The unveiling of the U.S. national team away kit from Nike for the World Cup this summer in Brazil was met with mixed reviews on Tuesday morning.
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caption:The new U.S. away kit was met with mixed reviews.
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The negative social media chatter focused on its simplicity, which some compared to a firecracker ice pop. Others said the stripes of red, white and blue made it look like the French flag. France's jerseys, also made by Nike, don't feature the country's flag this year.
"We wanted to create a design that reflected this in a daring and colorful fashion to give them an even more imposing appearance on the pitch," said Martin Lotti, Nike soccer's creative director.
The inside of the back of the neck features 13 red and white stripes to represent the number of original colonies.
Nike said the red shorts are 20 percent lighter than previous versions and are meant to fit better to the player's body. The uniform is made out of cotton combined with recycled Dri-FIT polyester, which, together with mesh and holes throughout the uniform, is said to keep the body cooler. The company said each kit is made using an average of 18 recycled plastic bottles.
The jersey was supposed to go on sale Tuesday, though a rack of them was spotted Monday at a Dick's Sporting Goods in Michigan and posted on Twitter.
"I really like the new, patriotic colorway," said team captain Clint Dempsey of the new away kit. "It's a distinctive design that looks great on the pitch. They will serve us well as we head into a competitive group."
Nike unveiled the white home kit earlier this month.