MLS kit rankings

With the 2024 MLS season kicking off tonight, all 29 clubs set to compete in the league’s 29th season have unveiled their new kits.

Unlike the rest of the world, MLS clubs release one new kit each season, alternating between home and away. Each kit stays in the rotation for two years, so this season’s new threads contain a mix of home and away shirts, all made by Adidas. Up to five teams will get alternate kits as part of the brand’s league-wide sponsorship deal, but those have yet to be released for this season.

I’ll caveat these highly subjective rankings by saying that I am by no means a designer, but my ever-growing kit collection does include everything from Arsenal’s 1990-92 home kit, to a 2022-23 Japan shirt I snagged on vacation last month, to a 2013-14 Deportivo Toluca kit my friend bought me while on a surf trip in Puerto Escondido. In other words, I’m perfectly qualified to be telling Adidas designers who put in countless hours of hard work on these kits just how badly they messed up.

29. Toronto FC “GTA Kit”

Boring and uninspired – just like Drake’s most recent album.

28. San Jose Earthquakes “The 50 Kit”

The club’s retro crest is the only redeeming part of this kit, which celebrates the Quakes’ 50th anniversary by paying homage to their NASL era. Otherwise, there are a bit too many red accents going on for my liking with the collar and side panels (pick one), and the Intermedia logo makes everything look horribly unbalanced. 🫤 

27. FC Cincinnati “The Canvas Kit”

I imagine the design conversation for this kit went something like this:

Designer 1: Should we go with plain white or opt for a bold design featuring the club’s colors?

Designer 2: Yes.

I’m not sure how, but Adidas found a way to make this shirt look boring and overwhelming at the same time. 😬 

26. Nashville SC “The 615 Kit”

While this will admittedly look nicer on the pitch as I expect the yellow to pop, I’m not a fan of the shape of the blue strip across the chest. It does look slightly less “swoopy” on the players:

25. CF Montréal “Le Main Jersey”

I initially liked these more until I found out they’re actually this minty blue color clearly inspired by the cold, uninviting walls of every dentist’s office in North America:

24. Atlanta United “The Resurgens Kit”

Featuring a sublimated phoenix graphic, the shirt represents Atlanta’s ability “to overcome the pain of loss, rebuild, reimagine and come back better than before.” A cool idea that could’ve been executed better by using colors actually associated with the ATL. 🍑 

23. Inter Miami “2getherness Jersey”

Adidas followed up the most iconic kit in MLS history with this. 🤦 

No graphics, no patterns, just three logos placed smack-dab in the middle of the chest. This looks more like a training shirt than a match kit. Its only redeeming quality is its color, “easy pink,” which is a more reddish hue than last season’s “real pink.”

22. St. Louis CITY SC “The Confluence Kit”

While this appears as another bland white and red shirt at first glance – much like Imo’s pizza, it’s more than meets the eye. The kit actually features vibrant pink accents overlaid on a subtle gray wave pattern inspired by the two rivers that form the backbone of the St. Louis area:

I don’t think the designers could have done any better with this concept and color combo. 👏 

21. FC Dallas “The Afterburner Kit”

Like Galatasaray with a gradient. I’m generally not a fan of split-color kits (they usually look weird in the back) but the execution on this concept is as good as it could possibly be, and the white accents look sharp too.

20. Sporting Kansas City “Diamonds Our Forever Kit”

Argyle has been part of the club’s identity for over a decade now, so it’s cool to see Adidas incorporating the pattern into this design. That said, I’m not a huge fan of the color (more dentist office vibes) or how the crest is “containerized” inside a diamond.

19. New England Revolution “Boston Tea Party Kit”

We’re taking a big step up now. Featuring colors that are as New England as Bean boots and fluffernutter sandwiches, this kit commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. I’m not sure how, exactly, but it looks nice.

18. Charlotte FC “The Carolina Kit”

I’m a big fan of the gradual progression from white to blue, which is a visual representation of “the terrain that creates a union of land and sea across the changing elevations of the Carolinas.” Not bad for just the second home kit in the club’s history.

17. New York Red Bulls “Legacy Kit”

There’s a lot going on here, but it works. The zig-zag pattern is unique and the Red Bull logo looks so much better than that of the generic regional healthcare company featured on most teams’ shirts.

16. Houston Dynamo “Still Holdin’ Jersey”

The Phoenix Suns’ design team clearly had a say in this kit, which is rather plain aside from the vibrant purple color that is a nod to Houston’s “chopped and screwed” hip-hop culture. That’s right, this kit was effectively inspired by lean. 🥤 

15. Orlando City SC “Legacy Kit”

Sure, it’s a bit on the boring side, but the purple and red combo gives big-time regal vibes and oozes more class than the entire city of Orlando. The throwback crest is the cherry on top. 🍒 

14. Chicago Fire “Return to Red Kit”

Why the Fire shifted away from the all-red kit they wore for their first 20 seasons we’ll never know, but it’s good to have it back. 🔥 

13. Colorado Rapids “One Flag Kit”

Just like every other club in England, I’m a sucker for claret and blue. This kit utilizes one of the league’s most unique color schemes well, and I like the all-over pattern. The only things preventing this from being higher is the collar.

12. LA Galaxy “Angeleno Kit”

It’s getting really hard to rank these now. A future-forward take on the iconic sash, I instantly think of David Beckham when looking at this kit:

I’d rank it higher if it didn’t slightly resemble a Real Madrid knockoff.

11. Real Salt Lake “Peak Utah Kit”

It may be busier than a newlywed Mormon couple in the bedroom, but this kit just works. It’s a perfect nod to the Wasatch range, which is visible in all its glory from RSL’s America First Field. 🏔️

10. Austin FC “The Armadillo Kit”

Only the club’s third-ever away kit, it’s a massive upgrade over the swamp-colored monstrosity they wore the last two seasons.

9. Minnesota United “Starry Night Kit”

Adidas clearly took a huge risk with this one, but I think it paid off. White accents always pop on a predominantly black background, and the starry night theme instantly makes me think of the North Star State, even if it admittedly looks like it’s been airbrushed. 🌌 

8. Philadelphia Union “The XV Kit”

Now this is how you design a kit featuring centrally-placed logos. Love it.

7. Columbus Crew “The Home Kit”

Who knew Charlie Brown could look so good?

6. D.C. United “The Icon Kit”

Simple. Sleek. Sophisticated. This kit is beautiful, and even features the logo of a management consulting company – how D.C.

5. New York City FC “24/7 Kit”

If you couldn’t tell by now, I’m a sucker for black kits too. This distinctively New York look will feel right at home under the bright lights of Bushwick Inlet Park…errr Yankee Stadium.

4. Vancouver Whitecaps “The 50 Jersey”

I wasn’t a huge fan until I saw another picture:

A celebration of the club’s golden anniversary, this kit oozes class and is decidedly Vancouver (because it looks expensive). Plus, that crest is absolutely perfect. 🤩 

3. Portland Timbers “Nature Unites Us Kit”

The Timbers have had one of the best visual identities in the MLS for years now, and continue that trend with this beauty. 🌴 

2. LAFC “Primary Kit”

Aside from the BMO logo looking like a sideways Bitcoin, this kit is a glorious return to black for LAFC. I just might have to steal this look for Stoppage Time FC’s inaugural season. 👀 

Oh yeah, and the promo was fucking hilarious:

1. Seattle Sounders “The Anniversary Kit”

Well, well, well… fancy seeing you here, Seattle.

The Sounders absolutely knocked their rebrand out of the park, and continue to set the standard for on-pitch fashion with this retro look honoring their NASL roots. Light blue shorts and white socks complete what I think is one of the best and most unique looks in the league’s history: