Football News - Japan Unveils New Shirts
by
R. Sanborn Brown
At a ceremony befitting a Paris prêt-a-porter opening, Japan trainer Philippe Troussier was on hand in Tokyo for the February 3rd unveiling of Japan's new uniforms. In terms of design, the deep blue in the shirts is said to represent the ocean and the sky, and a narrow red stripe that runs from the neck to the sleeves is done in a likeness of Mount Fuji.
The new strip also has a much more practical aim: it incorporates the latest technology in an attempt at helping the players prevail in the middle of Japan's muggy rainy season weather. For example, the high temperature in mid-June in Yokohama, site of the Final, averages 25 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit), with humidity a whopping 79%. Down in Osaka—where England will play Nigeria and one of the quarterfinals will be held—the mercury climbs to an average of 30 degrees C (86 Fahrenheit), with comparable humidity. In these conditions, sweat won't evaporate, it is difficult to regulate the body's temperature, and fatigue soon sets in, according to a recent report on the Science page of the Asahi Shinbun newspaper.
At an August, 2000, meeting at the Adidas complex in Scheinfeld, Germany, officials from both the parent company and Adidas Japan decided on revamping the Japanese national team's uniform leading up to the 2002 World Cup. Specifically, in order to overcome the rainy season's high heat and humidity, it was decided to implement a "paradigm shift" for the team's new uniform.
Adidas dispatched a special R & D team from Germany to Japan to work
on way of dealing with East Asia's legendary June stickiness. Company
designers incorporated mesh and other materials in creating a uniform
that is 35% lighter and considerably more absorbent. Mesh has great ventilation;
the problem with it, though, is that skin shows through. First appearing
around 1996, today more than 80% of players in Europe sport a mesh undershirt
under their team colors as a way of absorbing sweat without appearing
shirtless. As a way of solving this problem, Adidas employed its "Dynamic
Layering Concept" (DLC) and created a "double layer" shirt:
an outer layer was joined to an undershirt. Unlike previous jerseys, in
which mesh was only used around the armpits, these shirts also have mesh
across most of the chest and back.
The secret, according to the maker, is in the material. The cloth of the
inner lining of the shirt is made of 0.5-1.0 millimeter thick polyester
threads interwoven with superfine fibers. Sweat then seeps smoothly out
of microscopic openings.
In addition, an infinite amount of minute powder has been attached to the surface of the fiber itself. Normal polyester absorbs almost no liquid; however, thanks to the above powder, the new uniform can absorb four times ordinary cotton fabric. "When moisture gets absorbed...it helps to maintain a more comfortable temperature (within the uniform)," according to an Adidas Japan R & D spokesman. Using Adidas's ClimaCool Technology—which boasts a high rate of absorbency, superior ventilation, and the use of special fibers—the new shirts should aid the players in dealing with the heat.
Both the shorts and stockings also feature the "double layer" design. The inner layer of the shorts and stockings are, moreover, both made of materials with great elasticity. This is to reduce the pressure on muscles—so that unnecessary energy is not wasted—and actually aids in helping in recovering from fatigue and preventing cramping.
At the ceremony, Troussier offered his official stamp of approval: "This shirt has been designed to help our performance."
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| Original Official Japan Shirts - Direct From Japan | ||