Adidas challenges Nike’s ineptitude with MLS kits

U.S. Soccer fandom was abuzz with the underwhelming nature of Nike’s latest U.S. international kits and rumors of another. The kits, which feature a solid color on the front with slightly contrasting colors on the sleeves are not so offensive in and of themselves. But they are very boring, and they are especially boring when you consider every other country sponsored by Nike has the same exact kit, just with their colors on it.

You knew this, however. What you might have subconsciously realized but not articulated yet, however, is that Adidas is giving Nike a run for their money with their MLS designs. BEHOLD: the rumored DC United 2017 away kit.

Put simply, it looks like off-brand Spiderman cosplay. It looks like a Project Runway: Junior outfit that forces the judges into making a teenager cry. It looks like they put a white shirt on the ground, let a backhoe run over it, and then called it a day.

Many MLS fans have had issues with Adidas design for some time now. Obviously, not every kit is going to be a rousing success. But you would think that companies as big as Nike and Adidas would have enough money and manpower to put forward designs that won’t be ridiculed. At least it’s not all gloom and doom on Adidas’ part. Both Portland and Orlando City’s new kits have been met with enthusiasm from the home fans, among others.

But...that DC United shirt. Oof. Add that to the new MLS ball that’s being used in 2017 (flag patterns? And are they burning? It looks like they’re burning) and San Jose’s new kit.

To be fair, I do not like San Jose’s crest either, and I’m sure there will be plenty of Quakes fans that like this shirt.

All this goes to say, Nike is far from the only major sportswear outfitter running into design problems. Adidas has also been guilty of bad designs and overusing templates in the past, and a new crop of MLS shirts stands as a testament to their inconsistency. Today has been a bit of a day for sites like Todos Sobre Camisetas and Footy Headlines, with a bunch of unreleased MLS kits leaking. If you’re itching for the start of the season and still waiting on your team to release a new kit, I advise checking those places out first. At your own risk.