The retro soccer jersey craze is legit, and Amsterdam’s Ajax has caught the bug. I understand that even The Qooligan has been known to sport a vintage Crystal Palace jersey from his birth year (which will remain unsaid. I am a lady and this gal don’t tell).
But then The Shirt Union dropped this nugget and my jaw dropped.
Ajax is one of those quintessential clubs whose home kit is immediately recognizable to nearly every soccer fan on the planet. The vertical red column on the white field has been in use for well over a century, and this anniversary kit pays homage to the good ol’ clean looks of yesteryear.
It’s not perfect. Retro kits tend to eschew putting sponsor logos on them unless they are historically accurate, and whether an anniversary kit is equal to a retro kit is an academic argument I’m not ready to have right now.
The Good
Overall aesthetic. This has nice clean lines, and the center column is a good width. Screams “AJAX!”
XXX. Placing the Amsterdam city seal in the center is spot-on.
The Bad
Ziggo & Adidas logos. Fine. Someone had to pay for it. At least it’s subtle-ish.
The collar. It’s not the worst, but was it needed?
You add in flair like the long sleeve cuffs plus those rockin’ vintage black socks, both sporting red bands, and this is one seriously hot kit.
Availability and where to buy are still not yet known. But most likely it will be on the official Ajax merchandise store and possibly on the Adidas site as well.
