Summer is officially over and most leagues across the worlds are now, thankfully in full swing. While most teams unveiled their arsenal of kits prior to their respective seasons, there were a few stragglers that dropped as late as yesterday. With other media outlets releasing their lists weeks ago, we patiently waited for the aforementioned late drops and sure enough one of those kits made our list. A calculated risk but well worth it. Now without further rhetoric, let’s take a big ol’ subjective dive into our favorite kits for the 2017/18 season. 

11. Newcastle United Third by Puma

After an unprecedented “Step Out” campaign which saw every team under the Puma umbrella receive a black kit, we picked Newcastle’s as the best of the considerable bunch. The all black shirt features subtle, monochrome, gradient stripes that take from the club’s iconic home strip. The Newcastle crest perfectly compliments the metallic gold accents by way of Puma and sponsorship branding. An all around clean, stealthy and classy kit.

10. Liverpool Home by New Balance

So many of the best things in life are simple. Music, food and especially a good soccer kit. New Balance clearly took this to heart when designing Liverpool’s 2017/18 home strip. Marking the club’s 125th anniversary, the simple shirt takes direct inspiration from the Red’s 1984 European cup winning side. The throwback vibes come from a  distinguished white v-neck collar and cuffs along with tonal pinstripes all on that legendary Liverpool red. Of all the kits on the list, this one wins for its off-pitch versatility.  

9. Hamburg Away by adidas

adidas came strong with their classic inspired kits this season. Naturally, the bigger teams got the majority of the hype, but we fancied Hamburg’s away number as a standout. Though the print never actually featured on any of the club’s previous kit’s, the all-over diamond design which took from the club’s crest, screams of brilliant 90s panache. The bold and beautiful marine blue also gives the shirt a fitting, vibrant backdrop for the white accents. 

8. Shakhtar Donetsk Home by Nike

Sometimes a team’s kit is hindered by its coloroway. Making orange and black look good can be difficult, but Nike has been slaying jerseys for the Dutch National for nearly three decades. On Shakhtar’s latest it appears they’ve taken from that history. The typically solid black stripes are reworked with a gradient blue beneath diagonal pinstripes. The classic orange stripes remain proud and untouched as ever along with solid black sleeves. We also love how clean that sponsorship logo looks across the chest. This kit is a rework of a classic, masterfully done. 

7. Manchester United Away by adidas 

This was the first kit that set the precedent for what adidas (and many other brands) would be doing for several of their releases. Dipping back into their archives, adi resurrected this iconic print which was worn by Manchester United’s legendary “Class of ’92” in their first season. Opting for a tonal black/grey with white accents, the kit perfectly plays homage to its inspiration but with a sleeker, more modern fit. With high hopes for the season ahead, the Red Devils look for some good luck from successful seasons past. 

6. UNAM Pumas Home by Nike

Pumas have notoriously had some of the best kits in all of soccer. Last year’s Aztec print jerseys were absolute fire. It was a tough act to follow but Nike killed these. More minimal than its predecessor, Pumas home kit shines with simplicity and bold design. The white shirt employs that iconic navy-blue lion head with unique, rarely seen, horizontal stripes on the sleeves. Lisa MX jerseys are known for getting creative with sponsorship blasts and this one is no different as the DHL branding sits super high on the chest, near the collar. Another killer for the boys from Mexico City.

5. Huddersfield Town AFC Alternative by Puma

Not one to pass on the retro driven madness Puma joined the soiree with the newly promoted Huddersfield Town. Inspired by the famous ‘Flash Kit’ worn by the club from 91-93 this shirt is an almost identical throwback to one of the wildest designs ever. It features unique, horizontal, red and black stripes that mimic lines you’d see on a seismograph after an earthquake. Of all the throwback inspired pieces, this one was the most brazen, but Puma did an incredible job of bringing back a beloved cult classic. 

4. Inter Milan Third by Nike

This will probably be the most controversial of all the selections. Nike has taken flack for using the same templates across most of their jerseys. Especially this year, nearly every one of their third kits features the same tonal camo. What makes Inter’s stand above the rest for us, is the colorway. The folks at Nike are masters of color schemes and this kit is an example of that. The dark blue serves the minimalist vibes of the shirt brilliantly. Add the iconic volt accents from the branding and you have a smart kit steeped in simplicity with subtle doses of flair. 

3. Kaizer Chiefs Home by Nike

The Nike kit template is a few seasons old now. Tweaking it a must for the sake of maximizing its longevity. One simple way of doing so is by adding print that was previously only reserved for goalkeeper kits. As basic as that may seem it works brilliantly on the Kaizer Chiefs 17/18 home shirt. The South African club is given a loud all yellow kit with a gradient diamond print on the sleeves. We often talk about how branding accentuates the overall aesthetic of the best jerseys, this one is no different.

2. Celtic Away by New Balance

This kit is absolute fire flames, plain and simple. Created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Celtic’s iconic Lisbon Lions European Cup victory. The shirt features Verdant and Eden Green horizontal stripes with gold accents on the New Balance branding, sponsorship blast and team crest which is specialized to read ” Lisboa 50 Aniversario.”  A woven two-button collar and gold trimmed shoulder seam tie up the jersey beautifully. This is a must have for Celtic fans, collectors, casual fans, dudes that like soccer, dudes that hate soccer etc..

1. Club America Home by Nike

While other brands went HAM with their retro repertoire, Nike, for the most part, stayed a more modern path with their releases. Then they came with this Jaw-dropping, nostalgia-gripping piece of Mexican legend. This harkens back to the days of a young Cuathemoc Blanco bunny-hopping around the Azteca like a madman. The iconic diamond print is gorgeously resurrected with modern tweaks but it’s all done so well while staying true to the club’s rich history. Without out a doubt our kit of the 2017/18 season.