Nike has released a replica jersey for England goalkeeper Mary Earps following widespread criticism for not selling her popular Women’s World Cup finalist’s shirt. Earps, who received FIFA’s Golden Glove award and was named England Women’s Player of the Year, became one of the standout stars of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this year.
Initially, fans and Earps expressed disappointment that replicas of her goalkeeper jersey were not available during the competition. A Change.org petition with over 170,000 signatures called on Nike to make jerseys for Earps and other women goalkeepers accessible to fans. While the England men’s goalkeeper jersey was available for purchase on Nike’s website, the women’s goalkeeper kits were not.
In response to the backlash, Nike announced on August 24 that it would make goalkeeper kits for women’s teams, including England, available for fans. However, it was not until October that Earps’ jersey was released for sale. Nike did not provide a reason for the delayed release.
Nike had produced jerseys for 13 of the 32 teams in the Women’s World Cup, with the England kits becoming a significant source of revenue after the early exit of the U.S. team, which Nike has sponsored since 1995. Sports sponsorship plays a crucial role in driving sales for apparel manufacturers, and Nike reported double-digit growth in its global football category in the quarter ending August 31, which included the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
