Called Climacool and developed by adidas, of Herzogenaurach, Germany, the system comprises three components: a cooling vest; a jacket; an overshoe.
The jacket and vest work in combination to cool the upper body. The vest, worn over the athlete's jersey, contains a gel that is frozen before use. When worn, the gel slowly thaws, absorbing heat from the upper body, torso and abdomen, thereby reducing body temperature.
To prolong the thawing of the gel, the insulated jacket features an airproof construction that acts as a shell for the vest, trapping cold air and almost doubling the cooling effect of the vest.
In tandem, the vest and jacket can lower core body temperature by as much as 0.5°C and skin temperature by 13°C, keeping players cool as they prepare to take the field.
The overshoe prevents overheating and swelling of the foot and is worn directly over a player’s boot. Containing a cooling gel, the overshoe can reduce foot temperature by 2°C within seven minutes of being put on, providing a pleasant cooling sensation for the entire body without compromising the sensitivity or dexterity of the foot.
adidas' Senior Vice President, Innovation, Marc Makowski, says: “With temperatures expected to exceed 30°C in cities like Miami, Dallas, and Monterrey, and compounded by humidity in others, this tournament presents athletes with truly unique playing conditions. Working extensively with clubs like Manchester United [UK], Juventus [Turin, Italy] and Arsenal [London, UK], we were able to test and develop a new Climacool system based on direct input from players and their medical staff, that offers measurable benefits to the athlete.”
The development of the Climacool system was a multi-year project, born from technology originally created to help Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 (F1) drivers combat the extreme heat encountered in the cockpit of cars.