Ballard FC and hummel’s first new releases celebrate the Nordic history and heritage of both the Ballard neighborhood and the iconic kit manufacturer. “The Nordic Kits” will serve as the 2026 Away & Goalkeeper kits.
Ahead of their fifth season, Ballard FC is leaning into the history of both the club and the neighborhood they represent. Ballard, sister city with Bergen, Norway, is the city with the highest percentage of Nordic people outside of the Nordic region itself.
Given Ballard’s history and the club’s new partnership with Nordic kit manufacturer, hummel, a collection of kits celebrating Nordic history made perfect sense to be the first release alongside hummel.
The kits were shot at the National Nordic Museum in downtown Ballard, the only institution of its size and scale in the United States to present the history and culture of the entire Nordic region and the legacy of Nordic immigrants to the United States.
“We wanted to highlight Ballard’s Nordic history with the ‘Nordic Kits’ and the National Nordic Museum was the first place that came to mind to do the shoot at. We wanted these kits to pair together, but still stand out and be unique on their own which is why we went with two very different traditional Nordic patterns for each kit.” – Sam Zisette, Co-Founder and President
The away kit features patterns from traditional Nordic warriors, with a prominent breast plate across the chest. The badge itself is shining gold, shimmering like the halls of Valhalla. Then to top it off, the black collar provides a classy touch that complements the black goalkeeper kit.
Ballard FC stressed the details with this kit and added small easter eggs throughout. For example, the head of a viking warrior can be found in the bottom corner of the jersey.
The goalkeeper kit also features traditional Nordic patterns, yet not those of battle. A traditional Nordic sweater is represented by the goalkeeper kit with Selburose flowers and other traditional Nordic sweater trademarks displayed.
The Nordic Kits will serve as the clubs away kits in 2026, however they will be worn at home for Nordic Night this coming season. Theme Nights will be announced in the coming months ahead of the season opener on May 15th.The Nordic kits can be purchased online at goballardfc.shop or in-person at the Team Store which is located at Smål Market in downtown Ballard (2206 NW Market Street, Seattle, WA 98107).
