Ballard FC, Washington’s top USL League Two side, dropped two new kits on Wednesday with a Nordic twist in the designs. Branded “The Nordic Kits,” the red will serve as Ballard’s main away strip from 2026, while the dark deep blue uniform will be worn by the goalkeepers.
These are the first kits Ballard has released under their kits made by Hummel, who will now serve as the club’s kit manufacturer. In October, Ballard announced the multi-year partnership with the famous Danish sportswear brand, and therefore the club’s current home kits will also be made by Hummel.
The kit manufacturing deal will also include Ballard’s women’s team, Salmon Bay FC, who will release their kits later in the spring. You can view the full official news release of the Ballard-Hummel partnership here.
Photo courtesy of Ballard FC
Primarily red, Ballard’s main Nordic kit features traditional patterns worn by Nordic warriors with a breastplate on the chest area of the shirt and a black collar. The patterns are historically found on Nordic swords, shields, and runestones.
The Ballard crest is turned into a dominant gold color to symbolize the halls of Valhalla, the club described.
Ballard did not sleep on their new goalkeeper kit either, giving it a similar treatment as to the shirts that the field players will wear. The goalkeeper shirt complements the black color of the collar from the red Nordic kit, and in some angles or lighting, the shirt can look like a very deep, dark blue. The patterns aren’t inspired directly by the warriors, though, and rather take inspiration from traditional Nordic sweaters in the form of eight-pointed snowflakes, which are historically taken from floral motifs.
Photo courtesy of Ballard FC
Symbolically, these octograms are traditionally believed to bring in good fortune to the wearer, particularly of protection—perfect for a goalkeeper uniform.
The neighborhood of Ballard has a significant Nordic population and people with Nordic ancestry. Bergen, Norway, is a sister city of Seattle, and by extension, Ballard, and is rich in medieval history. To include a fun fact, Bergen was the medieval capital of Norway from the year 1217 to 1299, a period historically known as the ‘golden age’ for the Kingdom of Norway. Similarly to Ballard and Seattle, Bergen is located between the country’s west coast and mountains, where its famous wharf, Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf, is an official UNESCO World Heritage site. Bergen is Norway’s second-largest city as of 2026. The city also has a famous fish market, Fisketorget, which is comparable to Pike Place Market.
See below for the rest of the Nordic Kits gallery, for which all of the photos are courtesy of Ballard FC.
While Ballard FC will not be competing in this year’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the 2023 national champions and 2025 national finalists will debut the Nordic Kits upon the start of the 2026 USL League Two season. The kits will be available to purchase online at Ballard’s official club shop or in person at Interbay Stadium during their home games.
Cover photo courtesy of Ballard FC
