Nike takes over Reebok as provider for NFL apparel
“I go by looks. You look good, you feel good, you play good,” Starks said. “These look nice,” said Miami Dolphins DT Randy Starks to SI.com.
Back in April, Nike and the NFL began its new licensing agreement which replaced Reebok as the NFL’s sole producer for all uniforms, sideline equipment, and fan gear. Nike recently produced stellar uniforms for college football programs like Oregon, Ohio State, and USC.
For some teams, the alterations Nike made to their uniforms are quite drastic, while others subtly changed. For instance, one of the most popular jerseys to be unveiled was of the Seattle Seahawks. Their designs were inspired by Northwestern Native American tribal art, which is shown in the new horizontal graphics along the shoulder pads that represent the thunderbird totem and a darker shade of blue, which was influenced by the region’s environment. The Seahawks also have an alternate “Wolf Grey” uniform that they will wear later in the season.
Though every team’s look was not completely revamped, each team did have alterations made to their uniforms. One example is the new Nike Vapor Jet gloves, which ingeniously displays the team’s logo when players have their hands interlocked. But more changes were done to make the uniform more comfortable.
“Players had requested that the uniforms weigh less and provide greater range of motion,” said Nike Football designer Todd Van Horne to The Wall Street Journal.
“It makes you look like you’re playing out there with nothing on,” said Denver Broncos S Rahim Moore said to SI.com. “It makes you feel like you’re free, like you’re wearing a napkin. It’s so thin.”
But why did the Seahawks change so much and team like the New York Giants did not? Well there are various reasons why some teams didn’t seems to change much at all but ultimately, it came down to the decision of club owners and NFL rules. Some teams that have been around since the birth of the NFL in 1922 take pride in their logo and colors and consider it as a symbol of tradition. Therefore, Nike could not just come in and completely recreate the culture of a club like it was able to do with Oregon.
How is this new licensing agreement going to affect you? Besides the obvious aesthetic changes, the prices for the new NFL jersey have also changed. Nike jerseys now come in three different variations: Limited, Game, and Elite. Limited ($135) and Elite ($250) jerseys both feature stitched numbers, names, and logos but Elite is the exact version worn by the players on Sundays. These prices are comparable to Reebok’s retail price for the same jerseys sold last year. However, Limited, which features ironed-on, silicone letters, is now $100. These jerseys were being sold at $85 by Reebok a year ago.