(Photo: ASU Athletics)
The “Three Stripes Life” got a little more real for Arizona State fans as the base uniforms for the football team were released today.
7.30.15#ForksUp #teamadidasASU pic.twitter.com/63tRtkL6oZ
— Arizona State Sun Devils (@TheSunDevils) July 30, 2015
In short, the sky is not falling. ASU fans need not to worry about Adidas ruining how the Sun Devils will look when they take the field. These are only the base uniforms, and a handful of alternates will be displayed throughout the season, but it would be generally safe to say this is a good start.
“Our partnership with Adidas and the uniforms they created for our program are game changers for Sun Devil Football and Arizona State,” Arizona State head football coach Todd Graham said in a statement released by Adidas. “We pride ourselves on our speed and intensity on the field, and the technology behind these uniforms will allow us to maximize these strengths.”
That’s right. These uniforms are more than visually appealing; They have technology that will allow ASU to play better. Don’t take my word for it though. Instead, let Adidas explain:
“Made with a cutting-edge, proprietary yarn blend that increases durability and abrasion resistance, Primeknit is the premier compression uniform system, featuring the latest generation of Adidas TECHFIT technology. Primeknit helps keep players cool and increases range of motion, giving athletes an unrivaled level of comfort and allowing them to perform at their highest levels. The jersey’s padlock system secures tension over the shoulder pads, while the bodymap fit adheres to the player, making it difficult for opponents to grab, hold or tackle.”
Not only will the football team still look like it plays for ASU, the new technology will make it harder for opponents to tackle them. Forget spin moves and jukes, the padlock system will do the necessary work to break tackles.
Can you imagine if Jaelen Strong got to use all this new gear? He easily would’ve been drafted higher than the 70th overall pick.
This is more than Nike’s ho-hum Dri-FIT. This is Primeknit, the latest in Adidas TECHFIT technology.
And let’s not forget about the cleats. The adizero 5-star 4.0’s are a whopping 8.0 ounces and is fit with ‘SPRINTSKIN’ and ‘SHOCKWEB’ technology that will provide ASU players with “maximum acceleration and multi-directional traction.”
Essentially, when senior wide receiver DJ Foster breaks away for a touchdown, disregard the blocking schemes or anything Foster actually did: It was the shoes.
Finally, look at the gloves. LOOK AT THEM.
https://twitter.com/AdidasFballUS/status/626756707725606912/photo/1
That pitchfork looks a heck of a lot better than just ‘Nike’ across crossed hands.
And of course, more fancy technology comes with those gloves as well. The GripTrack 2.0 technology will provide “consistent control in all weather conditions.”
Remember the awful storm that accompanied ASU’s 24-10 win over Washington in Seattle? Well, now with these wonderfully advanced gloves, ASU will be able to play in even worse conditions, and everything will be as if the Sun Devils were playing on a sunny day in September.
Exhale, Sun Devil fans. Though there was a collective apprehension about the brand switch, it looks like ASU will be enjoying the Three Stripe Life from here on out.
In all seriousness, they are just uniforms. Most things look better when winning is involved, and that’s precisely why ASU looked so good in Nike. If the Sun Devils are on top of the Pac-12 on December 5, it won’t matter which logo is on the jerseys.
However, Adidas did allow ASU men’s basketball head coach Bobby Hurley to reportedly don the coveted Adidas Yeezy 350 Boosts while on recruiting trips in July, so something is to be said about that.
You can reach Zac Pacleb on Twitter @ZacPacleb or via email at zacpacleb@gmail.com
