NIKE, Inc. today launched the new Arsenal club kits showcasing a new design approach intended to maximize performance while minimizing environmental impact.  The kits highlight Arsenal’s unique heritage with traditional graphics, while incorporating lightweight design and recycled fabric.

The new kits reflect the design innovation and premium detailing demanded by football’s elite players.  A combination of renewable fabric sourcing, new design aesthetic and numerous nods to Arsenal’s rich history set a new standard for the club uniforms.

Technology Driven and Eco Sensitive Sportswear – We like!

For the first time in the club’s history, the new shirts are made entirely from recycled polyester, with each shirt directly produced from up to eight plastic water bottles found at waste disposal sites in Japan and Taiwan. The bottles are thoroughly cleaned, reduced to tiny flakes, melted into a yarn and spun for kit fabrication. This new manufacturing process reduces energy consumption by up to 30% compared to manufacturing traditional polyester.

With the new manufacturing process, Nike has saved nearly 13 million plastic water bottles, a total of around 254,000 kg of polyester waste that can take up to 500 years to naturally decompose. Every recycled bottle used to make these kits laid from top to bottom would cover over 3,000 kilometers, or 29 football pitches.

The kits allow players to maintain their optimum body temperature and perform at their peak on the pitch by helping keep them dry and cool. The new Nike Dri-FIT fabric, 13% lighter than previous kits, helps to quickly evaporate moisture by drawing it to the surface to enhance breathability by up to 7% more than previous versions. The innovative ventilation zones along each side of the jersey and below the waistband and near the base of the spine on the shorts, significantly increases air penetration to keep players cooler.

The jersey’s new dynamic fit and double knit structure gives it a sleeker appearance, while offering 10% more stretch than the last Arsenal jersey. The jersey’s silhouette follows the body’s natural contours for maximum movement and airflow.

Style and Design

A distinct sense of tradition and style has characterized Arsenal’s approach both on and off the pitch. This season, to reflect their inherent style, Arsenal will play in new home and away shirts featuring the classic sartorial craftsmanship usually found on a tailored Savile Row shirt in London.

Both shirts have a stitched seam on the upper back, deep cuffs on the sleeve, and a wide vertical mesh stripe running throughout the material. The new home shirt is a modern interpretation of the classic Arsenal shirt by combining a red body, white sleeves, and a white round-neck collar.  On the back of the shirt below the neck reads ‘Arsenal’ in the club’s unique font, similar to the massive concrete letters that stand at the entrance to the Emirates stadium.

Inside the shirt on the back of the club crest is a graphic that reads ‘Victoria Concordia Crescit’ which is Arsenal’s Latin motto and translates as ‘Victory Through Harmony.’ The new away shirt contains the same distinct craftsmanship as the home shirt, but is in the classic Arsenal away color of yellow, evoking memories of winning the League title at Anfield in 1989. The v-neck collar, cuffs and pinstripes on the yellow shirt are all redcurrant, the color of Arsenal’s shirts during the first and last year, separated by 93 years, they played at their former stadium and spiritual home Highbury.

This season additional leading clubs, including Manchester United, FC Barcelona and Inter Milan will be wearing the most eco-friendly and technologically advanced kit in football history. The new Arsenal kits will be available from July 2010 onwards.

Manchester United edged past Arsenal after an own goal by Abou Diaby broke the deadlock at one goal a piece. Arshavin scored for the travelling Gunners on 40 mins with one heck of  screamer. Things were levelled by Wayne Rooney when he made no mistake from the penalty spot subsequent to being brought down by Almunia.

Arsenal managed a 3-1 victory over Celtic in last night’s UEFA Champions League qualifying round, recording a 5-1 win on aggregate.

Goals came from a controversial 28th minute penalty awarded to the home side which was converted by Eduardo with contributions from Eboue and Arshavin in the 2nd half at the Emirates. Celtic only managed a reply nearing full time.

The win sends the Gunners through to the group stages of the UEFA Champions League finals.

More highlights at Arsenal Brunei Supporters Club blog.

Photo from the Guardian.co.uk