Nike Unveil New Teal And Black Liverpool Away Kit

Nike have officially unveiled their first Liverpool away kit—and it’s definitely not one your grandad will recall.

Building off of the teal trim teased in last week’s home kit release, the apparel giant decided to double down on the whole unrelated primary color thing with a teal away offering that will make for some colorful away days. A floral motif evoking both the Shankly Gates and the Liver Bird combined with a black trim to complete look was designed to draw on cultural influences, both past and present, from across the city.

As anyone who has ever experienced any Nike marketing will know, the American company has a thing for the word ‘hyper’, so naturally the kit color has been titled ‘Hyper Turquoise®’. Whatever you want to call it, Nike’s first Liverpool collection represents, so far, a bold departure from the perfectly-adequate New Balance regime. The gulf in pop culture influence between the two companies was also highlighted by the fact that Nike announced the release in an exclusive interview with the website HYPEBEAST, a publication where—as any true hype beast knows—walk the gods of uber-cool streetwear.

Nike VP of Football Apparel, Scott Munson lauded the release in an interview with the site, highlighting an extensive campaign to sound out local influencers, supporters and players in designing the kit:

“We went really deep into the culture of the club and the culture of the city. We got boots on the ground from our design and product teams, here in Portland, and we leveraged the local team in the U.K. to work in Liverpool for the insights.

“First and foremost, we set out to create a collection that celebrates the rich culture of the city of Liverpool and the club.

“The away kit allowed us to be bolder and more expressive in how we brought some of these cultural references to life and we’ve landed on a look and aesthetic that really reflects that.”

Liverpool captain, Jordan Henderson also weighed in on the release: “I’m a massive fan of the new away kit.

“I really love the design and how it has been influenced by the city and specific aspects of the club. I can’t wait to get back out there and play in it next season.” A very Jordan Brian Henderson take on the topic.

While the captain’s contribution to broadening Liverpool’s global pop culture appeal will be limited to his on-pitch performances, early indicators are that Nike’s deep roster of superstars are already playing a major role in flogging kits and ‘brand equity’ off the pitch.

Meaning that as various Reds return from their holidays surfing hyper turquoise waves, they’ll have a bold new kit and a whole lot of Nike cool backing their title defense.