The End of "Normal" Stripes?
- 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!
Vintage Football Shirts
from Cult Kits
2020/21 Northern Ireland *BNWT* Home Shirt (M) Adidas
Iconic Manchester United Shirts A3 Print
1978/80 Dallas Tornado *BNWT* Home Shirt (M) Admiral Nasl
1992 Umbro *BNWT* L/S Template Shirt (XL)
2011/12 Italy FIGC Referee L/S Shirt (S*) Diadora
1994 USA 94 *BNWT* World Cup Cap Twins
1994 Argentina Reusable Face Mask
1998/99 Shamrock Rovers Home Shirt (XL) Umbro
1990'S Puma 'Midfielder Top' Football Boots (Size 6)
1990/92 Ennerre #1 *BNWOT* GK Template Shirt (L)
LEAKED: Adidas to Release Boca Juniors 2001 Copa Libertadores Homage Kit - Original Kit Made by Nike
Club America 26-27 Away Kit Leaked - 5 New Pictures
Footy Headlines can now leak 5 new pictures of the Club America 26-27 away kit. Although it is a fake, the design is identical to the real one.
The kit features a dark grey and black base with a large V-shaped chevron graphic on the front and back.
Milan 26-27 Home Kit Debuted
AC Milan debuted their new 2026-27 home kit in yesterday’s final Serie A match. The design brings back the club’s traditional striped look for home games.
However, it turned into a disappointing debut, as the team suffered a 1-2 defeat to Cagliari Calcio, consequently missing out on qualification for the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League.
Adidas x KITH x Messi Special Collection Drops May 29
Kith and adidas Football have teamed up with Lionel Messi for a collection marking the 20th anniversary of the player's first World Cup appearance in 2006 and Kith's 15th anniversary. The three-way collaboration includes Argentina-inspired jerseys co-designed with Messi to his exact specifications. Early previews feature designs with the star's "M" logo, Kith branding, adidas elements, and numbers including 10 and 19, nodding to different stages of his international career.
Ronnie Fieg has shared multiple looks via social media showing various colorways and styles that blend football heritage with Kith's aesthetic. The collection is scheduled to release on May 29, 2026, through Kith.com, with a broader range of apparel, footwear, and accessories expected alongside the jerseys.
The project comes ahead of the 2026 World Cup and aligns with Messi's time at Inter Miami. Additional details on pricing and the full lineup will be confirmed closer to the launch date.