ZUZU F.C.

Designing club uniforms is a tricky creative task because they carry the club’s most precious asset—their identity. Some clubs even refer to them as the “sacred mantle.” So, no pressure, designers! It’s a delicate dance of reinventing the wheel without taking it too far. And in the end, no matter what, there’s always a troll in the feeds that’s gonna trash it. But, all these restrictions are thrown out of the window when designing the third kit. 

Like a white canvas, the not-home-or-away jersey became this creative loophole for clubs, substituting tradition for audacity. The third kit works to expand the club’s brand equity beyond their fan base and into pop culture, selling boatloads of jerseys in the process. This freedom allows teams to make purposeful stances, out-of-the-box partnerships, pay homage, and push the sometimes too-precious traditions of the sport forward. 

As we enter the beginning of this 2023-24 European season, the internet is flooded with third kits drops. Let’s check out a shortlist of third kits that are raising the creative game this season.

sport recife + umbro

Traditional North-Eastern Brazilian team, Sport Club Recife, paid homage to legendary artist Ariano Suassuna.  Suassuna wrote some of the most iconic and culture-defining plays of Brazilian folklore. (If you’re Brazilian, you have heard, read and watched “O Auto da Compadecida”).

An obsessed “Lion” fan, Ariano was a constant presence at Leão games, always elegantly dressed with a black jacket and red shirt. The look became his signature and inspired the black jersey with a red stripe in the middle,  a sleek look designed by the always classy Umbro. 

Being a sport of the masses, we rarely see a Brazilian club dedicate its jersey to a cultural pillar such as Suassuna, creating this two-way street of expanding the team’s audience while promoting his artistic legacy. 

Atlanta UNITED f.c. + adidas

Atlanta United’s third kit, ‘The 404 Kit,’ doesn’t pay homage to an artist but to an entire era—the 1990s. It honors the city’s period when Atlanta made a creative leap in art, music, and culture, becoming one of the most effervescent creative centers in the US. 

Besides the graffiti-style lettering of ATL and UTD on the jersey, the club also launched a documentary about that time recounting the city’s history. Nothing wrong with a nostalgic play when done right. 

a.c. milan + puma

For generations, the football-verse was never a space in which the LBGBTQ+ community felt comfortable. If you wanted to go to the stadium, you’d better hide who you are. Despicable. Things have changed and evolved. However, it’s 2023, and we’re still seeing clubs being fined due to homophobic chants from fans. 

When AC Milan launched its third kit that celebrates diversity and a passion for uniqueness with a ravish-royal sapphire color and a monochrome logo instead of its traditional red, black, and white, the Italian club, together with Puma, made a bold and necessary statement that put them on the right side of history. Watch and learn, Budweiser. 

colo-colo + adidas

The Chilean giant’s third kit to the men’s side celebrates the 10th anniversary of Colo-Colo winning the Copa Libertadores. But here’s the twist: It was won by the female side. 

The prejudice in South American countries towards women’s soccer, rooted in sexist values, is still very much alive. Colo-Colo hit the bullseye with a clean and golden design that pushes the comparisons aside and celebrates men’s and women’s accomplishments as equals. An idea they summed up on the back of the shirt that says “La forma mais linda de ser Chileno,” which translates to “The most beautiful way of being Chilean.” Does anyone know how to say “drop the mic” in Spanish? 

PSG + AIR JORDAN

The genius partnership between PSG and Air Jordan to design the Parisian third kit allowed basketball and football cultures to collide, reimagining how partnerships between brands and clubs go down. 

The nature of the third kit, not having to follow the club’s traditional uniform, took the project to the next level of cool. It became THE drop of the season. But, the partnership will be over moving forward, making this season the last. But it feels like it opened a door for other clubs and brands to jump in.

The 2023-24  third kit is still a mystery, so I’ll leave you with this leaked version circulating the internet with a photoshopped Mbappe. 

venezia f.c. + kappa

Venezia FC finished 8th place in the Italian Serie B. However, their partnership with Kappa made the club world-famous (social media world-famous, at least) for designing uniforms that go head-to-head with high-fashion items—they’re fire, and everyone wants them—their third kit ain’t different.  

Kappa dominated European football in the early 90s, making iconic uniforms for Barcelona, Juventus, and Roma. Although they’re not with massive clubs right now, the brand is making a hell of a comeback by positioning its kits as luxury brands would, with lavishing photoshoots featuring models looking intensely into the camera.