The World Cup is only just underway, and already the conversation is turning to something less visible than tactics or team selections: heat. With matches being played across the United States, Canada and Mexico, players are facing temperatures that can climb above 30°C, plus humidity that makes recovery harder between sprints. adidas has moved quickly into that space with a new piece of kit designed for exactly this problem — the CLIMACOOL SYSTEM.
It’s a three-part setup built around one idea: help players cool down before they step onto the pitch. The system includes a cooling vest, an insulating jacket and a cooling overshoe. The vest is worn over the jersey and contains a gel that’s frozen before use. As it warms up, it transfers cooling directly to the upper body, targeting the torso, back, and abdomen, where heat strain builds quickly during high-intensity matches.
On its own, the vest does part of the job. Combined with the insulating jacket, it becomes more efficient. The jacket is designed to trap cold air around the vest, slowing the thawing process and extending the cooling window. adidas says the combination can reduce core body temperature by up to 0.5°C and skin temperature by as much as 13°C — small margins that can matter in elite sport where recovery and endurance are finely balanced.
The system doesn’t stop at the upper body. The overshoe focuses on the feet, an area that often gets less attention in heat management. Worn over football boots, it uses cooling gel to lower foot temperature by around 2°C in roughly 7 minutes. The goal isn’t just comfort — it’s reducing swelling and heat stress without affecting touch, control or movement during play.
The idea didn’t start in football. adidas originally developed the cooling technology for motorsport, where drivers face extreme temperatures inside the cockpit. It has since been adapted for the demands of elite football through multi-year testing with top clubs, including Manchester United, Juventus and Arsenal. One of the key changes was practical: a front-zip design on the vest so players can put it on quickly during matchday routines.
The CLIMACOOL SYSTEM now sits alongside adidas’ wider World Cup rollout, which includes updated federation kits using CLIMACOOL+ materials, a new match ball with Connected Ball Technology, and the F50 Hyperfast Evo boot.
