Competiton Through Uniforms

              I am an avid Oklahoma Sooners fan and have been so since birth. Both of my parents went to college there and I have grown up in the OU culture. Historically Oklahoma is a top football program having won 7 national championships. One thing my dad says that he loves about Oklahoma Football is that they have always worn the same classic uniforms: solid crimson tops and cream pants with red strips on the side. They are what most would call basic football uniform; there’s nothing fancy or over the top about them. But, with the new generation of players looking at colleges such as Oregon and Oklahoma State, who have numerous jersey combinations, Oklahoma had to find a way to compete.
              This past summer, Oklahoma Football reviled their new alternate jerseys, which provide a modern twist on their original look. Having the same views as my dad, at first I didn’t like the fact that Oklahoma had introduced these new jerseys because I wanted them to keep their same classic look. Oklahoma has a winning tradition and I wanted them to keep that same tradition going with the jerseys they have always worn. But, I soon realized through social media how much the current players liked these new jerseys and how excited they were showcase them this season. These jerseys were more than just an upgrade, they were a marketing boost.

Oklahoma's original unifoms compared to their new alternates

              Having to compete with other top programs, like Oregon, Oklahoma needed something that would allow them keep up with recruiting. It seems like that today’s generation of young athletes is really focused on what luxury items each program has to offer. Even though Oklahoma is a renowned football program, the introduction of these new jerseys opens up the door to an entirely new recruiting class. Nobody has said change is bad, and small changes made by the Oklahoma Football program has done more good than harm. I think that this was a great idea by the Athletic Department at OU, I would just advise them not to get too crazy with the jerseys, OU has a historic program that needs to be represented by its classic uniforms.

Images courtesy of www.soonersports.com

 

Power of Pink

                The power of sports can be seen in the month of October. The month in which the sports world is painted in pink. No longer are the crowds a mixture of red and blue to support the home team, stadiums are now covered in pink. That is because it’s Breast Cancer awareness month.  As I’ve watched sports during the month of October over the past few years, I have learned so much about the disease and the efforts there are to find a cure. The comradery amongst all athletes is unbelievable as they all are all fighting for the same outcome: raise money to help find a cure.

In relation to sportswear, the work done by sports companies throughout the world is amazing. Not only do they have to design thousands of jerseys for hundreds of teams throughout the US, but they have to create the shoes, towels, headbands, gloves, and accessories needed for athletes, and they do it in the iconic pink color of Breast Cancer awareness. The ideas of personal profit and wealth are put aside for the top sports brands in the world, as they donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to the fight. It’s that type of unselfishness and support that the sports world has given to such a great cause that shows me people really do care about helping increase the well-being of others.

            On a personal note, I have never had a family member that has been affected by breast cancer, but I have had several family members affected by other forms of cancer. Even though October is primarily focused on the fight of breast cancer, I feels that it brings to light the fight of all forms of cancer. By pursuing this support of ending the battle with cancer through sports, it opens up and entirely new audience of people to inform them of the effects of cancer and it strengthens the fight.


NRG Stadium home of the Houston Texan's covered in pink in
support of breast cancer.

           When I turn on the TV and see a stadium full of all different sorts of people from all different backgrounds, and all I see is the color pink, it lifts my spirits that people care and are working to fight a battle that may not even affect them personally, but they know it affects others around them, including their friends and family. Through the power of the color pink that covers jerseys and sports gear throughout the nation, it unites everybody under the same fight. If you are looking to help the cause and become a part of the fight you can visit http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/. Also, just by wearing pink to a sporting event allows you to support the cause while still supporting your favorite team, because part of the money received through clothing sales is donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. To help donate in that way you can visit Dicks Sporting Goods, which has a variety of options.

 Image courtesy of http://pictures.replayphotos.com

Socks: A Staple in the Sport of Basketball

                  An AAU basketball player myself, the importance of basketball socks these days is astounding. Just scrolling through Nike's Sock Collection is overwhelming. There are colors upon colors, patterns upon patterns, and styles upon styles. What just began as simple long black socks have expanded into a new creative territory, giving athletes the opportunity to create their own statement on the court.

Various Nike Elite Socks

I would consider myself a simple and generic player when it comes to fashion world in sports. I would be classified in the group of people who wear neutral colored shoes with solid colored socks; there’s nothing flashy about my style. But, then there are those who have neon shoes that they can match ten different pairs of socks with. I think this evolution of being able to express who you are as a player through what fashion statements you make on the court is important in today’s society.

Ask any basketball player in the world today, and they will say that the socks you wear matter. Imagine any design you can possibly think of and they probably have it on some type of basketball sock.  Not only is the design aspect important when trying to decide which socks suit you best, but also take into account the comfort level of the socks. If you were to put on an everyday ankle sock and then put on Nike’s Elite Basketball Socks, there is an obvious difference, as the Nike socks have better support and cushion. The comfort and cushion provided by socks make a big difference, because after long weekends at AAU tournaments when your feet feel as if they are going to fall off, having the cushion on the bottom makes the pressure on your feet lighter, allowing you to last longer in the game.

Long gone are the days with the generic black calf high socks. Today in the 2^nd decade of the 21^st century, socks matter both in appearance and comfort level. Today’s basketball socks tell others who you are as a player, making a statement about yourself through fashion.

 

Images Courtesy of www.weartesters.com

 

The Perfect Pair of Kicks

                 Deciding on the perfect shoe, whether it is for physical activity or that you just need a pair of new kicks for the street, can sometimes be frustrating and overwhelming. For me, it is very difficult to find the exact shoe I want because I am very persistent on what qualities my shoes need to have. Not only is it about finding the right fit for the shoe, but many factors are included in the search, like design, quality, and color.

Usually when I go through this process, it is because I am looking for a new pair of Nike's Running Shoes, which is where I get a majority of my everyday shoes. When I first begin to survey the different types of shoes that are available to me, I start by just looking at the overall design of the shoe. During this process, I contemplate how the shoe looks from all different angles, mainly focused on the side and bird’s eye view. Also, I take into consideration the different parts of the shoe, including how the sole of the shoe looks, the laces, and the type of material used.

Once a shoe has gained my interest in its design, I begin to look at the quality and think where and when I would wear this type of shoe. A majority of the tennis shoes that I buy have to be able to endure my every day wear and tear. During this step it is helpful to read reviews about the shoes online and see how they have worked out for other people. By reading several different reviews, you can get a more informed idea of the quality of the shoe from a customer’s perspective and not just the shoe company itself, who is just throwing out a sales pitch to get you to buy them.

Finally, the last step in this process of finding the perfect shoe is my favorite step, which is picking your color combination. If you are that "I want to stand out in the crowd" type of person then go for bright, bold colors. Or if you are that person who is looking for a neutral pair of sneakers to match their everyday outfits then look for those whites, grays, and blacks. For those of you who are looking for a neutral pair of shoes, I do want to warn you that getting all white shoes has its pros and cons. Pro: they look sleek and go with just about anything. Con: they get dirty easily and must be kept up. It's up to you and your preference on what colors you want your shoes to be. Even if they don't have the exact color combinations that you want, most sports companies offer a build-your-own-shoe option so you are in control of your product. So if you are looking into the Nike Running Shoes, they off the Nike ID option to give you creative control of your shoes.

The bottom line is that they are your shoes, you are going to wear them, and you are going to buy them, so pick the ones you love the most. Make sure you are getting your money's worth in quality and design, and make sure your kicks are the coolest ones on the block.

Ankle Protection

           Lucky me. This past weekend I severely rolled my left ankle during my soccer game. I was unknowingly standing in a small hole on the field, when I went to turn to pass the ball and there was a cracking noise as I rolled my ankle. At first I thought it was broken due to the sound it made and the pain I was in, but it ended up being sprained. So, for the past week I have been wearing a boot to help keep my ankle in place so it can heal quickly for my team’s upcoming state cup tournament.

            As a precaution for this type of injury, many athletes wear ankles braces. In the past years I have rolled my ankle several times in both basketball and soccer and I have experimented with many different types of ankle braces. From my own experiences I have found that the ASO ankle brace is the best one yet. This ankle brace incorporates the straps needed to set your ankle in place and it laces up so the brace is tight on your foot. I really like that it has both these features because it does a great job of keeping your foot and ankle set in place. Before I bought the ASO Ankle Brace, I had worn both just the regular lace up brace and a brace that only had the Velcro straps to keep it in place. These two types of braces had worked well for me in the past, but they weren’t as durable as the ASO Ankle Brace.

So if you are one of those people prone to spraining or rolling your ankles, as I am, then the ASO Ankle Brace is the perfect buy. It is like a two-for-one deal because it incorporates both the lace up and strap up aspects of the brace and it’s very durable.

Fall Apparel Part 2: Nike Running Tights

         It’s about that time of the year, where the weather is in that limbo of it being too cold to wear running shorts, but yet too warm to wear your comfy sweats.  Also, you don’t have enough jean capris to last you the week, and who even wants to wear jeans every day of the week? I know I don’t. If you looking for something that’s comfortable, stylish, and simple, then Nike's Running Tights are the pants to get.

         Just last week I bought my second pair of the Nike Tech Capris Running Tights, because I fell in love with the first pair I bought last spring. Also, I have a pair of the Nike Leg-A-See Big Logo Tights, which are pants rather than capris. These tights come in many different patterns, which is a major trend in fashion these days, and the big Nike logo that is on one leg of the tights comes in many different colors. All the tights that I have are in neutral colors such as black and gray, so it makes it easier to pair them with a top.

         Even though they are considered athletic clothing, I really think that they have a sophisticated yet casual look to them, which is between the “I don’t care about anything” and the “I dress like a middle-aged businesswoman” look. On the Nike Tech Capris Running Tights, one component that is different to the regular running tights, is that they have a zip-up pocket on the back to place money or your phone. I find this very convenient if you wear these tights while running because it allows you to carry along your small personal items without worrying about dropping them. As a person who just wears them as everyday clothing though, it is a little bit weird to have a random pocket on your butt, but I don’t think that that little fact detracts from the overall appeal of the tights.

           Before I bought my first pair of Nike Running Tights, I used to wear Victoria’s Secret Yoga Pants, which were a big hit at my school. But, now since I’ve started wearing the running tights, I’ve realized that the yoga pants don’t even compare to how comfortable or stylish the Nike tights are. Being an athlete, how could I not prefer Nike over Victoria’s Secret?

           I really hope that my review of Nike’s Running Tights or just their Tights in general has made you want to look into buying them for this fall season. As the weeks go by, more and more girls at my school are wearing them as they increase in popularity. By wearing these Nike Running Tights, it allows you to still keep your athletic vibe and wear stylish clothing at the same time.

 

 

 

Fall Apparel Part 1: Nike Jackets

                With the first week of fall finished, many people are beginning to trade in their comfortable summer running shorts, tank tops, and flip flops for warmer and cozier clothing. Around this time of year you see people exercising in oversized sweatshirts and baggy sweatpants. It’s not the most attractive outfit in the world to work out in but it gets the job done in keeping you warm on those chilly autumn days. As more and more people are beginning to take their fashion sense to the gym or on their early morning runs, sports companies have taken a step forward in providing customers with fashionable fall work out gear.

A noted Nike fan myself, I’ve been browsing their website these past few weeks and noticed an increase in their fall jacket inventory. The Nike Element Half-Zip jacket is one of my favorites and seems to be quite popular amongst a majority of my friends. I own two of these jackets, one that is royal blue and the other a mix between mint green and light blue. What I really like about these jackets is that they are very lightweight, but yet they are great at keeping the heat in. Also being a person who sweats a lot, I really like the fabric Nike incorporated into this jacket because it does a good job of not allowing the sweat buildup to cause the jacket to get damp. Even if you aren’t working out, this jacket is very stylish because it is simple and it comes in numerous different colors that you can choose to your liking.

Another jacket that caught my attention was Nike’s Windrunner. One aspect of this jacket that I really liked was that it wasn’t just a one solid color, but that it had many different color combinations and patterns that were worked into the color scheme. Windbreaker type jackets such as this one seem to be making a comeback in sports fashion as the younger generation are starting to wear them more often (so if I were you I would hop on this bandwagon of the comeback of windbreakers!).  What I really like about Nike’s Windrunner jacket is that it is very breathable and loose, which is in contrast to the Nike Element Half-Zip which has a more skin-tight fit.  Also the Windrunner jacket has hood which is very convenient to those who like to work out outside in nature’s beauty because whatever the weather this jacket provides protection.

Both jackets I reviewed today are great choices depending on what elements you are looking for in a jacket. They provide the warmth and protection from the weather, which is needed during these chilly, rainy days of fall, and also provide a pop of color to create a fashion statement wherever you may be. I hope this review has helped you in your search for what gear to invest in for this fall season and remember these jackets will be just as useful once we hit spring!

For more information about these two jackets or any other Nike jackets you can visit Nike's Womens Apparel.