Looking to once more make a meaningful impact on the pitch that will have a lasting effect on the whole world, Major League Soccer and adidas partner up with Parley for the Oceans to produce exclusive limited-edition jerseys for all 24 clubs. The initiative hopes to raise awareness and inspire action around the harmful impact of marine plastic pollution by creating customised uniforms built of technical yarns made from Parley Ocean Plastic.
For the third consecutive year, the initiative will see all 24 MLS sides wearing the kits in their respective fixtures on the weekend of Earth Day, 22 April, which this year incorporates all games from Friday 19 – Sunday 21 April. Last year's offerings landed in a monochrome black and white look, while this year's jerseys come in "Blue Spirit/Legend Ink", with home and away teams obviously featuring contrasting looks.
The innovative kits, built with Climate technology, are crafted using threads made from upcycled plastic waste intercepted by Parley from remote islands, shorelines, and in coastal communities. Once collected, the original plastic source is reworked into technical fibers that can then be repurposed for use in either apparel or footwear. To commemorate this and celebrate the importance of our oceans, which generate 50 to 85 percent of the air we breathe, the message “For the Oceans” is featured in the inside of the neck tape detailing, and each club’s name is featured on the back-neck.
The collaboration between MLS, adidas and Parley for the Oceans also serves to encourage fans to decrease their use of single-use plastics and reinforce the importance of changing human attitude and behavior towards plastic pollution through the Parley AIR Strategy: Avoid. Intercept. Redesign.
To drive additional awareness for the cause, adidas will also launch a grassroots educational effort with MLS Academy clubs beginning on Earth Day where teams will have a chance to win a set of adidas x MLS x Parley kits for their clubs.
The adidas x Parley partnership is a part of MLS WORKS Greener Goals, a League-wide effort to highlight MLS’ commitment to environmental sustainability.
All 24 Adidas x Parley kits are available from MLSstore.com
