Mitchell & Ness

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Mitchell & Ness’ ‘Team Short’ snapbacks are copying Reebok

One of the best team apparel cap designs I have ever seen was created by Reebok for the NFL in 2006. All team caps were unique in design because the side panels of the caps were actually the design of the team pant stripes that year. In Reebok’s tenure in manufacturing items for the NFL, this was their best design.

Today, Mitchell & Ness released a series of throwbacks for the Lakers (here, here, here), Sonics (here, here) and Grizzlies (here). Notice anything? They took the same concept of what Reebok did with their snapback. It’s a great looking cap, but it doesn’t feel original. Of course, there are limitations in designing such a cap. But it just feels like M&N took what Reebok did and re-purposed it for their design.

This could just be a coincidence but since the Reebok idea isn’t an innovative idea and it came out almost a decade ago, you never know. I’m surprised that there are only these three teams. I wonder if more is to come.

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Mitchell & Ness to release new NBA caps based on team uniforms

EDIT: 4/22/15 – They are all officially out. CLICK HERE

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This is pretty exciting for me. Lids and Mitchell & Ness have partnered up to sell these NBA caps. The design, as you see, is solely based on the design of the shorts of the uniform. This is pretty cool as it incorporates a unique element for each team and it’s not some cookie-cutter design.

Some of these take us back to when a certain design on the shorts was so unique. Look at the Raptors or Rockets design in the above image. It’s very distinct and I like it. It reminds me of what Reebok did some years back for the NFL.

So what’s my only problem? They’re snapbacks. I don’t like snapbacks. I wanted fitted caps. Well, let’s see if I can convince myself to get past that and possibly pick up one of these caps.

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Are these Mitchell & Ness caps paying homage to Back to the Future?

In the sequel to Back to the Future, Marty has to blend in with the times of 2015 and one of the most notable fashion trends was the reflective, multi-colored cap. Of course as we are in 2015 today, such a design isn’t fashionable (but available for purchase).

Mitchell & Ness may have something to say about that. Recently the company announced their new “Foil High Crown Fitted” series, featuring caps with sports team logos. The logos are designed similarly to the reflective style cap. I’m not sure if this was coincidental or intentional to match the movie, but since it’s 2015 now, I will say yes.

Take a look at the Chicago Bulls cap and see the similarity in the idea and concept.

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Mitchell & Ness to roll out series of Michael Jordan throwbacks

Mitchell & Ness has teamed up with Nike to produce Michael Jordan throwbacks for the next three years, commemorating his great moments such as “The Shot” and his various all-star game moments.

Even though M&N has produced Jordan jerseys in the past, they have never done so in a series like this to celebrate the great one’s career.

One issue, however, is that there weren’t too many changes to the Bulls’ uniform during Jordan’s career. Aside from a move from a cursive script to their current script and the name tags going from sans serif to serif, there isn’t much. But that’s where the creativity comes in from M&N. All-star games, NBA Finals jersey with patches and other great moments have these little differences that they surely will capitalize on.

Let’s see how creative they can get. These will retail at $250-$300. For the press release, click here.

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New fashion style is upside down logos on caps?

I’ve always tried to be fashion forward when it comes to sports merchandising but this one is a little confusing. These “Hall of Fame” edition caps are everything you want in a throwback style cap. The colors are right. The logos are accurate. However, the logos are upside down.

I don’t know what the reasoning is for it and I don’t think it makes much sense. Is this a case of just finding a new way to sell something that is already there? Or is it another way of the company to present something new that could catch on?

What I can assure you is that someone will buy it and make it work. After all, the colors are still great and the throwback idea is still very popular. But upside down is hard to understand. Makes it look like a factory error. Maybe that’s what’s hot.