When the teams take to the pitch in South Africa this
summer for the World Cup, they will do so wearing the most environmentally-friendly and
technologically-advanced kit in football's history.
For the first time,
all of Nike’s national teams, including Brazil, Portugal and The
Netherlands, will be wearing jerseys made entirely from recycled
polyester - each one produced from up to eight recycled plastic bottles.
The SoccerBible had front row seats as Nike unveiled the new national team kits with several footballers at Battersea Power Station in London this week. Check out what we saw...
To make the 2010 national team kits, Nike’s fabric suppliers sourced
discarded plastic bottles from Japanese and Taiwanese landfill sites
and then melted them down to produce new yarn that was ultimately
converted to fabric for the jerseys.
For this summer’s finals, the kits
have been designed to keep players drier, cooler and more comfortable,
allowing them to maintain an optimum body temperature and perform at
their best on the pitch. We love the new designs and had to chance to try out the famous Brasil jersey to see for ourselves and have to confirm, it certainly rocks!
Players will also incorporate the unique benefits of Nike Pro Combat
into their respective national team kits. Featuring an engineered
system of dress, Pro Combat includes Slider and Impact shorts for added
protection against light impact and abrasion along with a therma Mock
that protects players’ necks against harsh conditions.
The national team kits represent a new phase for Nike as they aim to make all their products more sustainable. As well as this initiative, all these new national football shirts and team kits have been designed with each
country’s national culture and identity in mind. The
pride that comes with playing for your country means each kit has
been designed to represent the heritage and unique football culture of
the nation.
The Away national team kits will be available starting February 25th while national team home kits will be available May 1st.
