Unveiling: Sir Alex Ferguson meets Aon president
Gregory Case their kit launch
The new
Manchester United home kit for the 2010/11 season combines elements
of the club’s history with new age technology – as every shirt will
be made entirely from recycled polyester, each created from up to
eight plastic water bottles as part of Nike’s ‘Considered Design’
programme.
Red, white and
black is in the DNA of Manchester United and Nike has captured the
spirit of the club through this season’s home kit. The new shirt
leans towards a classic look, inspired by the 1970s, and features a
collar for the first time since Nike became the team’s official kit
supplier in 2002. And the chevron design that featured last
season is evident in the engineered mesh pattern on the back of the
shirt, with the V-shape echoed in the shoulder print detail and in
the socks.
Kit-wise, there are
three options for the home games: red jersey, white shorts and
black socks; red jersey, black shorts and white socks; or red
jersey, white shorts and white socks depending on the
opponents.
Aon, the new shirt
sponsor, features on the front of the shirt, while inside the shirt
on the back of the club crest is the club's mantra, 'Believe'. The
message sits right next to the heart, revealing every United fan's
'Inner Pride', while the symbolic Red Devil sits on the sleeve of
the shirt and the shorts to add the finishing touches to the
kit.
Nike’s 'Considered
Design' programme aims to create performance products that minimise
environmental impact by reducing waste during the design and
development process, use environmentally preferred materials, and
eliminate toxins.
To make the kits,
Nike uses discarded water bottles destined for landfill sites in
Japan and Taiwan, where they can take up to 500 years to decompose.
This saves precious raw materials and reduces energy consumption by
up to 30 per cent compared to conventional fabrics.
The bottles are
placed in a large washing machine to clean them and get rid of
labels, before they are chopped into tiny flakes and melted down
into a yarn that is ultimately spun to make the fabric for the
jerseys.
Use of recycled
polyester across its new range of club kits means Nike has saved
nearly 13 million plastic water bottles, a total of around 254,000
kg of polyester waste – enough to cover more than 29 football
pitches, and to stretch over 3,000 kilometres if laid out
end-to-end. The process is used for all shirts, whether worn
by the players or available to fans.
"As we look
at how we design and develop products and run our global business,
it’s not enough to be solving the challenges of today," said Nike
spokesman Charlie Brooks.
"We are designing
for the sustainable economy of tomorrow, and for us that means
using fewer resources, more sustainable materials and renewable
energy to produce new products. We’re proud to be a partner of
Manchester United and to help them achieve their environmental
goals."
Considering the
environment doesn’t mean sacrificing the renowned high performance
of Nike’s kits, and the new Manchester United home kit has been
engineered to give players a greater competitive advantage than
ever before, keeping players drier and more comfortable, allowing them to
maintain their optimum body temperature and perform at their peak
on the pitch.
The improved Nike
'Dri-Fit' fabric, now 13 per cent lighter than previous kits,
helps to quickly evaporate moisture by drawing through the fabric
to the surface and to keep players dry.
Innovative
ventilation zones are placed along each side of the jersey to
enhance breathability, by up to 7 per cent compared to
previous kits, and allow air to pass across the whole torso. These
zones have up to 200 tiny laser-cut holes, backed by Nike’s
innovative halo application which prevents ripping without reducing
air flow. An additional ventilation zone is placed below the
waistband on the shorts at the base of the spine.
The
jersey’s new double-knit structure gives it a sleeker appearance,
while offering 10 per cent more stretch, and also boasts a new
dynamic fit, cut to follow the natural contours of the body while
allowing for maximum airflow and movement.
Reds winger Nani
said: "I think it looks really good and it feels nice. It’s
always a nice moment for the players and the fans when you first
see the new kit and it’s like a new motivation for us at the start
of the season."
The 2010/11
home shirt is available now at store.manutd.com.
If you are
based in the USA, you can order
your 2010/11 kit here.
