Nike finds the perfect fit for female football kits
14/03/2019
It invited 28 players, two from each country, to the grand unveiling of the kits (pictured), which have been specifically designed to cater to the needs of female footballers.
Nike has spent three years working closely with players to design kits that offer the correct fit for these athletes. The feedback they gave was that a V-neck shirt is preferable, which makes it easier to slide the head and hair in. They also expressed objections to draw cords and side-seams on shorts.
At its Sports Research Lab, Nike captured the precise 4D measurements of a number of players. This included heat-mapping the areas of their bodies more prone to perspiration to ensure proper ventilation zones on the kits. The brand’s research team also captured the body in motion in order to gauge the impact movement had on the garments.
Finally, Nike consulted with kit managers at the different national federations to compare the sizes players requested with the sizes their measurements would have indicated. They discovered that players generally request shorts a size smaller and shirts a size larger than their measurements would suggest.
All of these considerations went into the design of the new kits, as well as into an accompanying range of training, travel, pre-match and post-match gear.
The national teams involved will wear the new kits for the first time later this month, before they are released on general sale in May. The FIFA Women’s World Cup takes place from June 7-July 7 across nine cities in France.
Image credit: Nike.
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