Barcelona will play in a bright new away kit this season that is said to capture the youthful spirit and desire of La Masia. The bright crimson kit is fresh and unexpected which is said to represent their young players desire to stand out from the crowd.
The shirt sports a crew neck collar and is entirely a vivid crimson except for the deep cuffs which represent the Blaugrana with red on the front and blue on the back. On the back of the collar, inside the neck, is the Senyera (The Catalan flag) between FC Barcelona’s traditional red and blue home colours. This detail is repeated on the back of the collar but with ‘Barca” in blue and the clubs unique club font below. Inside the back of the neck is a blue pennant tab with the club motto: ‘Mes que un club’ (More than a club) and their foundation year of 1899. The new away shorts are bright crimson with a thin blue stripe along each side, while the new away socks are bright crimson with a wide tonal stripe on the back.
While this new kit features Nike’s signature design details, it also offers players the very latest in performance innovation, kit technology and environmental sustainability. Nike Dri-Fit technology draws sweat away from the body to the exterior of the shirts and shorts where it quickly evaporates. This helps players to perform at their absolute best by remaining cooler, drier and more comfortable. The laser-cut ventilation holes and mesh panels featured in key areas of the kit are designed to increase air circulation to the players’ bodies to help regulate their temperatures throughout their time on the pitch.
In terms of sustainability, the kits are made from recycled plastic water bottles. The shorts are 100 percent recycled polyester; the shirts are 96 percent recycled polyester, while the socks are 78 percent. Each kit is made using an average of 18 recycled plastic bottles and over the last four years Nike has diverted almost two billion of these bottles from landfills to produce their kits, which is enough plastic to core 2,800 football pitches.
Nike also took 3D body scans of many of the world’s leading footballers to create a kit with an updated and perfect new fit. The new fit allows the body to move more naturally within the kit, and so effortlessly improves a players comfort and performance. The Nike Elite Match fit sock for 2014 also boasts a sleeker and updated design created especially for football. Nike have also focused on developing the socks and spoke to many of today’s elite players to gain an insight of what they wanted from a sock. There are now strategically cushioned zones to provide comfort and protection around the big toe and the anklebones where the majority of impact occurs, while arch support provides a firm foundation for the foot to prevent any slipping. There is less material on the sock to enhance players’ touch, while flex grooves on the ankle and top of the foot prevent bunching.
The kit will be available starting today on nike.com/fcb and in stores tomorrow.