Breaking down all the new MLS kits for 2023
A lot of good, a lot of okay and a lot of weird this year. Here are the batch that were released yesterday.
It is new kit season in Major League Soccer. Clubs have been revealing their new primary or secondary kits for the upcoming season (depending on which cycle theyβre on), and the results areβ¦interesting.
Letβs break them down one by one in the order they were released on Wednesday.
New York City FC
According to the club, the kit features the navy and orange colors of the NYC flag, alongside the club's City Blue, making it NYCFC's most colorful home shirt yet.
Honestly, Iβm all for this kind of kit that pulls in city flag elements. This one goes deep into some design elements that also remind me of a cobblestone street.
Overall grade: B-
New England Revolution
This is the new secondary jersey for the 2023 and 2024 MLS seasons. I see weβre back to basic white with some sort of design pattern. I do like the Heritage Tree flag on the back but that is about it for me.
Overall grade: D+
Columbus Crew
The black secondary kit for the Crew is pretty sharp. This feels like one of those kits that I need to see in person before I know if I will truly like it. It seems decent enough.
Overall grade: C+
New York Red Bulls
I do like that the Red Bulls collaborated with luxury sportswear designer Daniel Patrick for this one. The fact that this secondary kit isnβt bland and white will also help it stand out for most people.
Overall grade: B
Cincinnati FC
The River Kit is pretty solid. I appreciate clubs that tie something truly local to their kits like this. The dark blue is a nice touch against their regular blue too.
Overall grade: B
Houston Dynamo
Iβll give Houston credit, they could have easily gone out and screwed up their orange kits with something horrible, but they didnβt here. Instead, they opted for something simple that will stand out each time they wear it. Yeah, it is basic, but I donβt hate that.
Overall grade: B
Austin FC
Wow, this one isβ¦something. Theyβre calling it the Las Voces Kit, which stands out. I love that Austin isnβt going away from the vertical stripes with their primary kits. We need more kits like this that help establishes a βlookβ for these newer teams in MLS. This does that.
Overall grade: A
Atlanta United
The naming is amusing to me. I guess theyβre going back to their launch year to try to replicate that feeling in the community. Like I said with Austin, I appreciate it when a team tries to go for an established look for themselves, and this does that. It brings that bold red, gold and black look back to Atlanta.
Overall grade: B
Colorado Rapids
So, the Rapids love to do this with their secondary kits. Theyβre almost always bold in some way. This one just doesnβt hit it for me. Outside of the little details in the kit, it doesnβt stand out enough, at least on paper. Iβll add this to the column of βI need to see it in personβ before I truly know how I feel about it.
On the other hand, I do like the message behind the kit with the mental health awareness campaign.
Overall grade: C
Philadelphia Union
The βFor Phillyβ kit is pretty sweet. It reminds me of some of the warmup tops MLS has released over the years for various initiatives. It is a camouflage pattern that isnβt truly camouflage. I donβt hate it.
Overall grade: B
Portland Timbers
It probably doesnβt hurt to have adidas in your backyard as the Timbers do. But damn, every year, their kits get better and better. This one may be their best yet. I love the plaid look without it being too in your face. The black borders with the green so nicely too.
Overall grade: A
Seattle Sounders
Seattle had the Jimmy Hendrix kit, and now they have the Bruce Lee kit. I need them to do a Pearl Jam kit stat. That would be a dream of mine, but that is for another day. For this kit, I have to give them credit for going off the book and with a different color scheme from their traditional look. I canβt wait to see this one in person.
Overall grade: B+
Charlotte FC
The first batch of Charlotte kits last year were pretty decent. This is their new secondary kit and I love the purple look. I appreciate a team that didnβt go white as a secondary color and since purple is rarely used in this league, it will help Charlotte stand out more.
Overall grade: B+