DETROIT – The Detroit Lions unveiled their new uniforms tonight at Ford Field during a Lions Loyal Member-exclusive Uniform Reveal presented by Ford. The new uniforms come following the success of the Lions 2023 season and convey a combination of the team's modern era and the legacy of the historic franchise.
"We are excited to launch a new era of Lions football," said Detroit Lions President & CEO, Rod Wood. "Honolulu Blue and Silver has defined the Detroit Lions for generations and I am proud that we found a way to continue to evolve the look with a nod to the past and a focus on the future. The traditional look of our primary jerseys combined with the bold attitude of our alternate jerseys capture the essence of Detroit and the multi-generational fans base that supports us."
The Lions leadership team set out to reestablish Honolulu Blue by working with Nike to adopt a richer tone of the unique color that harkens back to an earlier era. True silver has also made its way back into the uniform, featured in various outlines and stripe elements, as well as in the team's traditional pant. Outside of the conventional colors, the team is also bringing black back into their uniforms, with a black jersey featuring Honolulu Blue lettering encased in a silver outline and an all-black alternate pant option.
Inspired in part by Ford's reimagination of the Bronco, the SUV served as a muse for the team in taking a classic look and creating a sharper interpretation for the modern era. The Lions and Nike Design teamed up on their new primary jersey to create a fresh take of the uniforms worn by the early 90s teams. The striping across various pieces of the uniform were also inspired by the sleek design commonly seen on the iconic Mustang. Rooted in Detroit, the uniforms draw the connection between the team and the hardworking, passionate community the Lions represent.
"Ford and the Lions have a rich, shared history grounded in Detroit heritage," said Lisa Materazzo, global chief marketing officer, Ford Motor Company. "We're proud that the Ford Bronco and the iconic Mustang served as inspiration for elements of their new uniforms and excited to see the Lions when they proudly represent Detroit in Ford Field and celebrate our shared passion for football."
Applying a modern classic version of the Lions iconic 90s look to the best of Nike performance technology, the Nike Vapor Field Utility Special Edition (F.U.S.E.) combines lightweight Nike Dri-FIT technology with a precision fit to allow for ultimate performance on the field. Strategically positioned mesh and perforations help ventilate high-heat areas and provide additional zoned breathability, resulting in a uniform that is two-times more breathable. The most visible changes to the uniform are perforations in the body of the numbers, which provide increased breathability for players.
Other notable changes visible on the new template can be seen in the cowcatcher-shaped mesh collar design and a horizontal seam in the shape of a "V" on the upper part of the jersey, which appears to push the font further down the chest. The uniform also features vertical seams that run from the top of the jersey to the bottom to give it a more structed fit. An upgrade from the team's previous Nike Vapor Untouchable uniforms, the F.U.S.E. is 18-percent stronger and 23-percent lighter.
The new jersey, as well as traditional merchandise inspired by the updated designs, will be available in the Lions Supply store at Ford Field and on shop.detroitlions.com. More information can be found here.
NEW UNIFORM ELEMENTS
PRIMARY (HOME & ROAD):
Both primary uniforms feature all three of the teams' classic colors. The jerseys also feature a patch under the inside back collar that pays homage to William Clay Ford, the team's longtime owner who secured the team's future in the Motor City. Inspired by Mr. Ford's classic style, the patch mimics a custom suit label and uses the WCF logo with iconic stripes above his penned signature. Both primary jerseys can be paired with either a silver pant option that features blue and white striping down the leg or three unadorned pant options – silver, blue or white.
Home (Primary)
The home jersey features a redefined Honolulu Blue with a classic white number font encased in silver borders and reimagined shoulder striping. The inside collar of the jersey is inscribed with "ONE PRIDE," acknowledging the team's passionate fans that pack Ford Field each home game.
Road (Primary)
The road jersey presents in classic white with blue numbers encased in silver outlines and shoulder striping in blue and silver. The inside collar of the white jersey is trimmed in Honolulu Blue as a nod to not only the Lions gritty style of play but an homage to the work ethic that built Detroit into an iconic American city. The back of the collar features a "313" wordmark and for the first time in team history, the Lions will wear "DETROIT" across their chest on the road.
ALTERNATE:
Black
The black jersey features blue classic numbers wrapped in a silver outline on a black background and striping in blue and silver on the sleeves. The "LIONS" wordmark will lay across the chest and "MOTOR CITY" is inscribed on a blue trim inside the back color. The black jersey can be paired with either an all-black pant or the team's blue pant.
Classic
The Lions' closet will continue to feature a classic uniform as a nod to the late 50s teams that dominated the early era of professional football. The redefined blue is the only change the team made to the classic uniform as they will still feature classic numbers in silver with no outline. The jersey will be paired with silver stripe-less pants and blue socks.
HELMETS:
Primary (Blue & white jersey)
The team will continue to wear their classic silver helmet with the leaping Lion in redefined Honolulu Blue and trimmed in white on the side of the helmet. The updated look will feature a blue and white stripe that ties to the jersey sleeves. A blue facemask has been introduced as an additional reference to early 90s teams. The helmet also features a permanent helmet sticker that pays homage to William Clay Ford, showing the classic WCF mark featuring a pair of iconic Ford stripes on the back left of the helmet.
Alternate (Black jersey)
The team's alternate helmet, which was introduced leading into the 2023 season, now features a black leaping Lion trimmed in silver on the matte blue shell. The leaping Lion is complimented by a black and silver stripe the runs the length of the helmet, as well as a black facemask.
Classic
The Lions will continue to embrace their classic look in an all-silver helmet paired with their classic jersey. The team will have the option of matching the helmet with a silver facemask or providing some contrast with their new blue facemask.
