John Kim 
When one thinks of the French going into battle, one might not expect much. But when it comes to football, France is not to be overlooked; They defeated the talented Brazil team in 1998 to capture the World Cup, led by French hero Zinedine Zidane, and went to the final in 2006, when Zidane caused some head-banging noise in a different way. Regardless of what transpired, France is again one of the teams in the mix for the World Cup Trophy this year. Rounding out the Nike Sportswear Six Collection is France, with a bundle of gear inspired by the French blue-white-red kit and designed by So Me, a renowned illustrator and art director. The mascot is taken after the mustached, beret-wearing stereotypical Frenchmen, while the the rest of the apparel takes after the French national flag. The Nike Sportswear Six Collection is set for a Spring/Summer 2010 Release, so stick to Sneaker News for updates.
France Artist: So Me So Me, nee Bertrand De Langeron, is an acclaimed illustrator as well as the art director of Ed Banger records, one of the world’s most cutting – edge labels. Since 2003, his album art and music videos have come to embody the eclectic world of Ed Rec, adding complimentary visuals to their innovative sounds. His contributions to the France kit exhibit his pop art sensibility and tongue-in-cheek style. The colorful mascot and crest feature a simple character that’s a parody of the stereotypical Frenchman – complete with a tilted beret and manicured moustache. The pattern lining the hoodie on the AW77 is a brick-like repeat in vibrating red, blue and black and the hand-written font features rounded edges, adding to the kit’s playful vibe.
