New boots celebrate the greatest achievements of three of international football's most famous nations.
Earlier this year Nike launched the Nike Premier,
a modern performance take on classic football boot design. The launch
color was a defining black and white combination. For the latest
incarnation of this timeless boot, Nike has created a limited edition
run that celebrates three nations who have achieved glory on football's
greatest stage: Brasil, England and France.
The Nike Premier Brasil Edition comes in a stand-out Tour Yellow and
White color combination. France is represented by a vivid Treasure Blue
and White whilst the England design comes in Crimson and White.
Each boot features a predominantly one color upper with the stud-tips
matching that color on a white-based sole plate. The sock liner
features a graphic referencing the year(s) the respective country was
crowned champions.
The premium leather used for the upper sets the benchmark for
softness and feel for leather-based boots while the transitional flex in
the sole plate provides a firm mid foot combined with a flexible and
responsive forefoot.
The sole plate design provides excellent traction on a variety of
surfaces. The boot also uses Nike's most anatomical last to-date, as
seen on the Nike Hypervenom, which helps place the foot closer to the
ball and ground for greater foot-to-ball feel and touch.
The Nike Premier Brasil, England and France Editions are available at Nike.com and soon on www.prosoccer.co.za. - Remember to like us on Facebook.
The ball was revealed with a spectacular 3D light projection
launch event held at the iconic Parque Lage in Rio de Janeiro.
brazuca was named back in September 2012 following a public vote in
Brazil involving 1 million football fans; the name "brazuca" is an
informal local term which means "Brazilian", or to describe the
Brazilian way of life.
The colours and ribbon design of the ball panels
symbolise the traditional multi-coloured wish bracelets worn in the
country (fita do Senhor do Bonfim da Bahia), in addition to reflecting
the vibrancy and fun associated with football in Brazil.
Combining the best in performance innovation
with insightful design details, the new French kit captures the innate
style and national pride of France with a sophisticated look.
The crest features a new design inspired by the 1958 crest and reflects
players’ feedback of wanting to “feel the history of our country”.
The
cockerel-design has been enlarged, freed from its badge and given the
space to again become the ultimate symbol of French national pride.
It's
also beautifully embroidered just above the heart and on the bottom of
each player’s number, and a flag is placed on the inside of the neck on
each kit.
Get the new French FFF World Cup 2014 Jersey online now at www.prosoccer.co.za - Remember to like us on Facebook.
The most representative sign of the Argentinean passion, its national
football team, and the most important and patriotic icon of the nation,
the flag, come together in the design of this jersey. For the first
time, through the sky-blue stripes of the shirt, there is a reflective
visual effect simulating a Argentinean flag on top of a pole, waving in
the wind.
The crest also shows an evolution in this new design. Retaining its
elegant essence, the golden AFA crest gains a more prominent presence
contrasting with the white and the sky-blue colors of the shirt. It also
contrasts with the golden lines on the sides and the upper side of the
shirt.
Nike launched a key battle in its war for shirt supremacy on Sunday when it unveiled the kit Brazil will wear to host the 2014 World Cup.
The
Wolfsburg midfielder Luiz Gustavo appeared in Rio de Janeiro wearing
the famous yellow shirt and the manager Luiz Felipe Scolari warned
Brazil's rivals that the five-times champions aim to make an important
alteration by winning the competition for a record sixth time. "The
shirt looks great, the only thing missing is a sixth star," Scolari
said. "We aim to have that on there after the World Cup."
The
Brazil shirt is Nike's top-selling international jersey and the company
will do over a billion dollars worth of business in the South American
country this year, said their vice president of communications, Charlie
Brooks. Nike expects Brazil to be its third largest market in the world
by 2017, behind the United States and China.
The sportswear rivals
Nike and Adidas are battling over supremacy in the five- billion-euros
soccer kit market. The two firms are virtually neck and neck in a market
which the American company entered around 20 years ago.
The
German company recently announced that it had extended its sponsorship
agreement with Fifa to 2030, building on a partnership that dates back
to 1970. The deal allows Adidas to supply match balls, kit for officials
and volunteers and to advertise at World Cup venues.
Nike has a
long-term deal with the Brazilian Football Confederation that has run
since 1997. It also sponsors Neymar, the young Barcelona striker who
will shoulder much of Brazil's expectation next year.
Nike is
already celebrating an early victory in the kit war, as the supplier to
10 of the tournament finalists. Adidas and smaller German rival Puma each have deals with eight teams. Yet the top four teams in the Fifa
rankings – Spain, Germany, Argentina and Colombia – all wear Adidas.
