Nike
today unveiled its entire collection of footwear, apparel and equipment
innovation for players and fans, inspired by the upcoming summer of football in
Brazil.
“This
summer is the ultimate moment for the beautiful game, and the ultimate moment
for Nike to revolutionize product design,” said Mark Parker, President and CEO.
“Moments like this summer in Brazil allow us to supercharge our innovation as
we look to provide athletes with every advantage on the world’s greatest
stage.”
ATHLETE JOURNEY –
PLAYER COLLECTIONS
All
home and away kits for the ten federations that will wear Nike in Brazil were
showcased at an event in Madrid. The kits combine high-tech innovation to keep
players cool, such as laser-cut ventilation, engineered mesh and Nike Dri-FIT
technology. They are also environmentally sustainable, with each kit made from
fabric that comes from recycled plastic bottles. Visually, each kit features
cultural design elements unique to each country.
“The
overall goal was to create iconic and memorable pieces for the players to wear
throughout their time in Brazil,” said Lotti.
“This is the biggest moment in their football careers; we wanted to
deliver players our very best product to help them perform their best on-pitch
and inspire them off-pitch.”
“We
first sat down to work out which moments during the tournament were most in
need of a specific outfit, then met with the players and federations to develop
the products and styles. We want to elevate each moment through premium
products and styling.”
“For
training, the players will have the best innovation we have to offer. The
Select Training Top, Perforated Shell, LS Mid-Layer Tee, Woven Jacket and Short
will all be in the players’ kitbags,” Lotti explained. “This is innovation that
performs as well as it looks. Players tell us that if they look good, they feel
good and play well.”
OFF-PITCH
Lotti
and his team also designed and curated a wide range of off-pitch lifestyle
pieces linked to each federation for fans.
The
off-pitch styles include: The N98 Track Jacket, The Nike League Polo, Nike Tech
Pant, Tech Fleece Full Zip Hoody, The IRD Saturday Jacket and Tiempo ’94.
The
pinnacle piece in the collection combines Nike heritage and the latest in
innovation for life; The Tech Fleece N98 Track Jacket aligns the classic N98
silhouette, first introduced in France 1998 by The Selecao, with the most
current innovation piece from the Nike Sportswear catalogue – Tech Fleece. This
item was created for Brazil, England and France - Nike federations who have
enjoyed success in previous tournaments.
ARTIST COLLABORATIONS
“These
collections allow players to be unified and stylish off the field, and are also
available for fans to show their support,” said Lotti. “But we also know football inspires people
everywhere, so we haven’t just focused on the players, and have collaborated with
the larger Nike design community on various special projects connected to this
summer.”
Amongst
those projects inspired by football is a collaboration with the Nike SB team
and graphic artist Flip. The collaboration encompasses three limited edition
jerseys for Brazil (home and away) and the U.S. (away). The shirts use the same
performance materials and innovations as the Official Match jersey –worn by the
players on the pitches this summer. The special skate jersey will be worn in
this summer’s Nike SB World Tour by athletes including Luan Oliveria and Sean
Malto.
EXPANDING THE
COLLECTION
Lotti’s
team also worked with the Women’s Training team, Nike+, Hurley and Jordan Brand
teams to create pieces inspired by football in Brazil.
Hurley
will offer national team versions of their iconic Phantom boardshort for the Brazil,
U.S. and French teams. Each short is designed to graphically reference the
national team shirts whilst delivering the best in surf performance innovation.
For
female fans, the Women’s Training team created “Tights of the Moment” inspired
by the Brazil, France, England and U.S. teams, as well as a special version of
the Nike Free 1.0 Cross Bionic with graphics that connect with each of the
tights.
Jordan
Brand created a special edition version of the Air Jordan 6 to celebrate Brazil’s
quest for their sixth star.
“Neymar
loves Jordan. Jordan loves Brazil and the style of play. The team chose the Air
Jordan 6 as a nod to the Brazil team going for their sixth victory,” said
Lotti.
The
larger Jordan Brand collection inspired by Brazil will be released in the
coming weeks.
Also
included in the showcase is the Nike+ FuelBand. Created in a Yellow Gold
METALUXE edition. Created just for the players and staff of the Brazil,
England, France and U.S. teams, this version features the federation logo
engraved on the gold clasp and a ‘picahau’ graphic engraved on the golden
‘doors’ of the product.
