Up until now, Nike’s England kits have been stripped-back and retro in design. And while many loved the simplicity, others considered their efforts boring and unimaginative (especially the 2013 away shirt, which looked like a 2-for-1 polo from Matalan).
And they’ve clearly taken those criticisms on board for the 2016 edition, which is their most audacious take on the Three Lions' uniform yet.
The strip features light-grey/blue sleeves, and royal blue details on the collar and sides of the shirt.
As you can see, the away kit is pretty similar, but with a red and burgundy colourway. The players’ editions are made of the same tight-as-hell, spandexy material as the Arsenal kit, which is sure to dissuade anyone with a BMI above 0.5 to part with hard-earned cash (not too worry, though: a more flattering fan’s version will sell at £60).
Nike creative director Martin Lotti said “For both kits we set out with the goal of bringing together the colours that are synonymous with English football: white, red and blue,"
"Flashes of contrast are used to illustrate innovative details such as the cross-dyed knitted sleeves and the ventilation-enhancing stripe on the sides of the shirts and shorts."
But Twitter has been ablaze with criticism for the design - in particular, the choice of contrasting socks on both kids:
Check out the pictures below...