When Nike showed off the new uniforms they created for the upcoming 2012-2013 NFL season a few weeks ago, I was, in a word, underwhelmed. I understand that Nike has very little wiggle room when it comes to NFL team colors, but the unis that NFL teams will be wearing in September look almost identical to the ones that they’ve been wearing for the last decade when Reebok held the contract for the NFL uniforms. There are several notable differences when it comes to performance—for instance, the Nike unis make it much harder for defensive players to grab offensive players and hold them by their jerseys—but I guess I was just expecting to see more from Nike. Now, I’m going to have to spend a grip of cash for a new New York Giants jersey. And, for what? It’s gonna look exactly the same as my old Reebok one!

It’s the main reason I was so happy to see the news about the new Nike “NFL Draft” Pack. If you haven’t seen it yet, Nike has put together a pack of sneakers that are tailored to the colors of each individual NFL team. Furthermore, they’ve split it up so that each NFL division has its own sneaker. And then, from there, each of those sneakers comes in a colorway that’s exclusive to each team. So, while you might not want to buy a new Nike jersey that looks exactly like your old Reebok one, you will want to buy a pair of new Nike sneakers that matches your favorite team’s jersey. Reebok tried to do something similar by releasing pretty basic team sneakers. But, this takes that concept and makes it even greater.

As of right now, Nike hasn’t announced when they’ll be releasing any of the sneakers featured in the “NFL Draft” Pack. But with the 2012 NFL Draft kicking off last night, you can be sure that you’ll start to see these trickle out soon. We have to give Nike credit for this one. They’ve got a real chance to make a killing off sneakers tailored to individual team colors. And, we’re glad to see them taking that chance. Now, when and where can I get my hands on a pair of Giants sneakers?

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