Everton are set to sign a deal with Manchester-based premium sports manufacturer Castore despite backlash from Aston Villa over ‘wet-looking’ shirts.
The criticism came as Aston Villa debuted their new 23/24 season kit made by Castore but quickly realised the shirts retained sweat badly which made the shirts heavy and cumbersome during play.
But this hasn’t deterred Everton, who will partner with Castore when their deal with Danish brand Hummel comes to an end after the season has finished.
Newcastle United have triggered an early exit clause with Castore and will partner with Adidas from the end of the season which has added flames to the criticism.
Castore is sportswear brand based in Manchester which was set up by brothers Thomas and Philip Beaho in 2015.
A year later Castore launched online and in 2019 the brothers were listed on Forbes ’30 under 30′ list.
The company sponsors multiple teams across many sports including; Red Bull Racing, The Saracens Rugby and Netball team, and England and Wales Cricket Board.
Aston Villa have been set to terminate their contract with Castore due to complaints from both the men’s and women’s teams about the shirts retaining sweat.
The decision comes as the men’s team complained to the club, saying the shirts are weighing them down.
And as the WSL started last weekend, concerns have already been raised by the women’s team who are worried the shirt’s design will be revealing.
Previously Aston Villa women said they were “dreading” playing on Sunday because of issues with the club’s “clingy” shirts, said football commentator Jacqui Oatley when speaking to the BBC.
However, the women’s team did play in their Castore shirts for their opener against Manchester United.
And it’s not just kit which has caused issues for the women’s teams – earlier this year concerns were raised by Member of Parliament Chair Caroline Nokes about inadequate football boots for women and girls which could be causing an epidemic of ACL injuries within the professional game.
Nike responded to this by releasing the Phantom Luna boots, which are specifically designed to support women’s feet and prevent ACL injuries.
But these are not widely available yet, and at £250 a pair the cost could be prohibitive.
Castore responded to criticism in a statement stating: “We are working closely in collaboration with the club to address this issue as quickly as possible to meet the standards we expect. We would like to thank the club for their patience and support to date.
“As a proud new British brand, we always hold ourselves to the highest of standards and strive to do everything we can to constantly improve the performance of our products. This means addressing any customer concerns with promptness and humility.”
