What is SUDU, Wolverhampton's new sponsor?

Only the friendly match against Rayo Vallecano (10/8) at Wolverhampton is left before the start of a new Premier League season, which will begin with two challenges against Arsenal, away, and Chelsea, at the Molineux Stadium. Among the novelties is also that of the uniforms, which from this year will no longer be produced by Castore but by SUDU, an entirely new name in the panorama of football sponsorship. Suppose the relationship between Castore and the world of football had made many turn their noses up at the quality of the products presented in recent seasons. In that case, the choice on SUDU is singular in particular because the brand has never produced clothing for top clubs and presents itself on its website as a brand mainly focused on running. The brand launched in early 2024 has chosen to enter the world of football with an innovative approach, namely by collaborating directly with Wolves players in creating the kits. Indeed, former Wolverhampton captain Maximilian Kilman (now at West Ham) explained how he oversaw the creation of the fabrics and gave feedback to the design team.

The choice of products that can be found online is in fact specifically aimed at running, with technical running apparel and a price segment in line with the main competitors - running shirts at £54 and shoes at £150. By also doing away with traditional licensing agreements, the brand manages to lower the costs for its new football shirts, with the authentic jersey selling for £80 and the replica jersey for £58, prices much lower than the market. From the way the brand describes its values, it seems that the one with Wolverhampton is a kind of new bet, an attempt to enter the world of football quietly. The communication is all about the essence of running and aimed at 'those who wake up before dawn', addressing the purists of running and the more classic values of the discipline. For this SUDU seems to be pushing the concept of individuality of performance and concepts related to personal motivation typical of running, but with a social project that addresses communities and the growth of the sports movement in Great Britain. 

The British brand in fact collaborates with Sported, the largest group in the United Kingdom for the social promotion of sport through projects of inclusion and democratisation of physical activity. By purchasing SUDU products, it is possible to collect points that can be used as discount vouchers on the website or for donations to Sported. This is a strong link that the brand wants to create with individuals and the community, connecting them through the products and values of the sport it promotes. 

Wolverhampton's uniforms were a challenge and for the first year SUDU didn't risk too much, presenting a yellow and black Home shirt that echoes the most recent ones worn by the club, while for the Away jersey, the black is enriched by the profile of a stylized lion, which adds a touch of style to the shirt. To complete the offering, SUDU has also produced casual clothing for the England team, already seen during the US tour, as well as a selection of football boots. For now, the brand does not yet have any ambassadors among big league footballers, but we can expect this to be the next step in legitimizing its position in the football world. SUDU's story resembles that of the first Castore, which also started out as a running brand and then entered the world of football with force. In the meantime, we only have to wait for the Third Kit to have an initial verdict on this new entry on the international football scene.