Nike updates boots and uniform for revamped American football offering
15/12/2015
The Nike Vapor Untouchable uniform features a chassis with minimal seams and fewer panels (five each in the jersey and pant) than traditional builds, current industry standards and previous Nike uniforms. “We removed all of the seams from the front of the jersey and shoulders to help improve stretch, mobility, range of motion and durability — insights we’ve taken directly from our athletes.
This creates a shrink-wrap fit, resulting in fewer grab points for the opposing team,” explains Nate Retzlaff, Nike’s design director of NFL and NCAA Apparel.
The uniform also replaces mesh with a laser-perforated, stretch-woven material in key sweat zones (the stomach, lower back and behind the knee) to help support thermoregulation through optimal ventilation. Additional design enhancements include a vented neck grille for improved breathability and durability, a back stretch gusset for a better fit and strategic design elements to reduce moisture marks on the stomach and back.
The new football boot was developed over two years using 3D printing and Finite Element Analysis software that tests the plate to map key stress points, and is Nike’s lightest football cleat at 9.5 ounces. The plate features a new stud configuration that trades traditional conical studs for new four-sided studs. This shape, according to studies by the Nike Sports Research Lab, offers maximum traction and helps advance acceleration, deceleration and lateral movement.
“Our goal is to give athletes strength, speed and traction in a lightweight package,” said Jeff Rasmussen, senior designer for Nike Football Cleated Footwear. “The Nike Vapor Untouchable II achieves that by restructuring the plate and reducing the amount of separate components that make up the entire cleat.”
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