As athletes were training to be at their best for the men’s FIFA World Cup this summer, sports retail giant Nike was also hard at work developing a new fabric for jerseys.
The new fabric is called Aero-FIT and Nike claims it鈥檚 240% more breathable.
Phil McCartney, who serves as Nike鈥檚 chief innovation, design and product officer, said development came underway after 鈥減layers were asking us for moisture management.鈥�
Made with mesh stitching to allow for more air flow, the Aero-FIT technology helps 鈥済et that thermal regulation that all the players have been asking for,鈥� according to McCartney.
This would be especially important in a World Cup in the eastern United States, where it’s often hotter and more humid than the home countries of visiting athletes. Interestingly, it鈥檚 also made from recycled materials.
McCartney recently spoke to reporters at Nike鈥檚 sports research lab in Oregon, an indoor facility that includes a 200-meter (219-yard) track, a small football pitch and a basketball court. He said researchers used motion-capture cameras to judge the fabric鈥檚 performance and determine how well athletes can move in it.
鈥淲e also use the thermal chambers that we have to test the kit鈥檚 breathability, to test wicking and moisture management,” he said.
Ensuring top-notch jersey design
However, the fabric technology is only one aspect of a soccer jersey. Officials also set out to ensure that the design was also prioritized.
鈥淪o we also want to make sure that, especially in an event like the World Cup, we really play into national pride,鈥� McCartney told reporters. 鈥淪o we work with the federations, who we have deep meaningful relationships with, but we also spend time with players. We also talk to fans.”
“So what does it mean to wear a Uruguay jersey, what does that mean to represent France, what does it mean to play for Canada? And we take that and we merge that with all the science and the innovation to make sure that we have beautiful designs,” he added.
When it comes to finding inspiration for the jersey design, McCartney said it’s taken “from lots of different places, from the past, from art, from music, from culture.”
“So anything that gets us connected to the country we really want to harness,鈥� McCartney said.
While Canada鈥檚 jersey sports the iconic maple leaf, the American jerseys are striped to represent a waving American flag for the country鈥檚 250th anniversary.
France鈥檚 away jersey features a rooster, a French national symbol, and two stars to symbolize the team’s previous World Cup victories in 1998 and 2018. But, unlike the team’s original deep blue kit, the away jersey comes in a pale green shade, taking inspiration from the Statue of Liberty, which was gifted to the U.S. over 140 years ago.
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