The End of "Normal" Stripes?
May 8, 2025, by Chris
- Unconventional Stripes Trend: The 2025-26 football kit season is expected to see a dominant trend of non-traditional and experimental stripe designs across many major clubs.
- Classic Stripes Reserved: Traditional, clean-cut stripe designs appear to be increasingly reserved for special occasions like anniversary kits or heritage collections, rather than standard home kits.
- Strategic Design Shift: This shift towards innovative and unconventional stripes in regular kits seems to be a strategy to offer something new each season while leveraging classic designs for nostalgic purposes.
On Tuesday, Inter reached the Champions League final in an epic match against FC Barcelona. They did so wearing their classic colors, but the very unconventional take on the classic stripes of the 24-25 home kit. Next season, Inter will again experiment with their stripes - and they are by far not the only team.
Unconventional Stripes: A Defining Trend for 2025-26 Kits as Classic Designs Become Rarer
The proliferation of non-traditional stripe designs on football kits isn't an entirely new phenomenon, but a glance at the leaked jerseys for the upcoming 2025-26 season suggests this approach is becoming overwhelmingly dominant. It seems the era of simple, clean-cut stripes as the default for regular season kits is fading, with experimental interpretations taking center stage.
Across Europe's top leagues, the evidence for this intensified trend in 2025-26 is mounting. FC Barcelona's leaked Nike home shirt (via @nicokits) reportedly features blurred Blaugrana stripes and solid sleeves. Adidas's Bayern Munich home kit incorporates a 'soundwave design slightly resembling stripes. In Italy, AC Milan's Puma stripes have a subtle internal patterning (via @opaleak), Inter Milan's Nike stripes bizarrely showcase the lettering Inter, and Juventus' Adidas design radically deconstructs their classic black and white look with angular breaks. Newcastle United's Adidas home kit (via @Nerd5rule01) has a subtle design to connect the classic stripes.
Anniversary Kits With Stripes
This surge in unconventional designs for the 2025-26 season highlights a clear strategy. The desire to offer something new and distinct annually is a factor, but it also appears that truly classic, traditional striped designs are increasingly being reserved for special occasions, such as anniversary kits or heritage collections. This allows clubs to tap into nostalgia for specific moments while pushing contemporary design boundaries for their regular season offerings. The standard kit cycle now seems to heavily favor innovation, making the "normal" stripe a less frequent sight for main kits.
25-26 Kits With Classic Stripes
Not every team will wear experimental stripes next season. Teams like Union Berlin, Fenerbahçe, and Atletico demonstrate that brands do not need to experiment with stripes to create a good kit; in fact, it is quite the opposite.
Stoke City will have wavy stripes next season
While these modern takes can be visually striking, they often divide opinion. Is this shift, so evident for 2025-26, something you welcome, or do you miss the regular appearance of classic stripes outside of special editions? Let us know your thoughts!
No More Meyba: Squadra Fukuyama City 2026 Home Kit Released
Japanese Regional League side Fukuyama City have officially announced their new kit supplying partnership with Squadra, replacing Meyba, and reveiled their new home strip for 2026.
The jersey stays close to the club's traditional colors: using white base with navy panels and yellow details. The club crest, front number, brand and sponsor logos are divided by yellow and blue lines in the middle, which gives off similar vibes to the infamous 2021/22 Puma third kit template.
What do you think of the new 2026 Fukuyama City home kit by Squadra? Let us know in the comments below.
FC Ingolstadt 26-27 Special Kit Released
FC Ingolstadt 04 and Italian kit maker Erreà have unveiled a new special kit for the 2026-27 season. Embracing local Bavarian heritage, the jersey pays tribute to the region's rich brewing tradition and folk festival culture.
The Erreà FC Ingolstadt 26-27 special jersey arrives in an elegant cream base complemented by warm brown details. A subtle all-over tonal pattern depicting hop cones, vines, and traditional Bavarian motifs covers the shirt, creating a distinct Trachten-inspired look. The club's standard crest is replaced on the chest by the standalone panther emblem in brown, matched by Erreà's logo and sponsor branding.
Brown accents also appear on the unique notch neckline and the side panels, while "SCHANZER" lettering is printed neatly on the upper back. The kit is paired with brown numbers and lettering to complete a bespoke, festive aesthetic.
Sukhothai FC 26-27 Third Kit Released
Thai League 1 side Sukhothai FC and local brand Warrix have officially unveiled the club's new third kit for the 26-27 season. The launch rounds out the Fire Bats' wardrobe for the campaign following the earlier arrivals of their home and away uniforms.
The Warrix Sukhothai FC 26-27 third jersey brings a fresh and distinct aesthetic, featuring a light lavender purple base paired with vibrant orange accents on the shoulders and sleeve cuffs. Deep purple panels run along the sides, while a clean white V-neck collar finishes the look. A subtle all-over tonal pattern decorates the body, complemented by the club crest on the left chest, Warrix branding, and front sponsors CP and Chang.
