The football kit scene is enjoying the most powerful of retro resurgences for the 2019/20 season, and while streetwear and football have been indiscreetly flirting which each other for some time now, we reckon the market is finally ready for the comeback of the retro matchday tracksuit, and if you'll let us, we'll explain why through words and photos. We good? Let's go...
Those oversized tracksuits of yesteryear are a sticker album of footballing nostalgia. Oversized logos, oversized club crests, a mish-mash of colours and layering, and a 90s vibe that is unmistakably throwback. It's without doubt a look that screams 90s, but as football brands continue to reap the rewards of retro-inspired jerseys, pre-match shirts and goalkeeper tops, there's a slice of the market that has yet to be influenced by a dominant 90s presence in streetwear circles: The matchday tracksuit.
Streetwear brands, including those that manufacturer football apparel, have cashed in on a booming thirst for retro athleisure with numerous series of throwback tracksuits. The likes of Nike, adidas, PUMA, Kappa and Diadora have all released 90s styled tracksuits which are widely being worn in streetwear settings but as of yet the football matchday tracksuit has remained a body-tight slimline cut silhouette. With streetwear so intwined in football right now, and with brands so responsive in transitioning streetwear trends into football, we're backing the tracksuit for some retro re-working.
Of course, it would be a statement move and probably not one to rollout across the board; no brand is that brave. But it would be one immensely ballsy move for a brand to handpick a club to don the oversized and eccentric look, rather than the standard athletic cut. So who's brave enough? Not all clubs will naturally feel comfortable to pull off such a move without fearing fan backlash, but Nike have slowly and cleverly built a new generation of 'Hype Clubs' led by Paris-Saint Germain and followed by Inter Milan. That's who we're backing. Imagine PSG turning up to Champions League away games in some of these beauties below. Very PSG indeed.
PSG's collaboration with the Jordan brand has smashed down the boundaries of kit design and re-written the rules when it comes to official clothing collections, and a throwback tracksuit which lends itself nicely to a basketball scene is one we're keen to see. Everyone in XL. No exceptions. It's been done before, and it's been done well – almost every club and international team had baggy tracksuits back in the 1990s, and while we're not sure anyone is ready for the return of the 80s shellsuit, the 90s tracksuit is one that could build on the foundations already laid moving into a new decade of kit design.
The return of the Nike 'Futura' logo has further opened up the realms of retro design, if not that it's certainly got us craving throwback replica at the very least. Collaborations are becoming king with the Jordan x PSG success story and Juventus are rumoured to have wheels in motion with a Palace collaboration – a skate brand who have already released a collection of 90s football inspired tracksuits. That 90s theme has been jumped on by brands who were dominant in that decade but then faded away on the performance scene: brands like Kappa, Fila, and even Umbro have re-imagined themselves as streetwear labels first and foremost, complemented by football, and we're lapping it up.
So many clubs are re-issuing replica designs of retro kits, specialist retro retailers such as Classic Football Shirts are booming, and while those originals will forever be gold dust there's an undoubted hunger for modern reinterpretation. Picture all these classic designs with your club logo on them and tell us you don't want to see it...
While you're here feeling all nostalgic, we've also been backing a return of the classic fold-over collar.
