7 on soccer: on the road to strong sales, soccer manufacturers navigate Fashion Avenue

Multisports giants are dominating the soccer wear sector at the expense of niche brands, such as Umbro. To gain competitive edge, manufacturers are infusing the glamour of Fashion Avenue into their product lines. In acknowledgement of the sport's European origins, several soccer companies are combining function and style in their designs and customizing warm-ups and jerseys for streetwear. They are also eyeing younger consumers with trendy fabrics and casual designs.
Soccer's key apparel brands are fighting to play center on an increasingly shrinking field of brands, with Umbro and other niche brands surrendering market share to multisport giants like Nike [...]