‘City of Trees’ once more: Sacramento Republic has new kits honoring beloved slogan

Before calling itself “America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital” in 2017, Sacramento was the “City of Trees.”

On Tuesday, Sacramento Republic brought a little bit of that history back by releasing a new alternate jersey for the 2022 season, inspired by the slogan drivers used to see when they passed the giant water tower off Interstate 5 on the south side of Sacramento.

The new design brings the color black back into the club’s repertoire of kits. The jersey also features a green wood-grain pattern that is meant to symbolize the city’s dense tree canopy.

“In each of our kit designs, there is a story that is original to our club or city,” team president and general manager Todd Dunivant told The Bee. “‘The City of Trees’ kit is just another example of how much our organization and staff love this city and want to tell special stories about it.”

Based on the Nike VaporKnit template, the jersey also features the city’s GPS map coordinates (38.5816 north; 121.4944 west) above each player’s name and will be paired with black shorts and socks.

The Quails will debut the kits Saturday night when they face off against Los Angeles Galaxy II, and it will be worn six more times throughout the season. Each time they wear it, Republic FC will spotlight the Sacramento Tree Foundation and Save Our Water to encourage local conservation efforts.

Limited-edition vintage apparel paying homage to the slogan is also available online.