New Balance releases Athletic Bilbao kit collection for 2017-18 season

New Balance have officially revealed its first-ever range of Athletic Club [Athletic Bilbao] kits, to be worn in the upcoming 2017-18 season.

With heritage and tradition at the forefront of Athletic Club’s identity, the new collection has been launched as part of the “Unique in the World’ (‘Bakarrak Munduan’) campaign for the La Liga side.

Athletic Club defensive midfielder, Mikel San Jose, said, “The team are proud to wear the colours known to everyone at Athletic Club.

“These kits pay tribute to our great history and I am sure the supporters will be excited to see them next season.”

The home shirt features the iconic Athletic Red and white stripes, the colours that have identified Los Leones throughout their history. The shirt has a smart white flat knit rib collar  with a black insert and an embroidered full colour woven Athletic Club crest and NB logo on the chest.

2017-18 home strip.

The Ikurriña flag, synonymous with the Basque region, is printed on the back neck. The kit is completed by black shorts with athletic red streaks down the sides, and red socks.

The away design has a solid black base splashed with dashes of Alloy and Athletic Red, a design inspired by the great Athletic teams of the 1940’s.

The kit’s shorts are fully Alloy with red and black streaks on either side and the kit is completed with black socks.

The third strip pays tribute to legends of the past who won the club’s first Copa title in 1903. Key design features include the ribbed v-neck collar and embroidered full colour woven Athletic Club crest and NB logo on the chest.

2017-18 away strip.

The shirt features UV blue and white stripes with fine red striped detailing; the kit’s shorts are fully UV blue with white streaks either side.

Tested at Loughborough University’s world leading Sports Technology Institute, the kits feature a unique combination of bonded vents and zonal mesh structures to provide advanced cooling and performance benefits.

The kits incorporate moisture-activated laser cut vents in the under-arm regions that open in response to increased perspiration by the player. The shirts also include an innovative cage-design with engineered zonal mesh structures to provide targeted air flow and a supportive fit.

2017-18 third strip.

To offer added support to the ankle, the socks have built in comfort zones and the foot bed has been developed with polypropylene to alleviate excess moisture when the foot makes contact with the boot.

The goalkeeper kits have been engineered in line with the outfield players’ jerseys, sporting a mock vent and back jacquard cage system to compliment the outfield kit aesthetic.

The UV Blue (home), Green (away), and Black (third) designs feature with full colour crests, and have a classic look, completed by the tonal three colour sleeve patterns.

The full New Balance Athletic Club 2017-18 kit collection including the Elite Player Jerseys and Replica Jerseys is available now at newbalance.co.uk/football (UK residents) and in New Balance stores worldwide.