Inspired by the golden age of football jersey design, Mizuno have teamed up with J-League side Nagoya Grampus to drop a capsule dedicated to the club’s look in ’93 – inaugural year of the Japanese Professional League.

Mizuno’s Japanese kit designs from the 90s were bespoke beauties that were way ahead of their time, as evidenced by their clear influence on today’s J-League offerings. Chief among them were Nagoya Grampus Eight (or Nagoya Grampus, since 2008): a club with a rich Japanese footballing culture and one of the ten founding clubs of the Japanese professional football era which begun in 1993. From the off they boasted one of their most iconic looks to date, and it is this that Mizuno choose to bring back for a retro-infused capsule drop.

Nagoya Grampus won the J1-League in 2010 under the management of Dragan Stojković. Prior to that, Nagoya’s most successful season was under the tutelage of the then unknown, Arsène Wenger in 1995. That year they went on to become third in the league and won the Emperor’s Cup. 

In recent years Nagoya Grampus have undergone a resurgence which sees them compete in this years (2021) Asian Champions League following their third place finish in the 2020 season. 

The Mizuno x Nagoya Grampus project celebrates the history of the club, with the launch of the iconic 1993 jersey design, replicated in its original presentation. It’s joined by a quite simply outstanding jacket and trouser combo, both fuelled by the retro flavour of the era. 

Shop the Mizuno Nagoya Grampus Capsule from 23 July at prodirectsoccer.com