England officially switches to Nike

[Mingjai]

Exactly - Nike has gutted Umbro, which perhaps indicates that they didn't expect to receive a lot of money in the sale regardless.

Nike has experience with this--hockey players and fans will remember them as the company that gutted Bauer.

[guest23]

Exactly - Nike has gutted Umbro, which perhaps indicates that they didn't expect to receive a lot of money in the sale regardless.

Sounds like whomever buy its is really just buying the name and will have to start from the ground up. Let hope they do not resort to what some companies do an just buy generic crap and put the Umbro name on it.

Yeah I'm not really sure what their market value is without the licensed gear and they really are a cast aside brand now. When nike announced putting them up for sale they also announced they were getting rid of cole-haan in part to "divest non-core assets".

[sportstar1212]

Exactly - Nike has gutted Umbro, which perhaps indicates that they didn't expect to receive a lot of money in the sale regardless.

Nike has experience with this--hockey players and fans will remember them as the company that gutted Bauer.

But now Bauer is back.

[shaydre1019]

Exactly - Nike has gutted Umbro, which perhaps indicates that they didn't expect to receive a lot of money in the sale regardless.

Sounds like whomever buy its is really just buying the name and will have to start from the ground up. Let hope they do not resort to what some companies do an just buy generic crap and put the Umbro name on it.

Yeah I'm not really sure what their market value is without the licensed gear and they really are a cast aside brand now. When nike announced putting them up for sale they also announced they were getting rid of cole-haan in part to "divest non-core assets".

My brother had a pair of cole haans with nike air in the heels. They were pretty sweet. Just thought I'd share that

[Malpass]

I just have 2 wishes...

1. England returns to home of White/Navy/White and away of Red/White/Red.

2. It's not just a regurgitated teamwear template.

The transition of Umbro teams to Nike was inevitable. Just like Reebok to Adidas, hell even Bolton have and they play at the Reebok Stadium. It is ludicrous how often new kits come out now. What was wrong with releasing one every St. Georges day with home and away alternating years?

I do wonder what direction Nike will take things - a lot of their international kits are quite futuristic, but France's isn't, and I just think that Nike might follow that. A futuristic England kit would quickly establish the change - Umbro canned the complicated designs in 2009 for England - and maybe differentiate it enough to make Jonny Patriot out on the street buy it. I know that many were rather baffled that the home kit previous to the current one (with the coloured crosses) wasn't actually used in a tournament, and Nike would do well to avoid a farce like that...

I'm sure that No.2 won't happen, the top clubs (Manchester United, Barcelona, Celtic) and countries (Netherlands, Portugal, Brazil) normally get their own kits from Nike, and I fully expect England to be part of that. The reverse does happen though - last year's brand-new hot-of-the-press prestige Manchester United kit becomes a rebadged and recoloured Doncaster Rovers away kit.

[Saintsfan]

I just have 2 wishes...

1. England returns to home of White/Navy/White and away of Red/White/Red.

2. It's not just a regurgitated teamwear template.

The transition of Umbro teams to Nike was inevitable. Just like Reebok to Adidas, hell even Bolton have and they play at the Reebok Stadium. It is ludicrous how often new kits come out now. What was wrong with releasing one every St. Georges day with home and away alternating years?

I do wonder what direction Nike will take things - a lot of their international kits are quite futuristic, but France's isn't, and I just think that Nike might follow that. A futuristic England kit would quickly establish the change - Umbro canned the complicated designs in 2009 for England - and maybe differentiate it enough to make Jonny Patriot out on the street buy it. I know that many were rather baffled that the home kit previous to the current one (with the coloured crosses) wasn't actually used in a tournament, and Nike would do well to avoid a farce like that...

I'm sure that No.2 won't happen, the top clubs (Manchester United, Barcelona, Celtic) and countries (Netherlands, Portugal, Brazil) normally get their own kits from Nike, and I fully expect England to be part of that. The reverse does happen though - last year's brand-new hot-of-the-press prestige Manchester United kit becomes a rebadged and recoloured Doncaster Rovers away kit.

Nike have been relatively respectful of tradition in recent years, across international designs. I have a slight conspiracy theory that perhaps Nike have pushed Umbro into pushing the envelope out for England with the last few kits, what with royal blue shorts, a change that's blue not red, and then an away kit that features Red, rather than navy as a highlight color. I wouldn't be surprised in Nike come in with some fairly conservative, traditional designs for England for the first few kits.