Portland Hearts of Pine Unveil Inaugural Jersey
…and it’s authentically Maine.
The first-ever jersey for Portland Hearts of Pine is here, and it’s authentically Maine.
The jersey was unveiled in front of a sold-out crowd at the State Theatre in downtown Portland on Thursday night. The shirt, which features a collar, has dark blue and forest green hoops with orange as an accent.
The Hearts creative team began to design the kit back in 2023 along with the name and crest. The goal was to create a timeless shirt that represents the region.
“Essentially, we were trying to find this mix of modern and retro, what I refer to as a future classic,” founder Gabe Hoffman-Johnson told The Blazing Musket. “You have the combination of the hoops, which alternate blue and green like a lifeblood of Maine.
“We have our woods, we have our water–more than just the ocean, the lakes, the rivers. We're the most forested state in this country. When you think of Maine, those are the things that you think of.”
The jersey has two sponsors with Maine Office of Tourism featuring on the chest. Not only is the partnership the right match, but it feels appropriate to see “MAINE.” prominently located.
“It’s the perfect fit for a club who's not only representing our city and our state locally, but across American soccer and globally,” Hoffman-Johnson said. “When we play, we have fans in different countries. We are representing our sense of place on this national and global scale, and in many ways, promoting and attracting and selling the brand of Maine.”
The sleeve sponsor is L.L. Bean, an iconic local brand that also shares many similarities with Hearts.
“When you think of Maine, or a Maine company, L.L. Bean is right at the top,” Hoffman-Johnson explained. “The love of outdoors and the inspiration that we're taking from our woods and our water, and L.L. Bean's slogan of being an outsider, there's so much overlap there. In many ways, it's the perfect choice.”
This is the first of three shirts that Hearts will have. The secondary kit will come out in February while the third is slated to be revealed in April.
The club decided to produce a third kit because they have a concept that they believe connects to the fans.
Much like everything that Hearts does, the launch of the inaugural kit was all about community.
Herb Ivy and Chris Sedenka of WBLM emceed the event that included a musical performance from Griffin William Sherry of Ghost of Paul Revere, an address from Jon Cross of Kennedy Park FC, and a short film called “Rosati” about soccer in Lewiston.
“This whole evening is just a a showcase of who we are, what we are, as much as it is a jersey reveal,” Hoffman-Johnson explained.
“This club is rooted in community. It's just who we are. I also think it's the best way to build this. It's not our club, it's the community's club. We’re just being thoughtful and intentional with the way that we do things. It matters. It matters a ton.”
Hearts fans can now get their hands on jersey - available in men’s, women’s and kid’s sizes - by visiting the club’s online store. Fans can also purchase a long-sleeve version of the kit.