Adidas Germany bids farewell after 72 years as Nike prepares takeover
In the shadow of the Allianz Arena, a sleek black shirt with gold pinstripes hangs on a stand, its hem stitched with the year 1954. The image marks the final chapter of the Adidas Germany partnership that began in 1954 and will close at the end of the year. After 72 years, the iconic collaboration ends and Nike is poised to take control.
The contract’s expiry coincides with Germany’s UEFA Nations League fixtures against the Netherlands, Greece and Serbia. UEFA reportedly blocked a planned 1990 retro shirt, meaning the farewell kit will likely be worn for Jurgen Klopp’s first match in charge. The transition signals a major shift in German football’s visual identity.
Jake Pearce's award
REUTERS reported that Jake Pearce, a final‑year Sports Journalism student at Southampton Solent University, recently won the Football Writers Association Male Student Football Writer of the Year award. The accolade followed a feature he produced with former Crystal Palace player Danny Butterfield. I’m delighted to show the facts and give a clear picture of his achievement.
Farewell kit to debut
The black ‘farewell’ kit unveiled by Adidas features gold pinstripes and the number 1954 stitched near the hem, while the DFB crest dates from the 1978‑1996 era. It is expected to appear on the pitch for Jurgen Klopp’s inaugural game, after UEFA blocked the intended 1990 retro shirt. Nike will inherit the contract immediately once the season concludes.
Ranking the ten best Adidas Germany shirts
To celebrate the partnership’s end, a list of the ten Best Adidas Germany kits has been compiled, judged on design, success and cultural impact. World Cup winners dominate the selection, but space is also given to a European Championship triumph and several memorable away shirts. The ranking highlights how kit design can become part of football folklore.
One early high point is the green change kit, layered in several shades of green with a white V‑neck and shoulder‑running stripes. The long‑sleeved version is a collector’s favourite, though the shirt’s success slipped when West Germany exited the group stage after Antonio Maceda’s last‑minute goal gave Spain a 1‑0 win. The story also debunks a long‑standing post‑war myth surrounding the design.
Reunified Germany’s first major tournament shirt displayed crisp white, bold black, red and yellow shoulder graphics and a black V‑neck, a template Adidas has revived for heritage releases. By the 1994 World Cup in the United States, the home kit had become a fashion statement, with a reworked collar and chest graphics, and was worn by Jürgen Klinsmann’s side that fell 2‑1 to Bulgaria in the quarter‑finals.
The 1990 home World Cup shirt, unsurprisingly white with black shoulder stripes and flowing red and gold side panels, saw Germany lose the semi‑final 2‑0 to Italy in Dortmund, yet the kit remains a retro favourite. The Euro 1996 shirt, white with black, red and gold trimming, helped Oliver Bierhoff score the golden goal that beat the Czech Republic 2‑1 in the final – Germany’s last major men’s trophy until 2014.
A later kit broke away from tradition with black and red horizontal stripes, a rugby‑style collar and fine lines within the red hoops; Mesut Özil likened it to Flamengo’s shirt, and it became a bestseller in Brazil before the tournament, featuring in the 7‑1 semi‑final win where Miroslav Klose broke the World Cup scoring record. West Germany’s classic white shirt, captained by Franz Beckenbauer in Munich, featured a 2‑1 victory over Johan Cruyff’s Netherlands and set a visual language that would endure for decades.