Leaked images of kits for the forthcoming European Championship suggest the retro craze is coming to an end.
At the last World Cup, teams were overpowered by nostalgia as they turned back the clock for inspiration with the 1990s proving an especially popular choice for kit manufacturers. The likes of Colombia, Russia and Germany went “full retro” while Nike turned heads with their Nigeria kits which took elements of a classic kit and took it to the next level with huge success, becoming not just an instant classic but a sales sensation.
The trend spilled over into the domestic market too with many clubs “being inspired” by kits of the past in the past two seasons, to the point of saturation. For a summer it felt like every kit had to have some tenuous link to a past design and frankly, it became a little tiresome. From Manchester City's away kit taking nods from the Hacienda nightclub to Arsenal's fresh take on the "bruised banana", it was hard to find a kit which was not taking its cues from days gone by.
Street sport fashion trends continue to plunder the 1990s back catalogues. Taping, baggy fits and shell jackets are everywhere and brands like Ellesse are enjoying a new lease of life so the 1990s fixation isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. But there is an appetite for something new from kit fans and the signs are that next summer will be when manufacturers start to look forward not back - spare us all from another “inspired by” press release.
Adidas and Puma look like abandoning the retro look for a while but as history has told us, nostalgia is a very powerful tool.
