Review: Nike 2014 Summer Apparel

#Don'tSleepOnSummer

Golf is a summer sport for the northern 3/4 of the country.  We suffer through fall, winter and spring just to enjoy the summer months on the course and playing the game we love.  While summer is already officially nearing it’s end, there is no reason to pass up any good golfing days left.  I agree 100% with Nike’s new hashtag, #DontSleepOnSummer.

Nike has the best marketing team on the planet.  They are always coming up with creative ways to showcase their great gear and this one was the best yet.  A carry-on suitcase arrived on my doorstep with the #DontSleepOnSummer kit.  It included; a polo, shorts, t-shirt, shoes, hat, sunglasses, golf balls, marker, tape, and a towel.  It was an apparel kit ready to go from the suitcase to the course.

 

There were 5 main apparel item, polo, shorts, t-shirt, hat and shoes.  (The Lunar Waverly shoes will get their own review in the shoe section.)  The polo is from their new collection and I really like the style elements.  Like always it is Nike’s Dri-fit material.  The contrast tones of the collar and sleeves really made this stylish along with the button down collar points made it one classy polo.  They are also offering some fit choices which I think is long overdue.  Not all polos need to be big and sloppy to offer a comfortable fit.  This slimmer fitting polo is still really comfortable yet trim.  While I love the black and grey color choice, it isn’t ideal for the really hot summer days, you might want to pick one of the lighter colors for that.

The grey Nike shorts are also very stylish.  They are much less athletic looking than some of their previous shots.  The cut is really good, not too long, but not too short.  The deep pockets worked well for holding ball markers and tees during rounds so that they didn’t fall out when I sat down.  They are a good mid-weight tech material that is thick enough to cover, but not too thick as to overheat.

The Volt colored t-shirt was a nice contrast to the grey and black shorts and polo.  It is a pretty standard Nike T-shirt.  It is slightly smaller than the polo.  I wear a M in Nike polo shirts, but the t-shirt was just a hair on the tighter side.  It wasn’t unwearable, but I’d prefer a little more space for a t-shirt.  It always seems like a relaxing shirt to wear, which space is my friend when relaxing.  But the bright color screams summer.

The Volt Colored Flat Brim hat is a one-size-fits-all hat with tech-fabrics, and the RZN and VRS logos on the side.  It is really bright and certainly the popular style right now.  I’m 38 and not 100% sure if I can pull off the flat-brim hat.  While I like to think I am still young enough to pull off the style, I’m still up in the air.  My sons love it, and they can pull it off.

The other accessories made a complete package for full use on the course.  The retro styled sunglasses are really nice for those extra sunny days on or off the course.  I found them comfortable to play in and useful for protection to my eyes.  As a contact wearer, I wear sunglasses for 95% of my rounds and these were nice to mix into the rotation.

The Nike RZN golf balls are some of my favorite for 2014 as you read in my review.  It is always nice to have a couple more sleeves on reserve.

The extra little details actually got put to good use too.  The marker and ball alignment stencil were used to mark up some golf balls before my rounds for identification and alignment and the towel is a necessity on any bag to clean off clubs or hands before and after shots.   It is big and micro-fiber so it is aggressive enough to clean grooves, yet gentle enough to wipe off sunglasses.  Finally some athletic tape to wrap a finger or two during range sessions was nice.

Nike has a great line up of apparel and gear for summer.  This suitcase of gear is one of their best packages yet.  I only wish they sold these to the consumer, because I think there are a lot of golfers out there that would like the whole combo package. Yes, you can put the combo together on your own by browsing through their gear, but a grab and go package like this would be sweet.  Even up here in MN there is still almost a month yet of “summer” like weather so listen to Nike and #DontSleepOnSummer.

For more information: www.nike.com/golf

Quick Hits
+Great packaging
+Very stylish combos
+Mix of bright and subtle colors
+Improved fit and comfort
+A little of everything for summer golf

–Dark colors were a little hot in bright summer sun
–Sold whole package retail