‘Tis the season for nostalgia.
Hot on the heels of Club América’s reunion with adidas, Liverpool are pulling the same trick returning to the three stripes from the beginning of next season (I say beginning, the deal technically kicks off in August which will mean there’s a few awkward weeks of preseason in Nike but we’ll deal with that closer to the time).
Like Club América, this will be Liverpool’s third stint with adidas having previously been partnered between 1985-1996 and 2006-2012. For all the efforts of other brands like Umbro, Reebok, Warrior (don’t laugh) and Nike, adidas have long held a dominant position in the “best Liverpool kits of all time” stakes, and the news has rightly been greeted with plenty of optimism.
Want to join in on the excitement? Here are some of our favourite adidas x Liverpool kits, but as you scroll down they get better and better…
2010 Liverpool home shirt
Though not remembered as one of the greats, the 2010 home did boast a pleasing pattern in the body of the kit. It was also the first season of Standard Chartered, for what it’s worth.
2006 Liverpool third shirt
Liverpool and adidas have a proud history with white and green kits (as you’ll see further down this list), and the 2006 third is no exception. This shirt also helped mark the start of adidas x Liverpool part II.
2008 Liverpool home shirt
It’d be easy to dismiss the 2008 as a boring home shirt, but adidas were cooking in this era from a construction and panelling perspective. Yes I care about these things.
2011 Liverpool away shirt
adidas were a bit all over the place with their alternate kits during the 2nd era, but the 2011 away managed to hit the right notes despite not being a traditional colourway.
2008 Liverpool away shirt
Another big win from an away/third perspective was the 2008 away. The checked pattern was one thing, but the classic grey and red colour scheme took this one over the top.
1996 Liverpool away shirt
Harking back to the earliest days of the club, the quartered 1996 away was a bold statement which remains as decidedly retro as it was back in the 90s.
1992 Liverpool away shirt
Liverpool rocked one of the best adidas templates of all time in 1992, and the green away remains a work of art not least because of the shorts (just look at them).
2006 Liverpool home shirt
The Teamgeist template is a symbol of 00s football. Though lacking the trimmings of kits from earlier decades its functional design has rarely been beaten since.
1986 Liverpool third shirt
There haven’t been enough yellow Liverpool kits. Though this kit is much more than just a colour scheme, with a brilliant subliminal pattern and the legendary Crown Paints sponsor, the yellow hits different.
2009 Liverpool away shirt
A personal favourite and perhaps a surprise entry on this list, the 2009 was an unusual but extremely memorable grey and gold combo well ahead of its time. The gold shorts are hard to forget, too.
1989 Liverpool away shirt
The 1989 is often overshadowed by the home of the same season, but its aesthetic is immediately recognisable. Shoutout to Candy also, who are making their first appearance on this countdown.
2008 Liverpool third shirt
The 2008 third carried the torch of green Liverpool alternate kits with aplomb. Adding a collar to the strong foundation of the 2008 adidas template, it is quietly one of the better kits of the late 00s.
1993 Liverpool home shirt
adidas were kings of the kit world in the early 90s and Liverpool were the beneficiaries. The 1993 home is close to perfect with the giant three stripes on either side framing all the central elements on the shirt.
1995 Liverpool home shirt
For some reason adidas decided to go all in on their collars for 1995 (think the Newcastle grandad collar, amongst others). The size of this on the magnificent Liverpool 1995 is absurd and brilliant in equal measure.
1993 Liverpool away shirt
Pound for pound this is my favourite adidas x Liverpool alternate kit of all time. The short-lived adidas Equipment era truly delivered some gems.
1988 Liverpool home shirt
This is everything you want in a home shirt. No nonsense, the best possible version of each of the various applications (the trefoil, Candy sponsor etc.) and the perfect canvas to let the three stripes do the talking.
1991 Liverpool home shirt
Can we talk about the placement of the adidas logo within the middle of the stripes here? It’s small decisions like this that helped make the 1991 one of the GOATs.
1989 Liverpool home shirt
Absolutely zero prizes for guessing this one, which tops our list. This is the Liverpool home shirt, a design which looks as good today as it did in 1989. adidas will probably never beat this one, but I’m excited to see them try.
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