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Kits are a tough thing to get right. Everyone has an opinion, and it’s tricky to find the right target demographic. Do you feed the loyal fans? Do you try to branch out, get random people around the world to wear your colors – even if they’ve never watched a minute of your team, you know, play football? Or do you just say "forget it" and make something that looks really cool?
With the new MLS Archive collection, MLS have tried to do a bit of all of the above. And in rare fashion, it works. The league have released 10 new retro-ish jerseys, all of which pay homage to the weird and wonderful history of American soccer. Some of them, such as Dallas Burn, D.C. متحد and Colorado Rapids, pay tribute to the early days of MLS. Some, like Seattle Sounders, Minnesota United and Charlotte FC are a little more recent.
Who nailed it with the kits? Who left a bit to be desired? And just how cool is it to have an orca as your badge?
BALLGM US writers debate the fine array of new MLS kits in a fashion-forward edition of… The Rondo.
Kits are a tough thing to get right. Everyone has an opinion, and it’s tricky to find the right target demographic. Do you feed the loyal fans? Do you try to branch out, get random people around the world to wear your colors – even if they’ve never watched a minute of your team, you know, play football? Or do you just say “forget it” and make something that looks really cool?
With the new MLS Archive collection, MLS have tried to do a bit of all of the above. And in rare fashion, it works. The league have released 10 new retro-ish jerseys, all of which pay homage to the weird and wonderful history of American soccer. Some of them, such as Dallas Burn, D.C. United and Colorado Rapids, pay tribute to the early days of MLS. Some, like Seattle Sounders, Minnesota United and Charlotte FC are a little more recent.
Who nailed it with the kits? Who left a bit to be desired? And just how cool is it to have an orca as your badge?
BALLGM US writers debate the fine array of new MLS kits in a fashion-forward edition of… The Rondo.
Tom Hindle: Seattle Sounders, and it’s not remotely close. Guys, they have an orca badge. What more could you possibly want? Shoutout to Colorado, though, for making a green kit that works.
جاكوب شنايدر: It’s gotta be either San Jose or Minnesota. The Loons’ ode to the Minnesota Kicks really is beautiful, and there’s something fun about the typeface they chose. It looks great, fits as streetwear and represents the history of the state. SJ, meanwhile, is one for the sickos. It has 1990s Clash all over it. It’s a stupendous shirt. But its a jersey meant to be worn on the pitch – it’s tough to envision it as streetwear.
Alex Labidou: This is easy, the Colorado Rapids brought back their beloved green kits from their inaugural season and gave them some swag for 2025. The old kit was clunky, but the new one is a winner. Plus, they arguably had the best kit trailer as well. No need for debate here.
ريان تولميش: It has to be the one with a damn whale on it. Shoutout to the Sounders for going the right amount of crazy, from the design to the orca vibes with the badge. To be fair, all of these kits are hits and all of them are pretty fun. But the Sounders stand out just because they took things just a step further.
TH: Ryan Tolmich is gonna hate this, but the Charlotte one just does not work. It’s a glorified Sweden kit. Snooze.
JS: New England. There’s something about it that just doesn’t work the way you’d hoped. It’s still a gorgeous shirt, but it doesn’t sit right. The design is a great effort, but in comparison to the rest of the Archive Collection, it falls short.
AL: Columbus are usually among the leaders when it comes to kit releases, which makes their third kit release this year disappointing. If it this kit seems familiar, it should – a slightly upgraded version of their 2013 away kit. Charlotte would be the second worst – the color scheme seems very Sounders inaugural season. And heritage kits for a team that’s four years old seems weird.
RT: It’s a very, very classy kit, so no knock on it. But the Rapids kit could have been a little bit more … wild? Search “Colorado Caribous” for some inspiration. But even so, this is one of the more casually wearable kits of the bunch. That’s what they were going for, so that’s fine. But there were also some bits of chaos that could have been added.
TH: Yes, because it actually seems vintage! With Colorado, D.C., New England, Dallas, Columbus and San Jose, they tapped into some MLS heritage. The new(er) ones are good too. Stronger overall than last year, and the collection checks the “vintage” box more. Nicely done, MLS. Not wearing branded Gazelles, though, for what it’s worth.
JS: Absolutely – and it actually has teams representing the heritage of the game. Each club was deserving of a shirt, and each kit pays tribute to the fans, players and all involved who laid the groundwork for establishing the professional game. This is really some of the league’s best work with adidas.
AL: Slightly better, just because the field is stronger. You’ve got FC Dallas and San Jose Earthquakes with some really strong kits, and while the Minnesota kit might not be for everyone, there’s no denying it’s better than a lot of last year’s kits. That said, the Timbers, Inter Miami, and KC Wizards kits from 2024 still pull at the heartstrings.
RT: Last year’s collection was good, but this release is great. Overall, these kits are strongly tied to history, but they also have a better balance of “wearable” and “Oh my goodness that’s chaotic – but in a fun way.” This was a good step forward for MLS and adidas, who continue to capture the weird and wild culture of American soccer – which doesn’t always have to be as prim and proper as counterparts elsewhere in the world.
TH: Seattle! LAFC and Portland both have some absolute beauties, and the Red Bulls have really upped it this year – even if they share a lot of similarities with RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig. But the Sounders take the cake, by some distance. Once again: THE ORCA BADGE. This will annoy 50 percent of the BALLGM US writing staff, but I cannot stand the Minnesota “starry night” thing. It’s naff.
JS: In terms of a three-kit collection, it’s the Sounders. It’s just beyond delightful. Each jersey is nearly perfect. Their Salish Sea Kit is one of the best designs in the world right now, and their Archive orca kit is a thing of beauty. Then, their Anniversary kit is a real stunner, too, as it shows off their trademark Rave Green exceptionally.
AL: Minnesota starry night kit might have been released last season, but they still rock it this year, and the club’s overall collection, including its new release, gives it a slight edge.
RT: It isn’t always easy designing around their colors but, the Sounders don’t miss. They did things a bit differently with their home and away kits this season, and then dropped the hammer with their orca kit here. Overall, a good year for the Sounders and a bad year for Sounders’ fans’ wallets as they look to keep up with these kit releases.
TH: Well, you may as well complete the whole set. Every club should get one, even if you start to go into teams that literally have only ever had one or two kits. Then again, that hasn’t stopped the league before – ain’t that right, Miami? But football has this problem. Nostalgia bait is a powerful thing, and there has been a real wave of romanticizing early-mid 2000s culture of late. Makes sense, because it looks cool and we can all pretend we actually watched football when we were four years old. At some point you should probably think about the present. Then again, Puma are doing that and they’re getting flamed for not being cool enough. Let’s just all wear long sleeve ريال مدريد kits, adidas Predators and shorts just above knee length until we die, yeah?
JS: Considering it’s the first real design for these clubs in the adidas era, not really. Paying homage to tradition is always fun and exciting, and it’s a real treat for fans. At some point the league will need to branch out. But for now, this is a great addition to an already stylish season on the pitch.
AL: To the contrary, this has been fun – with one caveat. Retro kits for clubs less than five years old should NOT be a thing. Yes, MLS is still relatively young at 30. But seeing clubs such as Nashville and Charlotte get Heritage kits is semi-hysterical. Yes, praise for the Miami and Minnesota kits. But at least those weren’t trying to throw things back, and got creative. If MLS wants to be bold, it should take a page from the NBA, as the Memphis Grizzlies recently rocked the Vancouver throwback jerseys. Let’s see some Fusion kits out there!
RT: No! Please do more! American soccer has such a unique and weird history and, for years, it’s seemed as if MLS has been hesitant to lean into it. Yes, soccer existed before MLS showed up in 1996. Yes, it was awkward and uniquely American. And yes, people care about that stuff, including those just stumbling down these rabbit holes for the first time. History is important and these kits are a way to honor it, while putting a modern spin on things. Everyone wins with it, especially the fans, which is really what matters.
