England reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in style – and we’re not just talking about football.
After scoring 12 goals as they qualified for the quarter-finals, the Three Lions will face France and the exceptional Kylian Mbappe on Saturday in a bid to reach the semi-finals in Qatar.
Gareth Southgate’s side looked bright and energetic on the pitch, not least thanks to their dynamic home kit.
Released in September earlier this year, the white and blue shirt was worn for all three group games, which England went through untasteful of defeat.
The Three Lions are yet to wear their stylish red away kit – but they could get a release for the Senegal clash.
Both kits contain a number of hidden features and easter eggs that show off Nike’s meticulous attention to detail.
The home kit has a distorted graphic of the Three Lions on the shoulders, layered with aggressive angles and lines to replicate a lion coming to life with claw marks.
His use of blue is a nod to the 1992 and 1996 kits, while reflecting the youthful energy of the Southgate squad.
Click here to gear up with Nike’s National Team Home and Away Kits
Following the release of the kit, an English statement read: “Nike’s design team was inspired by the bold and energetic spirit of England’s young group of players who are unafraid to express themselves on and in off the pitch, they were also inspired by their cohesive teamwork, togetherness and movement.
“This identity inspired the Nike design team to bring a new attitude and aesthetic to the England national team collection that speaks to the loyal spirit and collective energy of young Lions.”
Meanwhile, the fonts used for names and numbers are designed to replicate heavy metal rock bands.
If you want to channel your inner Eric Cantona, the red away kit has a knitted Three Lions graphic under the collar.
Besides some incredible details woven into the kits, they are also the most technologically advanced yet.
Dri-FIT advanced is Nike’s most premium apparel product and the 2022 World Cup marks its football debut.
Aaron Barnett, senior director of product apparel at Nike, told GQ: “We always map all of our kits to athletes’ bodies for heat maps and sweat maps, and this year the fourth dimension is our que. our team was able to design against the moving body.
“It’s very different than if you associate something with a static figure. So if we need to add more structure at the shoulder, more airflow across the chest, we are able to design at the wire level.
The kit has been in the making for two years and represents a modern attitude to reflect a modern world.
Barnett adds that it is the most durable England kit to date.
“Our goal has always been to create products that are best for gamers and also best for the planet,” Barnett said.
“The total collection is made of over 75% recycled materials, which is a big step forward. And we also had 75% fewer prototypes from start to finish. »
However, the kits wouldn’t be what they are without direct consultation with the players.
Lee Murphy, Design Director of Nike Football, told GQ: “There is no substitute for that human touch.
“So we get the shirts in front of the players, they’re still doing the regular drills and warm-ups testing the kits and giving us that human touch back.”
Click here to gear up with Nike’s National Team Home and Away Kits