Twitter"> clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

New Adidas University of Miami Cleats Claim Miami is a State

By Ashley Brozic
Photo: @adidasFootballUS/<a href="https://twitter.com/adidasFballUS/with_replies">Twitter</a>
Photo: @adidasFootballUS/Twitter

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Adidas may need a new lesson in geography, or maybe it's just a U thing. The sportswear company tweeted out our first glimpses into their 12 year merchandise deal with the University of Miami- ombre green and orange cleats stamped with palm trees and a "State of Miami" reference. But there's so, so much more. They followed up with a barrage green and orange, custom-made footwear for former players with stats, shout outs to Coconut Grove, and a nod to the school's invention of "swagger" in an Art Deco font. Let's hope future recruits aren't turned off.


So far the merchandise we're seeing is brighter, louder, and heavily influenced by Miami and the tropics. We should have seen it coming though. If UM's football uniforms will be anything like adidas's "Made in March" basketball getups worn by UCLA, Indiana, and Notre Dame, they'll heavily reference the city and nod strongly towards alma mater traditions. It's a far cry from Nike's sleek college uniforms, which were one of the best of 2014 according to the NFL, but not necessarily a bad one.


Their partnership kicks off in September, and is reportedly worth "'multiple' times more than Miami's previous arrangement with Nike," according to ESPN. Nike chose not to match it, and Under Armour lost the bid.
· Miami, Adidas strike 12-year deal [ESPN]
· University of Miami Announces 12-Year Apparel Deal with Adidas [Bleacher]
· UM Might Lose Recruits to Serious Adidas Shoe Discrimination [Racked Miami]