British Sportswear brand Castore continues its impressive expansion into football. With clients such as Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Sevilla etc, Castore is making some noteworthy moves.
Their rise in football began in 2020, as they signed a sponsorship deal with Scottish Heavyweights Rangers, one which will run until 2025. Unfortunately, their track record with the Gers so far has left much to be desired, and fans of their earliest adopters are already at their wit’s end.
A major complaint amongst fans seems to be about Castore’s lack of originality. Kits with retro spins have become a common feature for Rangers since signing with the brand, as two such kits are scheduled for this season alone. The first of these was the 22/23 home shirt, which features a retro-inspired checkerboard print at the front.
While the home kit managed to get away with it as it was a subtle accent, the recently leaked away hit is a more severe offender.
Leaked due to an accidental listing on the Sports Direct website, the away kit brings forth a distinctive yet familiar look. Thick red diagonals aren’t frequent for football kits, but Rangers have actually had 2 prior iterations of this very design. Both of those were created by former sponsor Umbro, whom Castore looks to be borrowing from.
The only apparent difference appears to be the shades on the collar, which are red and blue as opposed to only red on the retro counterparts.
When the similarities came to light, fans were quick to express their frustration at the absence of ingenuity.
Can Castore not come up with an original design instead of churning up revamps of old tops?
— Davie193 (@DavieLPD193) July 6, 2022
That Castore don’t have an original design in their heads , they just churn out inferior copies of previous kits is my opinion
— Ted (@IBoyd1966) July 6, 2022
Hopefully, Castore will bring something fresh to the table sooner rather than later.