Football and fashion have a long-standing relationship that reaches way beyond the pitch. Starting out on the terraces, football fans of the ‘70s and ‘80s adopted unofficial uniforms styled from the feet up with low-profile silhouettes like the Handball Spezial and the Palermo. Later in the ‘90s, with the surge of celebrity culture, came a rise in wearing football shirts outside of match day, with influential figures getting papped in team colours and shirts for public appreciation.
Now we reach the early 2000s, where things really start to get interesting. This was a defining era for many reasons, but especially in the footwear realm. It was at this point in time that football boots finally made the crossover from pitch to pavement. Although not the first of its kind, Nike’s Total 90 became somewhat of a cultural phenomenon with a whole generation of young people using the silhouette as a multi-purpose trainer. From astro turf lunchtime kick arounds to Saturday afternoons paired with jeans, the T90 was everywhere, and this was only the beginning.
By the time the 2024 Euros came around, “Blokecore” was in full swing, and fashion had truly embraced football styling. We saw a rise in retro and modern jerseys in daily wardrobes, amongst longtime club devotees and those just discovering the magic of the football shirt, appreciating colour combinations and materials rather than the team behind it.
Whether the preference is reworked and ruched or oversized and paired with jorts, football fashion offers an outlet for creativity for everyone. Over the years, designers and brands like Balenciaga and Patta have been offering up their own take on football kits with directional looks for the off-pitch fashionista.
Shirts aren’t the only part of the kit that has been getting a new lease of life in the 2020s, thanks to the rise in customisations and the treasure trove of digital-led trends, football boots are once again in favour. The beauty of fashion is that if something isn’t quite how you picture it in your head, then you can rip it apart and manipulate it until it is, which is what contemporary creatives have done with vintage football boots by adding a Vibram sole to create an easy and wearable pitch-inspired look.
Meanwhile, there’s “boots only summer”, a trend that has gathered momentum online and landed itself on the red carpets and at Fashion Week alike. The premise is pairing cleated football boots with anything from shorts and tees to voluminous dresses and suits, which sounds like a good idea until, after a few wears, the structural integrity of the shoe – designed for the soft pitch – fails. Fear not. As always, adidas has the answer and has teased its upcoming F50 Adiframe Walkable Cleat that comes equipped with a transparent TPU cage to keep those studs safe.
Whether you’re new to the principles of football styling or have been a long-time devotee to the sport and the shirts that come along with it, now is the time to get creative. From speciality vintage football shirt stores to new releases of your favourite retro boots – Nike Total 90 and adidas F50, we’re looking at you – there are plenty of ways you can make this on-pitch-inspired aesthetic your own.
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