Lindsay du Plessis
Jun 13, 2026, 10:26 PM
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The coolest thing, literally, about South Africa's opening match of the FIFA World Cup was the Adidas jacket the players wore during the anthems, with fans intrigued by the alien-looking silver shell on display.
Turns out, it was the new CLIMACOOL system, according to the clothing manufacturer, and was developed alongside major European clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal. It is meant to help teams combat the summer heat in North America over the coming weeks.
Marc Makowski, Senior Vice President, adidas Innovation said in a statement: "Working extensively with clubs like Manchester United, Juventus, and Arsenal 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 vest, worn over the player’s jersey, contains a specialised gel that is frozen before use. When worn, the gel slowly thaws, transferring cooling properties to the upper body, torso, abdomen, and back to efficiently reduce body temperature." - ADIDAS ADIDAS
The system, developed originally for Formula 1 drivers, has a vest, over-jacket, and boots, though Bafana weren't wearing the shoes on the day. Other teams are set to wear the system too in the coming days, including Spain and Germany.
Say the manufacturers: "When combined, 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 boots are the more intriguing item, though. They're meant to be worn over the players' cleats, say Adidas: "The system's cooling overshoe is designed to provide a fast and practical solution to overheating and swelling in the feet when placed directly over a player's boot.
"Using a cooling gel, the overshoe can reduce foot temperature by 2°C within seven minutes, providing a pleasant cooling sensation for the entire body without compromising the foot's sensitivity or dexterity for critical actions like dribbling, passing, and shooting."
The CLIMACOOL boot is meant to be worn over cleats to cool players' feet. ADIDAS
The system isn't available to the public yet, so who knows how much it will cost, but one imagines it will be... quite a lot.