Puma has released a range of new home kits that Italy, Iceland, Austria and Switzerland will proudly wear at the 2022 European Women’s Championship, which kicks off next month.
After adidas unveiled jerseys for teams including Germany and Spain last month, and Nike revealed the England, France and Netherlands outfits last week, Puma is now taking its turn before the big game kicks off on July 6.
For the launch, the tool manufacturer joined forces with luxury retail brand Liberty to create a series of designs customized for each country. Each set also carries a custom illustration that has been hand-drawn by artists in Liberty’s design studio, famous for its colorful prints and elegant floral motifs.
Puma and Liberty have also collaborated on two collections of soccer shoes designed specifically for female athletes.
The four sets were first revealed as a special launch event in London, the city that will host the European Women’s Championship final at Wembley on July 31.
Women’s Euro 2022: Live from July 6 to 31 on ESPN (USA)
Rodman tops the list of best female players 21 or less
– You don’t have ESPN? Get instant pass
Italia
Italy will play the shirt with the funky chessboard pattern that draws its symbol Azure Blue vs. tonal blocks of dark hand-drawn roses. The Italian national flag appears in red, green and white on a thin tricolor collar, complementing the updated FIGC insignia – introduced in October – on the chest.
Iceland
Iceland’s kit is similar to that worn by the men’s team in that it consists of a simple blue base grooved with a wide dark blue ribbon hanging from the national emblem, as well as a red triangular collar tab. However, the main difference is that the ribbon is not a solid block of color, but rather consists of the Liberty floral print found in Puma designs for Euros women’s collections.
Austria
The bright red Austrian shirt features delicate collars in the design created with wide straps of the Liberty Pink print. A contrasting, oversized OFB badge helps complete the look with the manufacturer’s badge also swapped from the right side of the box in order to sit above the logo.
Switzerland
The Swiss shirt appears to be covered in a camouflaged spotted pattern, but upon closer inspection, the dark red spots consist of a Liberty flower design. A simple white V-neck collar provides contrast, along with the two badges always found on Swiss team kits – those of the country’s football association and its national flag.
shoes
In addition to producing custom kits for four countries at the 2022 European Women’s Championship, Puma has also created two special versions of the shoes that have been tailored to match female players at the tournament.
Sparkling white, the Puma Future and Puma Ultra Ultimate boots are gold-plated with the Liberty Rose design, which can be found wrapped around the heel plate.
The demand for soccer shoes and apparel made specifically for women has increased in recent years, with research showing that female players are at risk of developing a variety of lower extremity injuries by playing with shoes that are primarily designed to fit men’s feet.
Now, gym manufacturers are beginning to realize the need to develop and produce a range – from T-shirts to shoes to training apparel – that are expressly designed with the needs of athletes in mind.
“Women’s football has always been a priority for Puma,” said Marco Muller, head of team sport management for the German brand’s product line. “At the Grand Championship this summer, we teamed up with Liberty to produce a bespoke collection for our Math to be worn on the bigger stage.”
