Nike launches away kit for Manchester United FC

Nike unveiled the new Manchester United Away kit for the 2012-13 season at an event held at The Castle in Cape Town during the Club's tour of the country.

Manchester United's Away kit for the 2012-13 season will see the side step out in a white shirt, black shorts, and white and black socks; colours that have long been used for the club’s second kit.

The stand out feature on the new shirt is the Henley Crew collar with a red detail and a button closure; this style of course being part of the heritage of the club but also a nod to the current youth style in Manchester.  The shirt also has a black monochromatic crest to compliment the design.

The shirt’s outer back neck graphic features the club’s iconic devil, as it is on the shorts. The shorts are a black tonal Gingham print in line with the new home shirt design.

The socks are white with a black top and again, the graphic of the club’s devil stands proud. The socks also offer a new and innovative design featuring an updated cotton footbed offering the support and comfort enjoyed by professionals to all that wear them.

Whilst the kit combines modern sport and youth style to give the club an iconic new look, Nike’s innovation gives the team our most technologically advanced kit to aid athlete comfort and performance.

The new Away kit is made from Nike’s ground-breaking recycled polyester, making it Nike’s most environmentally friendly kit ever produced.  Each kit (shirt and shorts) is made using up to thirteen recycled plastic water bottles.  This innovative manufacturing process reduces energy consumption by up to 30% compared to manufacturing traditional polyester. Since 2010 Nike has used an estimated 115 million recycled plastic bottles to create its high performance kits.

The kits are made out of 23% lighter fabric with 20% stronger knit structure than Nike’s previous kits and feature Nike Dri-FIT technology to wick moisture away from athletes to help keep them cool and dry on-pitch.

Kits have bonded re-enforced t-bar junctions that support critical seams on the shirt and shorts and inner welded seams with a flat finish construction to improve comfort and performance.  Temperature regulation is helped by ventilation zones, consisting of a series of tiny laser cut holes from the under arms to the waistband, allowing air to circulate to keep players comfortable.

Nike Pro Combat base-layers are used by athletes to compliment playing kits to further improve comfort and increase protection from injury. Whilst fans and players can enjoy the Nike’s ManchesterUnited Sportswear collection off the pitch, inspired by the club’s heritage.

Nike Inc