Growing up, I was obsessed with retro football shirts. Those shiny, ill-fitting jerseys with those big sweat-filled collars were my thing as a teenager, and if truth be told they still hold a place in my heart (and my loft) now as a fully-fledged 30+ adult.
I know I’m not alone in my football nostalgia obsession. In fact, I’m anything but alone. Whether it’s shirts, programmes, or maybe used ticket stub, these seemingly irrelevant objects can evoke fond memories in an instant, or an important moment in your own sporting experience, even if it’s only you that remembers it.
Nostalgia is of course nothing new, and could be considered sport’s answer to fashion’s burgeoning Y2K trend in the sense that it won't go away, for good or for bad.
Such has been the rise in football nostalgia in recent years, even labels like Gucci and Palace (to name only a few) have even released their own takes on classic football jerseys.
Even labels who were around in the era they call nostalgia are diving into their own catalogs to revisit archive styles, such is the rise in popularity. One of whom at the forefront is adidas.
Following a slew of campaigns with serial Premier League collaborators Arsenal, the German sportswear label is has released its new ICONS collection for Spring/Summer 2023, and there’s something for everyone.
Featuring takes on classic styles from the back catalogs of some of the games biggest names like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and of course Arsenal, the collection — which is available online now — really is nostalgia personified.
Personally, I’m all in on the Bayern Munich numbers, and the Celtic ones for that. Baggy, over-the-top, and bursting with color, adidas’ ICONS collection is yet another reminder that they just don’t make ‘em nowadays like they used to.
