Fans of the Jamaican football teams went crazy on the Adidas website, causing the website to shut down. The site could not handle the unusually high number of customers that were trying to get a hold of the new sports apparel released for Jamaica’s football teams on Monday.
Images of the sporting wear were released by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) on its social media accounts on Monday, which caused a surge of buyers trying to get the gear before it sold out.
The garments were designed by a British national by the name of Grace Wales Bonner; it was reported by the Jamaica Observer that even though the designer is British-born, she has Jamaican heritage. The apparel consists of a variety of kits for different occasions, such as training, home games, away games, and even jackets to be worn while the national anthem is being played.
In a press briefing on Monday, the designer expressed that she has always strived to ensure that her pieces are inspired by all aspects of her cultural identity, and she believes these pieces are no different.
She went further to say that, along with Adidas and the Jamaica Football Federation, their goal was to create pieces that would depict the diversity of the island’s environment and its entire essence while celebrating the inseparable union between football and Jamaica’s culture. Bonner hopes that the collection can be a set that both fans and players will love and wear with dignity both on and off the field.
Michael Rickets, the president of the JFF, says the pieces reflect the soul of Jamaican culture, and the incorporation of individual Jamaican colours and designs gives keen notice to the great island’s environment. He also expressed that he is excited to see Jamaican fans and football players outfitted in the new designs on world-renown stages.
The training kit is a blue shirt with Fair Isle patterns, which Adidas states incorporates traditional English style with colours representing the Caribbean and even has a golden pattern of the area’s sun.
Adidas’ iconic three stripes are in black on the shoulders of the new home jersey, which is mainly gold in colour. Additionally, it has the Adidas logo on the torso in vertical pinstripes of black and green, which Adidas claims pays homage to “the subtle rhythm of Jamaican music and style.” Wales Bonner’s signature is imprinted on the back of the collar, and the sleeves and collar are finished with black, green, and gold stripes. Green shorts with gold Adidas stripes along the sides complete the outfit.
The shoulder and side stripes of the shorts are gold on the black shirt and shorts that make up the away uniform. The JFF and Adidas logos are also gold. The jersey honours Jamaica’s Rastafarian roots with red, green, and gold stripes along the sleeves and collar.
The Wales Bonner signature is also imprinted on the back of this collar. While the reversible anthem jacket is gold on the exterior, Adidas says this symbolises Jamaica’s sunshine.
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The Jamaica senior Reggae Boyz will first be seen in the new wear next month while the Jamaica Reggae Girlz will first wear their new outfits on the 16th of February.
