2014 FOOTBALL INNOVATIONS
N
IKE unveiled its entire collection of footwear, apparel and equipment innovation for players and fans, inspired by the upcoming summer of football in Brasil.
“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 Brasil 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 Brasil 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.
Nike has also created a collection for players to wear throughout various moments during the tournament. Dubbed the “athlete journey” collection, and overseen by Martin Lotti, Creative Director for Nike Football, outfits players all the way from warm-ups, anthems, playing and training, to media appearances, travel and downtime in the training camp.
“The overall goal was to create iconic and memorable pieces for the players to wear throughout their time in Brasil,” 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 with Nike FC
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 Brasil, England and France – Nike federations who have enjoyed success in previous tournaments.
