What Makes an Iconic Football Kit?

From uniting fans to acting as a reminder of an iconic winning goal, a football kit is so much more than just a piece of sportswear, it's an item of unrivalled historical importance. Whether wearing the most current kit to show support to a team, or sporting a sought-after retro design to soak up the prevailing culture, football gear often holds a high value to its avid collectors. 

With the UK’s widespread football culture, millions of viewers flock to matches, tune in at home or head to the pub to watch worldwide tournaments or local games. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that fans of England’s Premier League clubs pay close attention to the elements that make or break a football kit. This leads us to ask: what makes a football kit so iconic?

Iconic Football Kits

From the reputation of the team wearing a particular kit, to the design, or even the iconic moments associated with the gear, there are a range of factors that make a football kit so memorable. Below, we’ll discuss the reasons why a football kit can become so iconic that fans are eager to get their hands on it, perhaps even years after it has been worn by the professionals. 

Design

Worn by England’s leading premier league teams, there have been many iconic football kit designs over the years. Taking months to perfect, football gear is carefully designed by leading sportswear brands, where each and every piece is expected to follow a particular team's signature colour palette and design.

When creating the football gear for a new season, designers will aim to add a creative twist. Much like designing any other piece of clothing, the inspiration behind their football kit designs can often depend on the latest trends. For instance, retro kits have taken football fashion by storm in recent years. Having seen an increase in popularity due to their nostalgic feel, recent iconic football kits have been made to reflect on a team's achievements from decades ago, which has proven to be a hit with collectors. 

Shirt Sponsors and Manufacturers

Nowadays, England’s leading Premier League clubs form very lucrative deals with large, esteemed companies to sponsor them, and for leading sportswear manufacturers to produce their kits. As part of the deal, the logos of the manufacturers and sponsors will appear on their shirts. Due to the credibility of these partnerships, the stories or meanings behind them, or perhaps the positive reputation of a company, certain football shirts can end up gaining an ‘iconic’ status. 

High profile companies that have held successful sponsorship deals with England’s leading clubs in the past include Emirates, O2, Carlsberg, Vodafone and more, while iconic manufacturers include Adidas, Nike, Puma, Umbro, and the dedicated team at Avec Sport. 

Even better, if a legendary moment happens on the pitch while the team are wearing the sponsorship shirts, such as scoring a winning goal, the reputation of the team and company sponsors, as well as the value of the kits, will all benefit. 

Players

From scoring a winning goal during a nationally recognised tournament, such as the FIFA World Cup, which is watched by millions every year, to an iconic save to prevent the opponents from scoring, any outstanding achievement in football history is often made by one particular player. 

Eager to get their hands on a certain piece of kit, fans pay close attention to the gear sported by the player when an iconic moment plays out, meaning the shirt memorabilia becomes highly valuable to avid collectors. Therefore, even the most basic kits could end up going down in history and become treasured by fans, acting as a constant reminder of a historical moment. 

Iconic football kits at Avec Sport

From a sponsorship deal with a meaningful story behind it, to an iconic design that provides a creative twist on the latest designs, there are many ways in which a team's football kit or shirts can be deemed iconic. 

Working with professional and grassroots clubs to provide quality kits, the team at Avec Sport has years of experience in providing leading football kit designs. From our precise attention to detail, to our comprehensive knowledge on the elements that make an iconic football kit, as a credible sportswear brand, we stock a large range of football kit pieces including football jerseys, shorts, socks and more, which are all guaranteed to give your club a professional feel.