As has been the case in the past, Barcelona find themselves debuting Nike’s latest apparel technology – Dri-FIT ADV – with their new training range for 2022, giving us a first look at the template that the Swoosh will use on their 2022 World Cup kits.
January 2021 saw Barcelona get a new training range, and it was the first to use Nike’s all-new NextGen Vaporknit technology. Flash forward 12 months and it’s the Catalan club who are again given the privilege of getting the Swoosh’s latest technological advancement in the form of Dri-FIT ADV. The new tech combines sweat-wicking fabric strategically placed in high-heat areas with advanced engineering and features that maintain breathability and comfort. That advanced engineering is essentially a streamlined design that creates a tailored fit made to move, and it looks to use a familiar technique to achieve this...
Focussing on two pieces in particular from the collection, the Vapor Elite short sleeve top and the training sweatshirt, and both feature the Dri-FIT ADV technology – an evolution of Nike's Vaporknit technology. Looking closer at their construction though and they appear to have bands embedded within, similar to what you’d expect to find in some of Nike's compression gear. It’s also reminiscent of the adidas TechFit PowerWeb technology from 2010.
Another point of note is the layered, offset effect of the Swoosh branding and club crest. No performance aspect here, obviously, but a subtle shift in aesthetics. Is it one we’ll see brought forward on future apparel? Possibly, although in our opinion it’s unlikely to replace the standard Swoosh that usually appears on match kit. Nice for a change though.
The collection as a whole takes its cues from the shirt that Barcelona wore in the 1992 Champions League final – originally manufactured by MEYBA – with the design of a new pre-match shirt in particular paying homage to that original shirt. It adopts the same vibrant orange colouring for its base, and sees a sublimated chequered graphic – made up of the word ‘Culers’, a nickname for the FC Barcelona supporters – applied to the front, back and sleeves of the shirt. The stripe on the left sleeve also features a chequered pattern, this time in Barca’s traditional Blaugrana colouring, a direct nod to the 1992 shirt.
The rest of the collection sees the same vivid orange colouring used throughout, sometimes taking the main part and other times cameoing on pieces that are made up of the Catalan club’s more common blue and red look. The collection is made up of a range of jackets, hoodies, tees, tracksuits, training tops and shorts, available in men’s, women’s and kids sizes.
Shop the Barcelona 2022 training range at prodirectsoccer.com
