Does Adidas Rip Off Fans With New Mexico Anniversary Kit?

Mexico's new black and gold special edition kit has hit the market with a significant price tag of €150, a full 50% higher than comparable commemorative shirts from Adidas. The pricing discrepancy has sparked discussion among kit collectors and football supporters.

Adidas Charges a Premium Price for the Mexico Gold Kit, Raising Eyebrows Among Fans

In what appears to be a first in Adidas's history, the Mexico black kit is exclusively available in the premium Heat.Rdy authentic player version, with no cheaper replica option for fans. This unprecedented strategy breaks from the standard practice of offering both authentic and replica versions at different price points, effectively forcing fans to pay the full €150 if they want to own the special edition shirt.

The decision marks a significant departure from Adidas's typical approach across all their federation and club partners, where budget-conscious supporters can usually purchase the more affordable replica versions with slightly different materials and construction.

The €150 is the standard for authentic Heat.Rdy kits, but it is the first time that no cheaper variant is available for a non-limited-edition kit.

Heat.Rdy Technology Drives Higher Price Point

The Mexican Football Federation and Adidas have positioned their black kit as a premium product featuring the manufacturer's top-tier Heat.Rdy technology. By comparison, Argentina's anniversary jersey is available with Aeroready technology at €100. Both are the "Worn by Players" editions, however. Aeroready is the player version here.

The Mexico shirt does boast several detailed design elements, including an intricate embossed pattern, while Argentina's kit has fewer details. However, the Bayern anniversary kit also has many intricate details and just costs €100 in the version worn by players.

The substantial price difference and lack of a more affordable option have raised questions about Adidas's pricing strategy. Will we see the Three Stripes brand release kits as authentic versions only? Hopefully, this remains a one-off decision made for the Mexican/US market.

Should Adidas have made the Mexico anniversary kit available in a cheaper variant? Let us know in the comments below.