Castore, a rising player in the sportswear industry has recently faced backlash from fans and customers over the quality of their kits.
The latest incident involves an Aston Villa fan, Andrew Mitchell, who discovered that the badge on his new 23-24 kit peeled off after just one wash at 30 degrees. This raised concerns about the durability and reliability of Castore kits.
Unlike many other brands’ replica kits, both the replica and authentic kits of Castore feature heat-applied logos. However, it appears that the process of applying the crest to the Aston Villa kit was insufficient. This led to the badge coming off easily, while the Castore logo, made of a different material should have remained intact.
As a relatively new company in the industry, Castore has been striving to establish itself and secure kit deals with various clubs. They have successfully become the official kit supplier for England Cricket, Oracle Red Bull Racing, and tennis champion Andy Murray, who is also an investor.
Other deals include Feyenoord Rotterdam, Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Athletic Club Bilbao, FC Utrecht, FC Twente, and the Football Association of Ireland. The company’s rapid growth means it is UK’s second-fastest-growing company.
Despite their success in securing deals, Castore’s ongoing quality issues have caused fans and customers to question the overall reliability of their kits.
The incident with Aston Villa’s kit is just one example of the recurring problems that have been reported. Another fan took to Twitter to express her disappointment with a badge that came off a kids’ training top purchased at the Newcastle United shop.
Bought this kids training top at the Newcastle FC shop at St James Park today, badge already coming off. Appalling quality #castore@NUFCpic.twitter.com/khWGlsyVu1
Fans have also noticed mistakes in the embroidered badge of the Newcastle third kit, showing a lack of attention to detail in the manufacturing process.
Some fans have highlighted delays in delivery from Castore have been a cause for frustration among customers.
Their 12-month warranty offers some reassurance, as fans can seek refunds if necessary. However, the company must go beyond refunds and demonstrate a commitment to improving its manufacturing processes and delivering durable and reliable kits.
