See the U.S. women's national soccer team's new – and more sustainable – uniforms ahead of the FIFA World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is set to take place this summer in Australia and New Zealand, which means it is once again time for the debut of new uniforms. U.S. Soccer and Nike debuted the new looks on Wednesday, showing off designs meant for "highlighting the energy" of the four-time Women's World Cup champions.
The two new designs are for both home and away jerseys. The former is a white base with shades of blue splattered all over like paint, and will first be seen in the upcoming match against Ireland on April 8 in Austin, Texas. Unlike previous years that saw a clean white variation, U.S. soccer said that year's design "reflects an unexpected take on tradition."
"Highlighting the energy of the USWNT and how they are diverse players and personalities, but always united, the action painting method pattern features a distinctive placement, making every single jersey unique," U.S. Soccer said. "The jersey also features distinctive gold branding as a nod to the team being the four-time World Cup champions and will be paired with blue shorts and white socks."
The away jersey is an abstract blue color and pattern with a "bespoke stars and stripe print on the sleeve cuffs" and a neckline with red blades meant to look like the tip of stars. This uniform will also be worn by the U.S. men's national soccer team.
The design, U.S. Soccer said, is meant to boast "subtle, patriotic nods to the hidden shapes that are inspired by abstract expressionism art."
According to the group's press release, the latest uniform enhancements aren't just aesthetic, but were also made to assist with mobility and with more sustainable technology.
"Nike engineered the all-new kits pixel by pixel to provide precise mobility, reinforcement and venting, all with the focus of helping athletes stay cool, comfortable and move easier," the press release says, adding that the uniforms are made with "advanced performance material" and include new side panels that will help with stretch.
The uniforms were also made with the environment in mind, U.S. Soccer said.
"The future of the game is critically important to these athletes, making sustainability of the gear they wear essential," the press release continued. "...Throughout development, Nike designers focused on reducing waste at every stage through reduction, reuse and recycling."
According to U.S. Soccer, the kits are "made of 100% recycled polyester from recycled plastic bottles and use less material overall, almost doubling fabric marker efficiency compared to 2019." For comparison, the 2019 World Cup uniforms were said to just use at least 12 recycled plastic bottles, according to CBS Sports. Through its manufacturing process, those bottles are "cleaned, shredded into flakes and converted into pellets," Nike says, and then spun into a yarn that's used for the products.
Nike says on its website that using the recycled polyester reduces carbon emissions by up to 30% and that the company "diverts an average of 1 billion plastic bottles annually from landfills and waterways." Fashion company Patagonia has long had a similar approach, using recycled soda bottles to help make new clothes.
The unveiling of the new uniforms comes just a few short months before the commencement of the Women's World Cup, set to take place from July 20 to August 20 across Australia and New Zealand. This year, 32 nations are set to compete. The U.S. women's team has their first match on July 22 against Vietnam.
Should the USWNT take home a fifth win this year, they would be the first nation to ever win three back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles across both men's and women's tournaments.