Both of the U.S. 2025 kits—The Brilliant Kit and The Heartbeat Kit – were revealed back in May and have since been debuted. But what you may not know is that several key players from the both the men’s and women’s national line-ups were key in the design process in what was a revolutionary step for the creative culture Stateside, and we were keen to find out more.
What sets the 2025 U.S. National Team collection apart isn’t just the design—it’s the intentionality behind it. These aren’t kits made for the players; they’re made with them. That distinction may sound subtle, but it marks a pivotal shift in how football apparel is being reimagined.
From USMNT midfielder Kellyn Acosta and USWNT stars Naomi Girma and Lynn Biyendolo, to DeAndre Yedlin and Walker Zimmerman, Nike invited senior national team players into the design process—not as figureheads, but as creative collaborators. The result is two kits that do more than outfit a team. They carry stories. They honour history. They invite fans into a growing movement—one shaped as much by passion off the pitch as performance on it.
In a global football landscape increasingly intertwined with fashion, culture, and identity, the U.S. 2025 kits—The Brilliant Kit and The Heartbeat Kit—step confidently into that space. They’re wearable declarations of purpose and pride, filtered through the lived experiences of the people who wear them.
“When Nike approached me, it honestly caught me off guard,” said Kellyn Acosta, who was one of the players consulted in the early creative phases. “We hopped on Zooms and they asked about past kits, what I liked, what I wanted to see. It was refreshing—it felt like they actually cared about our perspective.”
What Acosta advocated for was a kit that struck the sweet spot between boldness and familiarity—something instantly recognizable, unmistakably American, and wearable far beyond the final whistle.
“I kept thinking back to the old black kits, and the royal blue pinstripes from the 2007 Copa America,” he explained. “Those stuck with me. They were iconic. So I pushed for the return of pinstripes. I wanted something memorable—something that people could be proud to wear on the street as well as the pitch.”
This sentiment echoes throughout both kits and the accompanying Anthem Jacket, all of which balance performance with cultural relevance. The Heartbeat Kit leans into a darker, more fashion-forward aesthetic, with design cues that pay tribute to the fans—the “pulse of the game,” as Nike puts it. The Brilliant Kit, meanwhile, celebrates 40 years of the USWNT, incorporating star details from historic jerseys into a clean, future-facing silhouette.
But for the players, it was never just about what the kits looked like—it was about what they stood for.
For Naomi Girma, captain of the USWNT, The Brilliant Kit is more than a uniform. It’s a tribute to the trailblazers who shaped the game long before the current generation pulled on a U.S. crest.
“I think about the women who continuously pushed the game forward,” said Girma. “The Brilliant Kit represents 40 years of resilience, passion and determination. It reminds me I’m part of something bigger than myself.”
It’s a message that comes through in every stitch. The clean white base of the kit is understated but intentional, a nod to tradition reimagined for a new era. According to Nike, every star, every seam was placed with purpose—balancing history and modernity in equal measure.
Lynn Biyendolo, who also contributed feedback during the design phase, emphasised the importance of honouring the team’s identity while pushing the style forward.
“We’ve always wanted a more colourful dark kit and a classic light kit,” she said. “But with both, the goal was the same: make it bold and fun. Something we’re excited to wear—and that fans will be excited to wear off the field too.”
It’s a reminder that today’s kit isn’t just a piece of performance gear. It’s a lifestyle piece. A collector’s item. A canvas for self-expression.
The rise of football in American culture is no accident—it’s a confluence of storytelling, style, and visibility. Whether through docuseries like All or Nothing, the global resonance of Ted Lasso, or streetwear’s increasing flirtation with the beautiful game, soccer is entering a new creative era. The 2025 U.S. kits are right at the centre of that moment.
“There’s a real cultural shift happening,” said Acosta. “Football’s no longer just about 90 minutes. It’s about identity. You’re seeing jerseys become part of everyday fashion. It matters how you feel when you wear it.”
That intersection of fashion and function is something Nike embraced fully. The design team asked players not just about colour schemes and collars, but how they wanted to feel in the kit—and how they thought fans should feel too.
“It’s about self-expression,” Acosta added. “I might draw inspiration from interior design, from streetwear, from architecture. Creativity isn’t limited to what you see on the field.”
At its heart, this design process signals something much bigger: trust. Trust in the players to articulate vision. Trust in the fans to appreciate detail. Trust in the sport’s ability to carry cultural weight.
“We’re not reinventing the wheel,” Acosta said, “but we’re finding creative ways to represent who we are.”
That collaborative process brought personal pride to the fore. For Acosta, wearing a jersey he helped design adds a level of meaning that goes far beyond aesthetics.
“Wearing the jersey is already a huge honor,” he said. “But knowing you helped shape what it looks like? That’s special. It gives you ownership. It makes you feel even more connected to the people you’re representing.”
Girma echoed that sentiment from a legacy perspective: “I hope kids—especially girls—see this kit and feel like they belong. That they see themselves in it. That they know they’re part of the future of U.S. soccer.”
And as for Biyendolo? “The fans are such a big part of our success. These kits are for them, just as much as for us.”
The 2025 kits are more than a fashion refresh. They’re a milestone. A moment that acknowledges the growing maturity of American soccer—and the players and fans driving that evolution.
As Acosta puts it, “This is the start of a movement.”
A movement where players are designers. Where jerseys are symbols. Where the U.S. crest isn’t just worn—it’s felt.
All photography courtesy of U.S.Soccer.
Shop the full U.S. National Team collection at store.ussoccer.com
