Shoot Review: New Balance’s Liverpool FC CXXV 17/18 Lifestyle Collection

With Christmas Day right around the corner, Shoot! may have dug out the perfect last-minute present for that Liverpool FC supporter in your life.

We have teamed up again with New Balance Football to test out their latest Liverpool Football Club CXXV 17/18 green Lifestyle Collection, in celebration of the 125th Anniversary of Liverpool FC, with our very own Dan Church being sent a load of the clothing line to review ahead of the festive period.

To begin with, my Dad was a fond Reds fan back in the day, so thankfully there were no eyebrows raised when I suddenly appeared in Liverpool FC gear inside the house!

For Shoot!‘s latest review, I was sent five items of the CXXV Lifestyle Collection: the Green Hoody, Green Polo, Green Tee (T-Shirt), Green Sweatshirt and Green Sweatpants.

Starting with the Green Hoody (Featured image), which is undoubtedly my favourite piece, seeing as I have rarely ditched it since the recent ‘cold snap’, it is surprisingly warm and snug for a sportswear item at this time of year.

New Balance’s Liverpool FC CXXV 17/18 Lifestyle Collection Polo.

Despite mostly used to help keep me warm out and about, I’ve modelled this hoody multiple times at my local gym, with its flexible material proving ideal during workouts – from cardio, to weights, and exercise classes.

The Liverpool FC badge and CXXV anniversary logo is stitched beautifully onto each side of the zipper, despite its presence being slightly swamped by the dark green surrounding it.

Meanwhile the hoodies zip draws all the way to the top of the clothing, up to your neck, helping you keep warm as possible, whilst the hood is adjustable and elasticated for personal preference.

Admittedly, there is a rather odd zip pocket on the upper left arm, which may prove useful at one stage in my life, I guess, not that I’ve encountered it just yet! Otherwise the hoody is a cracking buy for any Reds fan looking to keep warm this winter, or simply as a late Christmas present, having already proved very popular online.

Next up is the Polo, the most stylish item I was sent, in my opinion. Again with the striking New Balance, Liverpool FC and CXXV logos stitched, this Polo wouldn’t look out of place on manager Jurgen Klopp or midfielder Jordan Henderson during a press conference.

New Balance’s Liverpool FC CXXV 17/18 Lifestyle Collection Tee.

It is something the Liverpool FC players certainly wouldn’t be ashamed of posing in, despite all their millions of pounds, with its slick and professional design, plus very short sleeves, creating a smart piece of sportswear that would easily be worn very frequently in everyday life.

Topped off with a neat high-neck button, the Polo is the item I would be most likely to wear out and about the most, plus is the best value for money out of the Lifestyle Collection at £32.00.

Thirdly, we move onto the Green Tee, which is not too much different to the Polo, other than an extra ‘NB’ logo at the bottom of the T-Shirt.

Equipped with rather short sleeves once again, the major feature on the Tee is the right-sided chest pocket, which feels rather large, unnecessary and inappropriate.

Might be just me, but I don’t own many, if any, T-Shirts with chest pockets, nor is it something I look for when shopping for new items.

Moving on, the Sweatshirt is another handy addition to help keep you warm at this time of year. The long sleeves are rounded off with tightened embroidery to help insulation, alongside a nice Liverpool FC badge around the right wrist for an extra touch.

New Balance’s Liverpool FC CXXV 17/18 Lifestyle Collection Sweatshirt.

Obviously, being not too different from just becoming a long sleeved version of the Tee, the Sweatshirt feels a little overpriced at £50.00, and I would highly recommend going for the Hoody instead this winter.

And lastly, onto the Sweatpants. Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of tracksuit bottoms, or sweatpants, however you refer to them, but New Balance’s Liverpool FC collection has helped me think twice about stocking up on this item of clothing, considering how smart and comfortable this pair felt and looked.

The stitching of the New Balance logo and Liverpool FC badge makes it look a top-class piece of sportswear, whilst the ankles are restrained with tighter elasticated material, ideal for exercise or gym work, as is the purpose of sportswear.

But the main reason why I was pleasantly surprised with the CXXV Sweatpants was because I didn’t feel out of place in my local town centre, or doing a quick shop, which I would usually kit out in casual wear, at least.

New Balance’s Liverpool FC CXXV 17/18 Lifestyle Collection Sweatpants.

Shopping and strolling around in sportswear is something I usually try to avoid, but these Sweatpants offer great versatility, between jogging on the treadmill and running around the city’s shopping centre for last-minute deals, as the bottoms are not simply defined as just tracksuit bottoms, but offer another stylish option to your ‘casual wear’ wardrobe.

Not sure I’d stump up £50.00 for a pair, but that is the going rate seemingly these days, especially if it is designed in association with a top Premier League club.

For more details on New Balance’s Liverpool FC CXXV 17/18 Lifestyle Collection, visit www.store.liverpoolfc.com.

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