New NFL Uniforms Unveiled by Nike

Nike/Business Wire

It wasn't your average fashion show. The NFL unveiled new uniforms, made by Nike, for each team in pro football today. The uniforms were shown at a gridiron-themed presentation attended by NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell and New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz, among other players, and featured 32 models who weren't exactly sample size.

The new designs are a result of Nike's new licensing partnership with the NFL. The league's previous apparel partner, Reebok, had been in charge of the NFL's gear for more than a decade.

The new uniforms feature lightweight materials and a tighter fit that, the company says, allows for easier movement.

"It feels good," said Seattle Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor, who said there was a better range of motion in the new uniform. "The way they have the uniform cut, I mean, I think they have it down to a T."

In addition to uniform's new fabric, they also feature "customizable baselayer padding" that can be moved and helps to protects players.

From a distance, most of the uniforms do not look dramatically different.  The Seattle Seahawks did use the occasion to update their look, which now features a bit of neon green and a few design elements that give more emphasis to the Native American heritage of the Pacific Northwest.

For most teams the most striking change will be on the player's gloves, difficult to spot from the stands. Each pair of gloves will feature the team's logo, visible only when a player interlocks his fingers.

The new uniforms will make their debut on the field during the upcoming 2012 season.