Welcome back to the blog, folks. Today we’re going to continue showing Serie A some appreciation by talking about the new 2011-2012 Nike Inter Milan Home Jersey. It didn’t see too many changes, but the alterations it did see definitely improved the shirt. What’s say we climb in the ol’ soccerprose school bus and dive on into the jersey? Good! Don’t mind the duct tape on the seats.
As you’d expect, Pirelli’s logo makes an appearance on the chest while the Inter crest is embroidered on the left breast and the Nike Swoosh appears on the right breast. The easily recognizable blue and black Inter stripes are still the focal point of the jersey, though in a different style from last season. Last season had a kind of fuzzy, zig-zag effect to the stripes that wasn’t bad, but it was just kind of…there. It was like asking somebody how they feel about cherry airheads—“Eh it’s ok.” Anyway, this season those stripes have been sharpened and cleaned up in a return to the clearly defined blue and black striped pattern. The stripes extend to the sleeves in a diagonal fashion, rather than the vertical orientation of the torso. You’ll also notice that the cuffs have a black band, which visually appealing, brings in issues with fit. More on that in a bit.
The only other substantial change in the look of the soccer jersey is the collar. Rather than continue the v-neck from last season, Nike went ahead and included a flip down collar with a single button down extending to about the sternum. I normally prefer non flip collars, except when they are teamed with a shallow button down design. It’s just classy, and I love the throwback feel. Nike has also pulled it off in great fashion—the collar is black while the button down is stitched into a center blue stripe. That’s pretty much it for the jersey updates, folks. Like I said, Nike didn’t change much, but what they did change absolutely improved the jersey’s appeal. Here’s the one thing, though: The shirt runs a little long on the sleeves. In my usual size, medium, the sleeves ran past my elbow. I’d suggest checking out a size smaller from your regular, but that depends on how you like your jerseys to fit.
The jersey’s construction has remained the same, so no worries on that end. That of course means it’s made with 100% recycled polyester, and is also made with Nike Dri-FIT technology. Couple that with the thin yet strong polyester, and you’ve got a durable, comfortable shirt. One jersey will run you $80 or so, but that’s the standard rate for new Nike jerseys.
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed our bus trip to the land of the fabled Inter Home Jersey; don’t forget to check your last step as it’s a doozy!
Written by: Kris Dyer, contributing editor, soccerprose.com
