performance innovation, kit technology and environmental sustainability.
The new Manchester City kit will be available to pre-order at nike.com from Sept. 16 and on sale from Sept. 25.
The French champions Paris Saint-Germain will play in an all-red, two-tone third kit during the 2014-15 season. Each of the team’s kits honors the club’s core values: a blue home kit for grandeur, a white away kit for respect, and to complete the set, a red third kit to reflect their passion and modern spirit.
The new third kit is entirely red, with two tones of the color to make a maximum impact on the pitch. The shirt, shorts and socks feature a lighter tone of red on the front, while a darker red covers the entire back.
The two tones are divided by blue stripes — honoring another one of Paris Saint-Germain’s home colors — which stretch along both sides of the kit from the collar, along both shoulders, down the shirt and shorts, and right down to the socks.
When the players are in motion, the stripes accentuate the contours of the players’ bodies to provide a true sense of speed.
A white pennant tab with a blue border tucked inside the back of the neck displays the message, “Ici c’est Paris” (Here it’s Paris). The shirt also boasts a classic design with a sophisticated polo neck collar and a three-button placket in the darker tone of red.
On the back of the shirt, the names and numbers are in a new italicized font in blue with a drop shadow red border to emphasize speed and dynamism.
This season, Internazionale will play in a new third kit that showcases their traditional colors with a bold and modern appearance.
Inter’s famous blue gets a new twist in the third kit, which includes two tones of the hue. The shirt, shorts and socks all feature blue on the front with a darker shade of the same color on the back.
The two tones are divided by a black stripe — honoring one of Inter’s iconic home colors — that stretches along both sides of the kit from the collar, along both shoulders, down each side of the shirt and shorts, and right down to the socks.
The stripes will accentuate the players’ speed when they’re in motion.
The new third kit will be available at nike.com, Nike Stores, store.inter.it, SoloInterStore and select shops from Sept. 25.The shirt also boasts a classic design with a sophisticated polo neck collar and a three-button placket in the darker tone of blue. A black pennant tab tucked inside the back of the neck reveals the proud message, “Milano E’ Solo Inter” (Milan is only Inter).
For the first time in Galatasaray’s history, the club will wear a groundbreaking new two-tone dark magenta third kit to help make an impact on the pitch this season.
The shirt, shorts and socks all feature a lighter tone of the dark magenta on the front, while a darker tone covers the entire back.
The two tones are split by an orange stripe — honoring one of Galatasaray’s renowned home colors — that stretches along both sides of the kit from the collar, along both shoulders, down each side of the shirt and shorts, and right down to the socks.
When the players are in motion, the stripe will accentuate the contours of the players’ bodies to provide a sense of speed.
Inside the back of the neck, a pennant tab displays Galatasaray’s home colors and the bold statement, “Ilklerin Ve Enlerin Takimi” (The club of firsts and mosts), to celebrate their status as Turkey’s leading and most successful club. The shirt also boasts a classic design with a polo neck collar and three-button placket in the darker tone of magenta.
AND…
While the new kit(s) features Nike’s signature style and passion, it also delivers the latest in performance innovation, kit technology and environmental sustainability.
NIKE DRI-FIT TECHNOLOGY
Nike Dri-FIT technology draws sweat away from the body to the exterior of the shirts and shorts, where the moisture quickly evaporates. This allows players to perform at their absolute best by remaining cooler, drier and more comfortable.
Laser-cut ventilation holes and mesh panels in key areas of the kit also improve performance by increasing air circulation to the players’ bodies and regulating their temperatures throughout the 90 minutes on the pitch.
The kits are crafted from a new dual-knit fabric consisting of cotton and recycled polyester, which helps remove sweat and delivers a softer feel and an overall more flattering appearance.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
In line with Nike’s commitment to superior performance with lower environmental impact, the kits continue to feature fabric made from recycled plastic water bottles. The shorts are made of 100 percent recycled polyester and the shirts are made of 96 percent recycled polyester, while the socks are composed of 78 percent recycled polyester.
Each kit is made using an average of 18 recycled plastic bottles, and since 2010, Nike has diverted almost two billion bottles from landfills.
By using recycled polyester, Nike also reduces the energy consumed in the entire process by up to 30 percent.
AN UPDATED AND PERFECT FIT
Nike captured 3D body scans of many of the world’s leading footballers to create a kit with an updated and perfect new fit. The modern fit effortlessly improves players’ comfort and performance by allowing the body to move more naturally within the kit.
Nike’s designers also spoke to players to understand what they want from a sock during a game. As a result, the Nike Elite Match fit sock for 2014 incorporates a sleeker and updated design created especially for football.
The sock features strategically cushioned zones to provide comfort and protection around the big toe and the anklebones — where the majority of impact occurs — while arch support provides a firm foundation for the foot to prevent slipping.
There is also less material on the sock to enhance players’ touch, while flex grooves on the ankle and top of the foot prevent bunching.
Ed.'s note-garnering more eyeballs per weekend- than all the fashion weeks combined…the world's most popular sport will no doubt manage to have its two thumbs up (and down) opinions for these colorful kits by Nike-who supplied all of the images. Eco bonus points here for sure!