Iconic Football Shirts: What Makes a Great Fotball Kit?

Football shirts are a treasured part of the sports culture. Speak to any avid football fan and they will tell you that you can never have too many in your collection.

They are not only fashionable to wear, but have become an influence and created a whole genre of football fashion

There is something intangible about the way a good football shirt can make you feel. They are more than just polyester tops with badges stitched on them. They have sentimental value. They form part of our sporting identity.

Whether it be the golden yellow of Brazil, the blue and white stripes of Argentina, or the trademark white jerseys of Real Madrid, the ‘beautiful game’ has seen its stars don some truly iconic kits over the years.

So what makes a kit special? Here are the key ingredients for an iconic football shirt.

The Most Iconic Football Shirts

Although this may sound obvious, the first basic requirement of a great jersey is that it has got to pass the eye test. The design, pattern and colour pallet have all got to look good, otherwise, fans won’t take to it.

Despite tradition dictating that most teams are locked into a template in terms of colour and basic design, there are numerous cases of manufacturers producing unique, innovative twists on classic kits.

This bit of creative freedom makes a kit stand out, and when done well, can turn an average shirt into a work of art.

The Netherlands 1988 home

This spin on the famous orange strip features a wacky geometric design with an orange and white chevron pattern.

Worn by the likes of Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten during their one and only European Championship win, this number changed the game and is as popular now as it has ever been.

Nigeria 2018 home

Perhaps taking some inspiration from the aforementioned Netherlands shirt, the ‘Naija’ 2018 World Cup shirt also features a chevron design, with a lime green body and black sleeves.

Upon release, the hype surrounding this shirt was so great that it took only a matter of minutes for it to sell out. A sure indicator of a job well done by Nike.

Honourable mentions…

A Nod to History & Tradition

Recently, ‘retro’ shirt designs have somewhat come back into fashion, with a number of kit manufacturers basing new designs on iconic shirts from the past. This strategy has proven to be a failsafe formula for producing an end result that fans will love.

The key strength of this approach is that it gives a kit a nostalgic feel, conjuring up memories of the ‘good times’ experienced by a club or country. These warm feelings of nostalgia invariably give fans an added reason to love a ‘retro’ inspired kit.

Additionally, manufacturers doing their research into the history of a club can go a long way when designing a kit. The inclusion of small details such as dates and badges add meaning and sentimental value to the end product.

It is ultimately these details, and the stories behind them, that can turn a good kit into a great one.

Arsenal 2019/20 away

A modern adaptation of their famous 1991/93 ‘bruised banana’ strip, the Gunners’ 19/20 away kit set the benchmark for this new wave of ‘retro’ style kits.

Featuring a faded version of the iconic navy zig-zags on a yellow backdrop, this one certainly had Arsenal fans reminiscing about their great side of the early 90s.

Leeds United 2020/21 away

To mark their long awaited return to the Premier League, Leeds partnered with Adidas to produce a stunning away strip.

Taking inspiration from the club’s 1994/96 away shirt, a classy gold trim complements the iconic dark blue and green vertical stripes, making for a sharp aesthetic.

Given the 16 year wait for Premier League football at Elland Road, this modern adaptation of a kit from the club’s ‘golden era’ bares extra significance for the Leeds fanbase, who will feel they are finally back where they belong.

Honourable mentions…

Lazio’s 2018/19 take on their 1982/83 kit
Club America’s 2017/18 take on their 1994/96 kit
Arsenal’s 2020/21 ‘marble hall’ kit

The Shirt Sponsor

Although it may seem like a minor detail, the sponsor on the front of a shirt can really make or break it.

In the modern age, all too many clubs have the names of betting companies plastered in large font across the front of their jerseys.

However, pair the right sponsor with the right shirt and it can have a transformative effect.

Whether this is purely because of the reputation of the brand sponsoring the shirt, the story behind the sponsorship deal, or simply the way the logo looks on the shirt, there is something about a great shirt-sponsor combination that can turn an average shirt into a legendary one.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2018/19 home

A somewhat controversial inclusion, this is a rare example of a betting sponsor improving the aesthetic of a shirt.

This Wolves kit is a simple but effective clean gold shirt with black trim. However, what gives it an edge is the large black and grey ‘W’ at the centre of the shirt, denoting the club’s sponsor that season, W88 (an American betting company).

This aesthetic bears a certain resemblance to the club’s logo during the 1970s (a wolf jumping over the letters ‘WW’), and ties the whole shirt together nicely. A perfect case of ‘right sponsor, right club’.

Newcastle United 1995/97 home

If you think of Kevin Keegan’s great ‘Entertainers’ team, it is hard to do so without picturing this iconic shirt.

It was sponsored by timeless local drink ‘Newcastle Brown Ale’, giving the shirt an immediate community feel to it. This sense of local pride and passion is something that has always been mirrored by the Toon, and rightfully makes this kit one of the most fondly remembered in Premier League history.

Honourable mentions…

Shirts immortalised by those that wore them…

Picture any great player, team, or footballing moment. For each one, a certain kit will come to mind. More often than not, these kits are the ones in which players and teams produced memorable, impressive performances.

Whether this be a team winning the World Cup or Champions League, a player producing a piece of individual brilliance, or a team mounting an unexpected cup run, the shirt that they are wearing whilst doing so becomes immortalised by their fans.

Ultimately, it is these achievements that can turn a seemingly plain or average-looking kit into a truly iconic one that lives long in the memory.

Argentina 1986 home and away

These shirts were immortalised by the late Diego Maradona during the 1986 World Cup.

The diminutive Argentine picked up the ‘golden ball’ award for best player at the tournament and netted four goals on his way to the final.

The two most iconic moments produced in the away version both came in ‘that game’ against England. Following the ‘hand of God’ controversy, Maradona scored what is often regarded as the greatest solo goal of all time.

Worn by a true legend in arguably his greatest moments, these shirts have a well-deserved place in football folklore.

England 1996 home and away

The 1996 European Championships brought great hope to England fans everywhere. On home soil, with a star-studded squad, and ‘Three Lions’ on repeat, it looked like England were destined to end their 30 year trophy drought.

However, despite a memorable 4-1 win against the Netherlands in the group, England infamously lost on penalties in the semi-final to Germany, putting an abrupt end to their dream.

Despite this disappointment, the brief sense of euphoria that this England side brought to the nation ensured the eternal cult status of these shirts.

Honourable mentions…

Brazil 1970 home – Worn by the World Cup-winning side including Pelé, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto.
AC Milan 1988/90 home – Worn by one of the greatest club sides in history, featuring Ruud Gullit, Franco Baresi and Marco van Basten.
Ajax 1994/95 away – Worn by the all-conquering Amsterdam side, headed up by Frank de Boer, Edgar Davids and Edwin van der Sar.