The first European football club to ever wear Nike

Nike began its journey into the world of football in 1971, with the release of the first soccer shoe with the Swoosh, called "The Nike". In reality this was the first ever shoe with the Swoosh designed specifically to make the shoe more engaging and that became the iconic symbol of the Portland company. The price was $ 16.95 but did not hold the cold nor the rain and fell into oblivion while Nike focused on running and basketball. But the seed had been planted.

After seven years, in 1978, Nike decided to dive back into the world of football and did so with the same philosophy with which Phil Knight founded the company: in the yard, in close contact with the athletes to know their needs and feedback. The first professional team to sign a contract with Nike were the Portland Timbers who played in the American Soccer League from 1975 to 1982.

1982 is the year of the turning point and the landing in Europe. Aston Villa wins the European Champion Clubs' Cup with all its players with Nike shoes on their feet and Ian Rush becomes the first player to sign a sponsorship contract with Nike.

In the same year, Nike realizes the first race kit for a European team, Sunderland A.F.C., historic Premier League team that unfortunately does not pass very well. After being relegated to the Championship two years ago, the team collapsed in the third English division, the Ligue One, retreating for the second year in a row. Netflix has also made a beautiful docu-reality on the collapse of the Black Cats, "Sunderland 'Till I Die". 
A real milestone in European football and beyond, the Nike debut on a football shirt, that you can also buy on Classic Football Shirts. 
The jersey was a perfect blend of classicism with white-red vertical stripes and technological innovation represented by the synthetic material, plus the stylistic choice to keep the sleeves completely white was an option that demonstrated the absolute modernity of the design. The V-collar and the white edges were finished with a double red line.

A singular and different choice from what we are used to seeing today regarding the positioning of the logos: that Nike was placed on the left, on the heart, while the arms of Sunderland A.F.C. (here we see the "naval" version used from 1977 to 1991) was embroidered on the right. The shorts were black, while the socks were red.

However, 1982 is just the beginning of a story made of incredible successes, of spots that have become absolute cult and of a brand that, in terms of signatures and results, has become in a few years a global power even in what at the beginning it did not seem to be his "playground".