Football kits are a big deal these days. Whether it’s a money-maker for clubs and manufacturers or a source of excitement ahead of the upcoming season, iconic strips can create memories that last forever.
The Premier League has featured plenty of dazzling kits over the years (as well as its fair share of eyesores), but which are the best in the competition’s history?
Liverpool recently announced that they will rekindle their partnership with Adidas from the 2025/26 season, raising hopes of an all-timer donning the likely Premier League champions next summer.
Here, we’ve listed some of the best kits the English top flight has served up in the last 33 seasons.
Ranking factors
- Designs
- Legacy
- Achievements
9
Liverpool 2006-08 home
Previous Adidas favourite worn by Gerrard and Torres
Following the Reds’ recent announcement of Adidas returning as the Anfield club’s kit manufacturer, it feels fitting to start with one of their best kits in recent times.
Complete with the Carlsberg sponsor which had become iconic in its own right, their strip for the 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons was a masterpiece, which included the trademark stripes, Liverpool’s badge and a rarely seen centred manufacturer logo.
They may not have won any trophies wearing it (Liverpool made the Champions League final wearing this), but just picturing Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard racing off in celebration in this kit makes it a worthy one to look back on.
8
Tottenham Hotspur 2018/19 third
Navy and green combo made famous by European run
Admittedly, it is Tottenham Hotspur’s exploits in another competition – the Champions League – that elevates the status of this particular kit, but it’s still a great shirt.
Spurs went all the way to the Champions League final having created some magical memories in their third strip of the 2018/19 campaign, having seen off Manchester City and Ajax while wearing it.
Created by Nike, the unique colour combination is merged with an aerial view of the local area – a classy touch.
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Spurs have had plenty of memorable matches in UEFA competitions over the years.
7
Arsenal 2022/23 away
Gunners break records with all-black strip
Arsenal’s away kit from the 2022/23 season is the most modern kit on this list – and with good reason.
Kitted out in all black, the Gunners went on an unexpected title charge that year, enjoying impressive results against the likes of Aston Villa and Brentford away from home.
Had Mikel Arteta’s side won the Premier League, this kit may have been ranked higher, but with the sales numbers breaking records, this is a rare modern masterpiece.
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6
Chelsea 1997-99 home
Umbro’s finest Blues kit?
Umbro’s association with Chelsea spanned 20 years from 1986 to 2006, with a bit of a mixed bag in terms of results, if we’re honest (see 1994/95’s away shirt).
While there have been many fine efforts in blue, one of, if not the best, is the home kit worn between 1997 and 1999, which came with a redesigned badge, a white collar and gorgeous yellow/navy pinstripes.
With an Autoglass sponsorship to boot, it all adds up to a beast of a football shirt, which easily deserves its place among the best.
5
Man Utd 1992-94 away
Green and yellow half-and-half throwback classic
Manchester United opted for a trip down memory lane in the early Premier League seasons, with the Red Devils reimagining the strip worn by the club in the late 19th century, when known as Newton Heath.
It’s a superb shirt for the throwback genre, almost solely for the drawstring collar, handing the likes of Eric Cantona and Ryan Giggs a more rugged look on the pitch. A kit just as daring these days would surely sell by the bucketload.
4
Man City 2009-11 third
Minimalistic… with a sash!
Let’s be honest, there should be more sashes on football kits. All too rarely do we see the diagonal stripe deployed, but Umbro hit this one out of the park with Manchester City’s third kit in the 2009/10 campaign.
Running for two seasons, City’s third-choice strip was unlike any other of its day, chiefly due to the sponsor being pushed right up under the badge, allowing the simplicity of the red and black stripes to take centre stage.
No snazzy designs, no unnecessary gimmicks and not a sleeve sponsor in sight. Bravo.
3
Arsenal 1991-93 away
Two words: Bruised banana
This easily could have been a kit that split opinion, but it feels as though the consensus today is that Arsenal’s original ‘bruised banana’ kit is one of the league’s most iconic designs.
While a bit busy at first glance, the zig-zag pattern is mesmerising and unique, with the Adidas trefoil logo adding a superb finishing touch.
Revived in 2019 when Adidas returned as the Gunners’ kit manufacturer, this is one of those designs that should stand the test of time for decades to come.
2
Arsenal 2005/06 home
Burgundy beauty bids Highbury fitting farewell
When Arsenal planned to say goodbye after calling Highbury their home for 93 years, there will have been much anticipation as to what the final home strip would be. Step forward, Nike.
The apparel giant delivered an all-timer, with the kit harking back to the Gunners’ first strip during the early Highbury days, where the squad wore a burgundy home strip.
This handed a unique look to the Gunners for the 2005/06 season, during which they saw off the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus in Europe while sealing a comeback victory in the famous ground’s final top-flight match, nicking the final Champions League spot in the process.
Crucially, they looked great doing it.
1
Newcastle United 1995-97 home
A faultless and iconic black and white strip
We don’t know if there’s such a thing as perfection, but Newcastle United’s home kit from the 1995/96 season comes pretty close.
The stripes, the logo, the Newcastle Brown Ale sponsor – it’s just perfect. It’s not trying too hard nor doing too little, it’s almost impossible to fault it.
An honourable mention has to go to the away strip for that season – in which Newcastle famously went so close to winning the league – with a blue/dark red combo that still looks gorgeous to this day.
The only thing you could argue was missing were Premier League winners’ medals hung upon them.
