Atlanta United unveiled its new primary kits, nicknamed by the club as the “BLVCK Kit,” on Friday night at the Home Deport Backyard beside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The kit features a black top with five thin red stripes down the center. The shorts are black with red stripes. The socks are black with red stripes. The kit was designed and produced by Adidas, which is the league’s kit provider.
“A kit is a journey, we can’t just have the same every time,” Atlanta United President Darren Eales said. “Josef (Martinez) said it was his favorite kit. For me, it doesn’t get better than that.”
The look of the jersey has been known for several weeks. But there was one tweak shared by the club during Friday’s hour-long program. The kit includes a jocktag -- a piece of fabric at the bottom of a jersey -- that features the No. 5 and a crown, representing the team’s first season.
The kit is on sale and can purchased at mlsstore.com or at the team’s store at Atlantic Station on Saturday. The team also is scheduling a tour from Sunday-March 12 during which supporters can purchase one at outdoor locations.
Friday’s program, which was a drive-up event, included appearances by Eales, Martinez and centerback Miles Robinson, manager Gabriel Heinze, and rapper Jeezy. It included a laser show played against Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The show was hosted by Kevin Egan.
“I like the new kit,” Robinson said. “It’s a fresh change. We’re all blacked-out.”
Martinez said he also loves the black color and the new jersey. He thanked the fans for all of their messages sent while he recovered from his knee injury.
“I’m OK, I’m really happy to be back on the field,” he said. “I’m ready for a new season.”
Eales said issues related to COVID-19 didn’t affect the design or the production, which he said was a credit to Adidas. The design process started two years ago, and included the club, the league and Adidas. Atlanta United presented a few ideas. Adidas designers in Germany then worked off those ideas.
Eales said the club was presented with two options, which were then narrowed to the one presented Friday.
This is the third new primary kit in the team’s history. The first featured five alternative stripes of red and black on the front and remains the most popular among the team’s supporters. The second featured nine alternating red and black stripes on the front.
Credit: Jacob Gonzalez/Atlanta United
Credit: Jacob Gonzalez/Atlanta United
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