NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was on hand in New York City yesterday as Nike unveiled 32 new team uniforms for the upcoming NFL season.
The “fashion show” of sorts was held at a Brooklyn film studio, where uniforms for all 32 NFL teams were on display and were shown off by an individual athlete from each team, such as Victor Cruz from the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants, Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions, Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons, and Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens.
Nike is the NFL’s new official partner, taking over gear and uniform design from Reebok who previously handled all of the league’s past athletic gear.
Although there are no substantial changes to the uniform’s’ appearance there are a number of new features to assist players with better movement, mobility, and comfort. ESPN contributor Paul Lukas had the following to say about the new uniforms: “The biggest change I noticed was the collars. A lot of the teams have a two-tone collar which allows for the (Nike) Flywire design. But off the top of my head, the Packers look like the Packers, the Chiefs look like the Chiefs, the Bills look like the Bills, etc.”
When asked about the lack of change in the new uniforms Lukas said, “NFL team owners are some of the most conservative businessmen in America. They call the shots. They don’t just sign off on what somebody else does. They ultimately make the decisions. It’s their property, their teams. The notion that Nike, or any company, could just walk in and change everything unilaterally is (wrong). I think a lot of fans misunderstand how that works. It does not work that way.”
The new Nike Elite 51 uniform features include:
- Flywire Technology: eliminates layers, reduces weight, and provides lockdown fit
- Zoned Mesh Ventilation: cooling zones for optimal thermoregulation
- Zoned Strength: high tenacity, stretch material for light weight lockdown strength
- Mobility Cut: 4-way stretch, hydrophobic materials helps increase range of motion, wet or dry
- Stretch Twill Numbers: 4-way stretch even on numbering system
- Deflex Padding: lightweight, flexible impact protection incorporated directly into the pant
- Aluminum D-Ring Belt: aircraft-grade D-ring belt reduces weight
- Nike Vapor Game Sock: advanced zonal cushioning system relieves cleat pressure
- Hyperstrong 4-Pad Top: provides defense in high-impact areas without sacrificing mobility
- Hyperstrong Compression 3/4 Pant: built for speed and engineered for impact protection
- Nike Vapor Talon Elite Cleat: forefoot traction for pin-point grip, hyperfuse construction for strength and stability, molded carbon fiber insert delivers lockdown with seamless fit, dual-pod collar and carbon fiber shank plate for explosive first step
All apparel will available for purchase closer to the start of the NFL season at Nike. For more information and additional coverage of yesterday’s event, visit ESPN.com.
