New Vikings Uniforms

[Brave-Bird 08]

Am I the only one who really loves the number font? It looks good MOST of the time. I've only seen a few examples of where the combinations and excess serifs are gaudy.

[Joshawaggie]

I love the number font, when it's working right. Like Adrain Petersons #28.

[gothedistance]

The Vikings new jersey looks like a modern version of their throwback uniform.

[Gothamite]

The Vikings new jersey looks like a modern version of their throwback uniform.

And that's why it works so well.

[PALEFACE]

Am I the only one who really loves the number font? It looks good MOST of the time. I've only seen a few examples of where the combinations and excess serifs are gaudy.

I love the number font, when it's working right. Like Adrain Petersons #28.

I will admit, when they first revealed it, I hated it. My first thought was "gimmick" then it totally grew on me in the following days. Now i really like it. I think you're right, it works most of the time, it's just the right hand "2", "5" and "4" that screw it up. Tweaks to those and it would be perfect.

On a side note, am I the only one who thinks it would have been better to go with an "open" "4" instead of a closed "4" to get ride of the slanted bar that creates so much space between the serifed left hand number and the right number?

[PALEFACE]

The Vikings new jersey looks like a modern version of their throwback uniform.

And that's why it works so well.

Agreed. This is a prime example of how you dont always have to have a throw back uniform to be good. You just have to have the elements of good (and for the most part, classic) design. Here the classic look was evolved and not thrown out. On my creative team at work, we call it Evolution vs. Revolution.

[tajmccall]

Its grown on me like a giant, bushy beard. Sure, it was a little itchy and odd at first, but now it's majestic.

[TruColor]

The Vikings new jersey looks like a modern version of their throwback uniform.

And that's why it works so well.

Agreed. This is a prime example of how you dont always have to have a throw back uniform to be good. You just have to have the elements of good (and for the most part, classic) design. Here the classic look was evolved and not thrown out. On my creative team at work, we call it Evolution vs. Revolution.

I agree with this as well.

Personally, I prefer updates to classic looks, not crazy-ass departures from a teams' original brand.

(See: Warriors, Golden State.)

That being said, I also DO prefer teams to update when appropriate. I would update the N.Y. Yankees in a heartbeat, but I wouldn't go TOO far with it.

[oldschoolvikings]

The Vikings new jersey looks like a modern version of their throwback uniform.

The Vikings new jersey looks like a modern version of their throwback uniform.

And that's why it works so well.

I agree completely, but at the same time, I think it's a weird conclusion. There are all these modern elements (high concept number font, specifically shaped sleeve stripes, asymmetrical pants stripes) but when taken together, somehow the whole effect is vaguely conservative and definately recalls the classic uniform. I guess that was the intent of the design, and good on Nike for pulling it off, but if you'd just verbally described the various elements to me, I'd have thought there was no way it would feel anything like the throwback. Yet IMO, it does.

Am I the only one who really loves the number font? It looks good MOST of the time. I've only seen a few examples of where the combinations and excess serifs are gaudy.

I love the number font, when it's working right. Like Adrain Petersons #28.

I will admit, when they first revealed it, I hated it. My first thought was "gimmick" then it totally grew on me in the following days. Now i really like it. I think you're right, it works most of the time, it's just the right hand "2", "5" and "4" that screw it up. Tweaks to those and it would be perfect.

I think a lot of us are coming around on that number font. For myself, if you'd have told me at draft time that by now I'd become a fan of the font, I'd have called you crazy. I think seeing the font in action in the photos from camp has changed my mind completely.

[TheOldRoman]

I have to disagree with you all about this feeling like a throwback uniform. I see this 100% as a modern uniform. The pants stripes are different, the sleeve stripes are different, it has the neck wordmark, and of course the font. The only way it's "traditional" is that there 1) isn't random piping, 2) no disjointed stripes, no side panels, and 4) fixed-width stripes run the length of the pants. They are much better than the previous set because of those things. While these are modern uniforms, at least they more-or-less worked within the constraints of a traditional template, which is what I have long called for. It's sad that we have gotten to the point where a uniform is considered "old school" just for meeting those four criteria. The '90s Chargers and Bengals sets were great, and met those criteria, but I wouldn't consider them old school.

These don't in any way remind me of the classic Vikings look. To me, their white Northwestern stripes outlined in yellow were iconic, and these obviously don't replicate that. While I still think these numbers are atrocious, the assymetrical pants striping was a bad call, and the matte finish/black facemask of the helmet were both awful choices, I think the overall look of these is solid. I didn't like the idea of the sleeve stripes at first, but after seeing them, they work. If given enough time, this set can define the Vikings. But I still don't see it as all that similar to the classic set, and will still wish they actually did a modernization of it instead of starting from scratch.

[TruColor]

^ No side-panels and single color numbers probably inspire the "classic" claims.

[TheOldRoman]

^ No side-panels and single color numbers probably inspire the "classic" claims.

Right. I forgot the side panels part. But I don't necessarily think single-color numbers are inherently classic looking. That has been a Nike trend for a few years now, across many different uniforms. Although they don't have block numbers, the Bears have worn outlined numbers for the last 60 years or so.

[Bmac]

Didn't see this posted yet, final season at the Metrodome logo:

[colinturner95]

The font is well done. The helmet is well done, its all well done. Nike scored a big one on these

[BBTV]

I just can't imagine a world in which that font is considered well done. There's just no reason to not have the same points on all the numbers. You still get the interlock effect, and the guys with single-digit numbers will at least look like their jerseys weren't cheap knock-offs with the wrong font.

[hugevolsfan]

I just can't imagine a world in which that font is considered well done. There's just no reason to not have the same points on all the numbers. You still get the interlock effect, and the guys with single-digit numbers will at least look like their jerseys weren't cheap knock-offs with the wrong font.

I agree with this completely just makes no sense at all especially with the single numbers they could at least have been given the treatment

[TSHARE18]

I just can't imagine a world in which that font is considered well done. There's just no reason to not have the same points on all the numbers. You still get the interlock effect, and the guys with single-digit numbers will at least look like their jerseys weren't cheap knock-offs with the wrong font.

I agree with this completely just makes no sense at all especially with the single numbers they could at least have been given the treatment

I agree with both of you. Give all the numbers the same treatment. Seeing the double digit same numbers kill the whole look for me.

[MEANS]

if they actually did the numbers the correct way and not half-assed, this would be right up there with the Blue Jays overhaul they did recently. So close....

[oldschoolvikings]

also note the serifs on both numbers

I just can't imagine a world in which that font is considered well done. There's just no reason to not have the same points on all the numbers. You still get the interlock effect, and the guys with single-digit numbers will at least look like their jerseys weren't cheap knock-offs with the wrong font.

Agree to disagree, I guess. You can see in the above photo, at one time they had mistakenly put the spiked numbers on Greenway's jersey for both left and right, and to me, that looks pretty stupid. I don't like the spikes hanging off into open space at all. If a decision would be made to match the right and left numbers, they'd pretty much have to drop the spikes altogether, which would leave them with a decent (if somewhat dull) conventional font. And after seeing the font, as is, on the various jerseys from OTA I'd be a little disappointed to lose the concept.

[OnWis97]

also note the serifs on both numbers

I just can't imagine a world in which that font is considered well done. There's just no reason to not have the same points on all the numbers. You still get the interlock effect, and the guys with single-digit numbers will at least look like their jerseys weren't cheap knock-offs with the wrong font.

Agree to disagree, I guess. You can see in the above photo, at one time they had mistakenly put the spiked numbers on Greenway's jersey for both left and right, and to me, that looks pretty stupid. I don't like the spikes hanging off into open space at all. If a decision would be made to match the right and left numbers, they'd pretty much have to drop the spikes altogether, which would leave them with a decent (if somewhat dull) conventional font. And after seeing the font, as is, on the various jerseys from OTA I'd be a little disappointed to lose the concept.

Yes, but it does both ways. The benefit this photo gives to the supports of this goofy font is that 28 is about as good as any of these numbers can look. The "2" on the left works much better than, say a "1" or "7". And the 8 on the right works much better than most numbers too. But how many other fonts do we say "well 28 looks good but 47 looks pretty bad."? That's why I hate this. (FWIW, I agree with OSV that it is better on one side, but I just hate it more and more every time I see it).

And as OK as it looks on 28, do we really like it better than if just a plain "2" was used? It would then be a serviceable jersey (though I want yellow outlines, but I lose).

The other thing the Greenway jersey could be foreshadowing...will mistakes be made in the future both on replicas/authentics in stores and from the NFL Shop.com and on the field? They have definitely given themselves an extra hurdle they don't need.