THIS WEKS IG BEST 11

The Naija kits took the world by storm today and rightfully so. We’ve said our peace on them and turn our attention to other inspiring gems from the beautiful game. This week sees Nivelcrack drop their Red Devils collection, while the Football Gal shows off her brilliant embroidery work on a throwback Arsenal kit. Puma follow the wave by dropping a lifestyle look-book for the new Italy kits, Trevor Noah visits Kiev for the UCL Final and Usain Bolt trains in the new Puma “Illuminate” pack for a training session in Norway.

Bucket list… #championsleague #championsleaguefinal #blessed

A post shared by Trevor Noah (@trevornoah) on

– 🇯🇵 @mundialjpn 💎

A post shared by Box2Box Football (@b2bheritage) on

Azzuri 🇮🇹 . #italia #puma #calcio

A post shared by Footbender (@footbender) on

Post-season. ☀️⚽️ Thursday 🚨

A post shared by Own (@ownfanclub) on

Usain Bolt in training with Norwegian side Stromsgodset ⚡

A post shared by Bleacher Report Football (@brfootball) on

The Arsenal.

A post shared by Diana Al Shammari (@thefootballgal) on

SCOUTING REPORT: LET’S TALK BARCELONA & PSG

Aren’t we tired of talking about Real Madrid and the Champions League finals? Finally, Liverpool gets some of the UCL spotlight that has been dominated by Los Blancos for the past three seasons. Being a Barcelona fan myself, this weekend’s final is not something I am looking forward to. Of course I want Liverpool to snatch it from Madrid, but considering my bad luck in sports this year, I have a feeling the boys in white are going to win it again and I’m going to avoid all soccer forums until the World Cup – I don’t like facing the truth. And being a bitter Barcelona fan, I want to steal the big spotlight from these two teams, especially Madrid, at least for the length of this article. For this week’s Scouting Report, I’ll be covering Nivelcrack’s most recent release of their half-zip pullovers inspired by the colors of Barcelona and PSG.

Overall Design: The design of the two pieces are simple and clean. No graphics are integrated, but the main colors of each club were used to show the inspiration behind each piece. The colors of FC Barcelona are blue and red, which is also why they are known as the Blaugrana meaning blue and deep red in Catalan. The colors of PSG are blue, red, and white, hence the name of the piece is “Tricolor” after the three signature colors of the Parisian club. This is a contrast from the rest of Nivelcrack’s SS18 collection as most pieces from that collection were graphic-heavy. The structure of the pullover featuring the half-zip up to the neck is also a great look in my opinion, where it definitely has its roots in soccer.

Score: 4/5

Functionality: These pullovers are made from 100% polyester and yes you certainly can play on the pitch with these, and I actually recommend it as I’ve done so myself! The quality on these is up there with other tracksuits and tops from other major sporting apparel companies. The reason why tracksuits and athletic tops like these became a fashion trend was not just for its looks, but also how comfortable and practical they were for daily wear. When I first laid my hands on them, they felt rich and thick, but also light enough to not drag you down when you wear them.

Score: 5/5

Uniqueness: When you think of this criteria, you’re looking for something that is different from what’s out there right now in the market. Being a Barcelona fan and maybe from a biased perspective, I had a very positive first impression when I first saw the “Blaugrana” pullover. Not because anything in the design was out of this world, nor because it was something I haven’t seen before, but because it perfectly captured how I would want to represent my club without having to boast about the actual crest of the football club. It had just enough of the Barcelona DNA (shout-out Xavi) for me to want to wear it.

Score: 4/5

Details: The details of both pullovers are in their colors, but not much else. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the point of this release was to have the colors be the focus of the overall design, and I think Nivelcrack played their cards right with this one. This is the only way for us to talk about Barcelona and PSG during this time of the month, and I want to thank these two pieces for giving me an opportunity to snatch some of the spotlight from the Madridistas of what would soon be a terrible weekend for me.

Score: 3/5

You can now purchase the Blaugrana and Tricolore Half-zip Pullovers from RBC for US customers or Nivelcrack.

SCOUTING REPORT: ZLATAN THE TAEKWONDO MASTER

We’re all used to it by now. We’ve seen it a countless number of times from the Swedish giant Zlatan Ibrahimovic dominating the soccer pitch week in, week out. What makes him so great is not solely because of the number of goals he’s scored, nor because he’s won league titles in every league he has played in with the exception of the EPL. He is recognized as a one of a kind because of the manner in which he has done everything from day one of his career. He is probably one of the few players – minus Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar – to have so many goals that are just jaw-dropping. He’s done it so many times that you expect nothing less from him, but still, when they happen again, it never ceases to amaze you. With all that said, did you know that behind his worldly talent in soccer, Zlatan earned a black-belt in taekwondo as a 17-year-old in his hometown of Malmö? And to further his credibility, he’s even received an honorary black-belt from the Italian national taekwondo team in 2010. Putting the two pieces together, I think it’s safe to assume that his outrageous acrobatic goals can be credited to his background in the ancient Korean martial art.

This week’s Scouting Report will cover the latest “Taekwondo FC” tee collection by Nivelcrack, one of our favorite soccer streetwear brands from Korea, recognizing the taekwondo-soccer master himself: Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Overall Design: This isn’t the first time Nivelcrack has released a “Taekwondo FC” tee. Their first release was based on the time when Diego Maradona faced Korea at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, and the Koreans used their taekwondo skills to stop him from his domination. This new collection takes the same approach and illustrates Zlatan doing a jumping taekwondo kick on the soccer field during his time at Manchester. The collection comes in two colorways of blue and red. The meat of the design is on the back of the shirt, while the front of the shirt simply reads “Taekwondo Futbol Club.” Overall I think the design is cool and the colorways are dope.

Score: 4/5

Functionality: I own these myself and can safely say that they’re of great quality. You don’t have to worry about them fading away like some of the 100% cotton tees out there.

Score: 4/5

Wearability: It was a perfect time for Nivelcrack to release this collection as for the past couple weeks Zlatan has been grabbing all headlines in soccer through his move to the MLS with LA Galaxy. His debut goals to snatch a comeback win in their first ever LA derby against LAFC brought more spotlight his way, and he’s also been making some appearances on very popular shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live. Summer is upon us here in LA, and it’s only going to get hotter. It’s perfect to match the heat with this refreshing design of a T-shirt. The pieces will definitely turn heads if you wear it to an LA Galaxy home match or anywhere in LA where Zlatan has been the focus of the city for that matter!

Score: 4/5

Details: Without the number of details on the design, it would be difficult to tell which player the T-shirt is recognizing as the main drawing can easily be seen as just an outline of a person. However, Nivelcrack has done a good job of maintaining some key features of Zlatan so that any true fan will be able to immediately point out that it’s the lion himself.

Score: 4/5

Technology and Innovation: Not much innovation here in terms of design as it is a traced sketch of an actual photo, and also the fact that its a continuous release of the “Taekwondo FC” tee collection, but the overall concept of these are great and fresh.

Score: 3/5

You can now purchase the Taekwondo FC tee collection by Nivelcrack from RBC.

SCOUTING REPORT: SOCKS THAT TURN HEADS – DFB SOCKS

There are many iconic designs throughout soccer history that most fans would be able to instantly recognize; there are even designs that would appear familiar to the more casual fan, perhaps even those outside of the soccer realm as a whole! The design patterns of the 1990 West Germany jersey is definitely one such design, and is arguably considered by some as the best soccer jersey of all time. This kit features stripes that resembles the German flag and embodies a very classic vintage aesthetic. The look is so popular that adidas decided to bring it back for the new 2018 home kit for the upcoming World Cup, only this time they didn’t use the original black, red, and yellow colors for the stripes, but the same pattern inspiration is all obviously there.

It’s not everyday that you hear about socks that turns heads and gains much attention from the fashion-savy people in the soccer culture community, but the “DFB Socks” by Nivelcrack manages to do just that.

Overall Design: The overall design is simple and straight to the point. It carries the iconic patterns of the 1990 West Germany jersey featuring the black, red, and yellow stripes with a white base. Nivelcrack was smart to not change the original design of the kit, however, they’ve added their own taste into it as there are some things in the world that you just should not alter.

Score: 5/5

Functionality: We here at KTTP like to try out products firsthand that we review for our Scouting Report series whenever possible. I own a pair of these myself and believe me when I say that these are some really high quality socks, not one of those cheap ones that usually loses its quality and strength in thread after a couple of wears and washes. It is a bit in the thicker end, so it may not be the most ideal ones to wear during the hottest days in the summer, but hey I ain’t going to judge you.

Score: 4/5

Wearability: The cool thing about this sock is that they would look good with shorts on, because you get to show off the cool patterns of the 1990 German kit, as well as with a pair of jeans that ends right above your ankle so that the patterns shows off occasionally throughout your day. The days of wearing colorful socks are in the past. I’m all in for white socks these days, so this is a must.

Score: 5/5

Details: If these socks were named something else and completely random and not “DFB” socks, fans of the beautiful game would still recognize this design as being inspired by the famous Germany kit and that comes down to Nivelcrack’s attention to detail in making sure the original design is resembled perfectly. Bravo!

Score: 5/5

Technology and Innovation: Not much innovation in terms of technology, but this design is refreshing to see on a pair of socks. I’m surprised it took this long for a brand to capitalize on the iconic design, and if there were any in the past and I just don’t know about it, please shoot me a message and educate me!

Score: 4/5

You can now purchase these socks by Nivelcrack from RBC.

SCOUTING REPORT: DIOS NECKLACE BY NIVELCRACK

So often now you see soccer-inspired brands release jerseys, shirts, pants, and shorts all year long but rarely accessories. The most accessory type of gear you would see would be a pin to possibly put on your hat, coat, or bags. Nivelcrack, a streetwear brand from Seoul, is once again testing its limits when they released the “DIOS NECKLACE” in both gold and silver. The release was an innovation in its own way in that not many brands care to include accessories like a necklace in their collections, and what better player to use as your design inspiration other than the one with the flashy lifestyle: Diego Maradona?

Overall Design: The name and the design of the necklace tells you exactly what moment in football history this is referring to: the infamous “hand of God” goal scored by Diego Maradona against England in the quarter-finals at the 1986 World Cup. A legendary move like this will not happen in today’s World Cup games due to the implementation of the VAR starting this year, but then again soccer is always full of surprises… This necklace takes the silhouette of that exact moment – kind of like the Jordan “Jumpman” logo – taken from a staged photograph of when Diego Maradona jumps up to extend his arm to score the goal. In the post-match conference, Maradona explained that the goal was scored by “…a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” Overall I think this design, which comes in both gold and silver, is ingenious. Taking one of the most iconic moments in soccer and using its image to replicate it into a necklace is simple, but it’s also one of those cases where in hindsight you can easily say “why didn’t I think of that?”

Score: 5/5

Functionality: The necklace is about 57cm in length and the pendant has a width of 2.4cm and height of 3.7cm. It’s not the longest, but I personally prefer medium sized ones like this one. I own one of these myself and they’re a great accessory to throw on everyday for any occasion with confidence due to its sturdy feel from its construction of 925 silver with 24k gold plating.

Score: 5/5

Wearability: Remember when players were allowed to wear necklaces on the pitch? That is now technically not allowed for good reason to protect the players, but I can’t lie that I miss the look of the players running around with their necklaces bouncing off their neck/chest. One image I have of a moment like that is when Hwang Sun-hong of South Korea scored the first goal against Poland back in 2002 at the World Cup. The reason I bring up that point is to remind people reading that these would look good to wear both on and off the pitch. I don’t even think it’s that dangerous to play with accessories on but that’s just me being me.

Score: 5/5

Details: The pendant has enough details in it that fans of the beautiful game would be able to tell what this piece represents as soon as they look at it. The back of the pendant is a flat smooth surface and all the details are shown on the front; Nivelcrack has even included a soccer ball in the design. In my opinion, the one improvement that would’ve made the piece just that much better would’ve been to include the stripes of the Argentina jersey, but again, that’s just me being me.

Score: 4/5

Technology and Innovation:  As mentioned in the introduction, I think the “DIOS NeCKLACE” is innovative in its own way, not because of the design, but because of the refreshing take on an iconic moment in soccer and replicating that into a high-quality accessory, and not into basic apparel.

Score: 4/5

You can purchase the Nivelcrack “DIOS NECKLACE” through Nivelcrack or RBC.

THIS WEEKS INSTAGRAM BEST 11

The good people at hummelsport gives Christiana Sports Club a fire new kit which takes from the unique clubs surroundings and landmarks. One of the best kits we’ve seen in a while.

Mass on a Wednesday night in Madrid. #halamadrid

A post shared by Andrew Medina (@drew_near_post) on

Our very own resident Madridista and editor made a trip out to Bernabeu for a Champions League tie between Real Madrid and Dortmund. He came correct with that throwback Roberto Carlos joint.

#fuerzapipa

A post shared by Martín. ⚽️🇦🇷 (@gordopelota) on

The insanely talented artists Gordopelota isn’t letting a bum knee keep him from putting in work. We’ve fallen in love with his work over the past few months and wish him a speedy recovery.

Our good friends at Soccerbible run an expose on their latest mag with producer on fire Nana rogues.They say suffering makes the best art, he’s an Arsenal supporter so it all makes sense.

My AF1 CR7’s launch today on the Nike SNEAKRS app! #AF1#CR7 Go to Nike.com/SNEAKRS

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on

Real Madrid’s golden boy gets an Air Force one with a golden flair. First came the Air Max 97 now an AF1, we wonder if Cristiano will ever get his own signature, off the pitch.

Our favorite little club, AS Velasca intertwines art with soccer like no other club on the planet. Here is a fresh submission to a ticket design contest held by the club.

Our Korean brothers kept it coming with constant fire. This scarf is inspired by the legendary kits worn by Ilhwa Chunma that won 3 league titles and an Asian Club title from 93-95.

– 🏆 x5 From @nikefootball #mercurial #nikefootball #cr7

A post shared by Box2Box Football (@b2bheritage) on

After crushing a Predator custom a few months ago. Jack The Ripper takes to the all new Predator 18+ adding some fitting black Boost to the sole which adds to the stealthy mystique of adi’s new jewel.

Restocking 🔜 📸: @raysbeachclub #raysbeachclub #cityboysfc #zidane #materazzi

A post shared by CITY BOYS FC (@cityboysfc) on

The fine people at City Boys FC bring back one of the best soccer pieces of 2017. After selling out with the of a quickness of a Supreme collab. Keep it locked to Rays Beach Club for a chance to swipe one.

⛄️ – STAY WARM. LINK IN BIO.

A post shared by MUNDIAL (@mundialmag) on

The lads at Mundial Mag keeping football hipsters warm with a brand new scarf and bobble. Hit their IG for links to cop both.