The excellent Top 100 Shirts of 2019 over on Footy.com returned once again to much acclaim, highlighting some of the best kits of the year from all corners of the globe.
Indeed, the level of scope and variety in the rankings is a big credit to all involved, none more so than curator Phil Delves, with contributions from @henbyde, @museumofjerseys, @kit_geek, @ThePedronator and @chrissemple99 to name a few. 2019 has been a fantastic year for kit design, with some stunning kits, retro throwbacks, great originality and the occasional bonkers design thrown into the mix. Check them out below.
To view the rankings in full, click here: Footy.com
Below you can see the Top 10 from the rankings, in descending order: (click on each to see bigger)
After some initial surprises over the lack of Italian representation in the excellent Top 100 Shirts, Serie A fought back with five of the top 10 being of Italian design. It was the final order of those shirts which raised an eyebrow or two, however, as they always will. There’s no doubt that one of the biggest kit manufacturers in the game in Nike stepped up their kit designs this season with some stunning kits, and none more so than the retro-inspired 3rd kits for both Roma and Inter, two of the best of the year for me. It was Roma’s white away kit, however, which came out on top. It came as a surprise for me as while I certainly admire the concept, it was the tardy execution of the gradient bolt which put me off it. A nice kit no doubt but falls well short of the perviously mentioned 3rd kits.
As for other Italian kits represented in the list, I feel Parma’s third (68) certainly deserved a higher ranking (a top 10 for me), while Inter’s home (80) was also a standout. As for those who missed out, one of the biggest surprises was the absence of a Genoa kit. A first year back with Kappa (who have been killing it this season) and any (or all) of their three kits could have made it, particularly the stunning white 3rd with a red cross. Atalanta’s home and away kit could also feel aggrieved at missing out, as could Bologna’s away, Juventus’s highly controversial home (it was still nice), and perhaps the most stylish club in Italy, Pordenone Calcio’s home. A nod must also go to Serie B side Perugia Calcio, who’s kits were produced in collaboration with Italian fashion label Frankie Garage. All three are as stylish as they come.
A great Top 100 list all round, but there’s no doubt that calcio’s rise back to the top of European football will see even more stylish kits next year, especially with the likes of local manufacturers Kappa, Errea and Macron giving the bigger companies a good run for their money.
To view the rankings in full, click here: Footy.com
