One of the best things about soccer is seeing the newly unveiled kits premier just before the season kicks off. For a team like Manchester United, a club with not just a major fanbase—but major history—the team's kit is one that's going to be in history books as much as its in stadium seats. Add in the fact that the club dropped its 13-year-long Nike sponsorship to sign with adidas, and the 2015-2016 team uniform was going to receive major publicity no matter what.
It's unfortunate then, that so much of that press had to be negative.
After unveiling its new uniform with adidas last week, the team and adidas have come under fire over the women's kit design. A side-by-side shows that while the men's uniform looks like any other V-neck based adidas kit for this coming season, the women's version features a plunging neck line.
Naturally, some of the Red Devils female fans are less than thrilled about the deep neckline, reminding many that—while the ladies aren't technically barred from having fan gear—it's generally a sub-par "feminized" version of what the boys get.
But while some have come out against the women's kit, others on social media have simply suggested that ladies instead by the men's version—with mixed results.
But while social media seems to be opposed to the new kit, there's also a large swath of people who don't find the new jersey to be controversial at all. The Manchester Evening News conducted a poll amongst its readers this past weekend, with results finding that 71% of respondents found the ladies kit not sexist.
So what does adidas have to say about all this? In a statement to Buzzfeed UK, the German sportswear company said:
Yes, the ladies deserve their own kit, especially when a turn on Twitter shows that female fans do appreciate a fit that's been tailored accordingly. But that shouldn't mean that the ladies need to bare their cleavage (or buy the men's version) in order to support their club.