Nike Explains 2016 NFL Pro Bowl Uniforms. Lighter, Faster

Nike explained their uniform designs for the 2016 NFL Pro Bowl yesterday via a press release on their official website. The uniforms had been previously released during an NFL Media event this past March.

As we saw in the Spring, the new uniforms are black and gold, keeping with the Super Bowl 50 theme we’ve seen throughout the league this season. Both white and black versions of the uniform have a gold “V” design across the front with a gold NFL shield on the collar; numbers are black (or white) trimmed in gold. Around the shoulders and collar on the black uniform only there’s a gold and white rain-like pattern within that gold “V”. Team logo patches are on the right sleeve.

Pants will match the colour of the jersey, it’ll be all-white vs all-black. Starting at the front of the pants near the calf there’s a gold stripe that turns outward up the side of the leg, this design stops at mid-thigh. Players will wear their regular team helmets.

What we hadn’t heard about was the new technology in the construction of the uniform. What Nike is referring to as the Nike Vapor Untouchable Uniform, this new uniform technology will also be worn on-field by the Oregon Ducks in the Alamo Bowl.

The uniform now features fewer panels than the traditional uniform build, has replaced mesh with a new laser-perforated, stretch-woven material in “sweat zones” (such as the stomach, back, and knee) and there’s no longer any seams on the front of the jersey or shoulders.

“We removed all of the seams from the front of the jersey and shoulders to help improve stretch, mobility, range of motion and durability — insights we’ve taken directly from our athletes. This creates a shrink-wrap fit, resulting in fewer grab points for the opposing team.” – Nate Retzlaff, Nike’s Design Director of NFL Apparel

Overall you have a uniform that’s now four ounces lighter than what the players currently wear throughout the season.

Not all the advancements to the uniform were made exclusively for athlete comfort, they also designed this uniform in such a way to reduce moisture marks you sometimes see on the player’s stomach and back.