This season, FC Barcelona will play in a bright new away kit capturing the youthful spirit of La Masia. La Masia is FC Barcelona’s revered youth academy responsible for producing so many of the club’s leading players today. The bright crimson kit is fresh and unexpected, reflecting young players’ desire to stand out from the crowd.

The shirt sports a crewneck collar and is entirely bright crimson except for the deep cuffs, which represent the Blaugrana with dark red on the front and blue on the back. On the back of the collar inside the neck is he Senyera, the Catalan flag, tbetween FC Barcelona’s dark red and blue home colors. This  detail is repeated on the back of the collar, but with “Barça” in blue and the club’s signature club font below. Inside the back of the neck is a blue pennant tab with the club motto: “Mes que un club” (More than a club), and their foundation year of 1899.

The new away shorts are bright crimson with a thin blue stripe along each side, while the new away socks are bright crimson with a wide tonal stripe on the back.

The new away kits are available on nike.com on July 16 and in store on July 17.

While this new kit features Nike’s signature design details, it also offers players the very latest in performance innovation, kit technology and environmental sustainability.

NIKE DRI-FIT TECHNOLOGY

Nike Dri-Fit technology draws sweat away from the body to the exterior of the shirts and shorts where it quickly evaporates. This helps players to perform at their absolute best by remaining cooler, drier and more comfortable.

The laser-cut ventilation holes and mesh panels featured in key areas of the kit are designed to increase air circulation to the players’ bodies to  help regulate their temperatures throughout ninety minutes on the pitch.

The kits are made of a new dual-knit fabric consisting of both cotton and recycled polyester, which as well as removing sweat offers a softer feel and an overall more flattering appearance.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Nike continues to place environmental sustainability at the heart of their kits, which are again made from recycled polyester this year. These kits have been created to provide both unrivalled performance benefits and lower environmental impact.

The kits are made from recycled plastic water bottles. The shorts are 100 percent recycled polyester; the shirts are 96 percent recycled polyester, while the socks are 78 percent.

Each kit is made using an average of 18 recycled plastic bottles, and over the last four years Nike has diverted almost two billion of these bottles from landfills to produce their kits.

By using recycled polyester Nike is also reducing the energy consumed in the entire process by up to 30 percent.

A NEW AND UPDATED PERFECT FIT

Nike took 3D body scans of many of the world’s leading footballers to create a kit with an updated and perfect new fit. The new fit allows the body to move more naturally within the kit, and so effortlessly improves players’ comfort and performance.

The Nike Elite Match fit sock for 2014 also boasts a sleeker and updated design created especially for football.

Nike’s designers spoke to many of today’s elite players to gain an insight in to what they wanted from a sock during a game. There are now strategically cushioned zones to provide comfort and protection around the big toe and the anklebones where the majority of impact occurs, while arch support provides a firm foundation for the foot to prevent any slipping.

There is less material on the sock to enhance players’ touch, while flex grooves on the ankle and top of the foot prevent bunching.