Croatia Nike EURO 2012 Home Kit

Nike continues this week’s series of national team strip launches with that of the Croatia EURO 2012 home kit (now available at World Soccer Shop and Subside Sports). The new uniform will be the Vatreni’s (Blazers’) primary kit for the 2012/13 international season that includes the European championships and 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

According to Nike: Croatia’s unique kits are an important and emotional symbol of their young country.

Featuring their famous red and white checks, the home shirt has a red crew neck collar with the body now featuring an even bigger and bolder red and white check. The sleeves contain smaller checks to create an overall more colourful design.

Inside the neck is the message “Uvijek Vjerni” which translates as ‘Always loyal”, to celebrate the loyalty and passion Croatians feel for their football side.

The new home shorts are white, while the new home socks, now with improved cushioning for greater comfort, also white with a subtle band of tonal checks.

In line with Nike’s commitment to combining athletic performance with lower environmental impact, fabric for the new kit’s shorts is made with 100% recycled polyester, while the shirt fabric is made with a minimum 96% recycled polyester. Each kit is made using an average of 13 recycled plastic bottles.

The kits are constructed using Nike Dri-FIT technology to wick moisture and are made out of 23 percent lighter fabric with 20 percent stronger knit structure than Nike’s previous kits.  The shirts also feature laser-cut ventilation holes to promote localized cooling, to help regulate player temperatures during a  match.