Sports

Ice dyeing, Nike’s latest trend for soccer jerseys

By Andrea Montolivo

Chicago, USA, Sep 16 (EFE).- Sportswear giant Nike has perfected a technique known as “ice dyeing” for its latest line of soccer jerseys that were launched this week. The new design will be showcased by the US Men’s National Team at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.

With more than 200,000 Americans set to travel to the tiny Gulf state for football’s showpiece event, Nike is hoping the innovation can translate to big business.

Nike has been providing the US national teams – both the men’s and women’s squads, as well as the youth sides – with their kits since 1995 and renewed its million-dollar sponsorship contract last year.

The soccer boom in the US provides the Oregon-based company with an unmissable marketing opportunity: the wave of young talent coming through the ranks and the hype surrounding the most popular sport in the world has convinced Nike to take a sartorial risk to appeal to a younger generation with jerseys that challenge the status quo.

Nike has decided that it is time to go bold, and if the first kit respects tradition and is “anchored in a timeless red, white, and blue”, the second strip is the real eye catcher. It was made with ‘ice dyeing’, which involves the use of ice cubes and powdered dye. When the ice melts, the color is distributed irregularly, creating unique visual effects.

In addition to the competitive wear, the US firm has also launched a fashion line including sweatshirts, jackets, tank tops and socks that were also made with the ‘ice dyeing’ technique.

“The vibrant color and print symbolize the youthful energy and diversity of the nation, inspiring athletes to boldly represent their country and to have fun in the process,” US Soccer said in a statement.

Nearly 200,000 US residents purchased tickets to watch their national team in Brazil 2014, their last appearance at the World Cup, when the team reached the round of 16.

Many of them requested tickets from the United States Soccer Federation, which told EFE that this year it has registered a 30% jump in requests for matches at Qatar 2022.

To this end, there is a platform selling ticket packages for the group and knockout stages, at prices ranging from US$950 to US$4,500, depending on the round.

The US has been drawn in a group with England, Wales and Iran, and with a young, talented squad featuring several players competing in some of Europe’s biggest teams, they hope to go deep in the tournament.

Christian Pulisic has won the Champions League with Chelsea, Weston McKennie is a key player for Juventus, and Serginho Dest has signed for Italian champions Milan after his time at Barcelona, to name just a handful of US footballers plying their trade in Europe’s top flight leagues. EFE

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