Kaizer Chiefs will start the 2015/16 team with a different coach, different players and a different kit. But the manufacturer remains the same. And in the 2015/16 season, Kaizer Chiefs 45th, Nike have produced the most outstanding Chiefs kit in a long time. The kit pays true homage to the most successful team in South African football and is sure to be a classic in years to come.
The new design infuses the club’s legacy and spirit, reflecting almost half a century of prestige and success. A thin black ribbon is featured around the contemporary and lightweight crew neck collar, which sets off the gold shoulders and sleeves. The team will have the option to wear the traditional Kaizer Chiefs black or gold home shorts, with gold socks completing the kit.
Of course as we know with Nike, while the kit honours the history of Kaizer Chiefs, it also will deliver innovative technology and environmental sustainability.
GRAVITY-DEFYING CONSTRUCTION AND FIT
In the modern game each player now covers 17 percent more of the pitch than their predecessors five years ago, as well as making 37 percent more sprints during a game. To meet the needs of this faster and more challenging game, Nike has designed an updated kit to enhance performance by allowing players to feel as light and agile as possible.This new lightweight kit, with greater ventilation than ever before, was created to work with the body in football motion and encourage even more fluid movement.
By feeling as light, natural and comfortable as possible, and also eliminating any distractions, this newly constructed kit will both elevate the senses and give players absolute focus on their games. Players may feel as if they are flying across the pitch, and actually defying gravity.For optimum ventilation, the new and improved fit of the shirt is firm and tight around the shoulders, and looser around the waist.
The shirt also boasts a new innovation this season. The sleeves are now constructed as a single panel across the shoulders to provide both a contemporary and a tighter look, with a stronger and more imposing presence on the pitch. The shirt features Nike’s best-ever performance neckline, crafted to be almost unnoticeable for players.
NIKE DRI-FIT TECHNOLOGY DELIVERS INCREASED VENTILATION
Nike Dri-FIT technology draws sweat away from the body to the exterior of the jersey and short, where it quickly evaporates, keeping players cooler, drier and more comfortable. Laser-cut ventilation holes and mesh panels in key areas are designed to improve performance by increasing air circulation and helping regulate body temperature. The jersey features engineered mesh fabric in both its front and back panels to increase airflow and facilitate enhanced movement.
THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY KIT EVER
Nike places sustainable innovation at the heart of its kits through the use of recycled polyester, delivering unrivaled performance and lower environmental impact. Each piece of the kit – shirt, shorts and socks – is constructed with recycled polyester, which is made from recycled plastic bottles melted down to produce a fine yarn then used to create the fabric. Each kit uses an average of 18 recycled plastic bottles. Since 2010, Nike has diverted more than two billion plastic bottles from landfills into recycled polyester – enough to cover about 3,500 football pitches.
By using recycled polyester, Nike is also reducing the energy consumed in the manufacturing process by up to 30 percent compared to virgin polyester. For more information, visit nikebetterworld.com.
The kit is available for pre-sale via the Nike Football App and kaizerchiefs.com from July 17, and on sale in official retailers from July 23.