Cleveland has a reputation for blue collar sensibilities. A hardworking philosophy permeates the city, which saw the NFL debut of its beloved Browns back in 1946. It’s only fitting then that in designing a new uniform — a new visual identity, truly — Nike the Browns would look to its fanbase, to the strength of its hometown for inspiration.
The new Cleveland Browns uniforms combine a contemporary aesthetic with design cues taken from Cleveland and from the Browns’ famous fan group, the Dawg Pound. Contrast stitching — a first for an NFL uniform — adorns all jerseys, a nod to the industrial roots of the city, while oversized embroidered numbers and wordmarks –“Cleveland” on the jersey and “Browns” on the pants — further underscore the hometown pride.
Large triple-stripes appear on the sleeves, pants and helmet, bringing a consistency to the uniforms while emphasizing team solidarity. The sleeve-stripes advance further into the jersey than previous iterations — all the way onto the chest panel, in fact – and the helmet-stripes are also revisited, as a carbon fiber texture complements the new brown facemask.
Finally, “DAWG POUND” is embroidered inside the back-collar, more overtly honoring the loyalty of Browns fan by carrying it with each player as a motivator.
Between the three pants and three jerseys, the new Cleveland Browns uniforms boast nine different combinations, each a testament to tradition, a celebration of the team’s fans, and a love letter to the city of Cleveland itself.
