Liverpool’s new deal with Nike is officially underway, with the Reds launching their kit for the 2020/21 season on Saturday morning.The anticipation for the reveal might have diminished slightly due to the fact that the kit leaked months ago, but seeing the players in the new Nike kit is still a pleasant sight.The home kit features a white and teal collar and sleeve cuff, which, along with the red, are the three colours used throughout Liverpool’s history.Teal is also reminiscent of the shade of the Liver Bird that stands atop the Liver Building.Scott Munson, Nike’s Vice President of Global Football Apparel, said, per Liverpool’s website: “At the start of any new partnership it is important to show maximum respect and we have done that by concentrating on the club's core identity."What you have is a clean, strong design, which any fan would immediately know belongs to Liverpool."
However, some Liverpool fans are upset over one feature about the kit.There are two versions available to purchase, the match day ‘Vapor’ shirt and the ‘Stadium’ shirt.The ‘Stadium’ shirt is the cheaper of the two, coming in at £69.95, while the ‘Vapor’ shirt will set fans back £99.95.
Even £69.95 is expensive for a shirt and some fans believe they are being pushed into buying the more expensive version due to the quality of the ‘Stadium’ design.The details included in the ‘Vapor’ shirt are absent from the ‘Stadium’ edition, which some fans believe looks cheap and poorly made.
One fan on Twitter wrote: “Nike pulling a fast one here. £100 for the genuine shirt complete with pattern and detail. £60 for a jarg market copy marketed as a replica!
“Shirt prices are bad enough, now you can’t even buy a true likeness of the actual kit without being fleeced. I’m out!”
Another added: “I’m not trying to be funny right, that ‘stadium kit’ looks so cheap to be £70.”
A third said: “That ‘stadium kit’ is so cheap looking. I’d barley [sic] pay £45 for it let alone £70.
“But tbh it’s smart marketing from Nike. They know it looks cheap and not worth the £70, so they know nearly everyone will go and buy the more expensive one.”
The difference in quality, plus the lack of detail, is a real shame. No wonder Liverpool fans are upset.