The new Manchester United club kits, by sportswear brand Nike, showcase a new design approach intended to maximize performance while minimizing environmental impact. The kits highlight Manchester United’s unique heritage with traditional graphics, while incorporating lightweight design and recycled fabric.
The kits reflect the design innovation and detailing demanded by football`s elite players. A combination of renewable fabric sourcing, new design aesthetic and numerous nods to Manchester United’s rich history set a new standard for the club uniforms.
“We’re continually evolving our kit design for the world’s elite clubs and the new Manchester United unveil is a proud moment for Nike,” said Phil Dickinson, Nike Global Football Creative Director. “The Club’s deep tradition perfectly complements our innovative design and manufacturing process.”
The sportswear brand has used recycled polyester fabric for these new kits and each shirt uses up to eight plastic water bottles from waste disposal sites in Japan and Taiwan. The bottles are thoroughly cleaned, reduced to tiny flakes, melted into a yarn and spun for kit fabrication. This new manufacturing process reduces energy consumption by up to 30% compared to manufacturing traditional polyester.
The kits allows players to maintain their optimum body temperature and perform, by helping keep them dry and cool. The new Nike Dri-FIT fabric, 13% lighter than previous kits, accelerates moisture evaporation by drawing it to the surface to enhance breathability by up to 7% more than previous versions. The innovative ventilation zones have been strategically place along each side of the jersey, below the waistband and near the base of the spine on the shorts, significantly these facilitate in increasing the air penetration to keep players cooler.
The jersey’s new dynamic fit and double knit structure gives it a sleeker appearance, while offering 10% more stretch than the last Manchester United jersey. The jersey silhouette follows the body’s natural contours for maximum movement and airflow.
This season additional leading clubs, including Arsenal, Glasgow Celtic and Inter Milan will be wearing the most eco-friendly and technologically advanced kit in football history.
The new Manchester United club kit will be available in August 2010 and the replica jerseys are prized at Rs. 2,995.
Nike, Inc., is a leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, sportswear and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly-owned Nike subsidiaries include Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand.
