Like it or loathe it, soccer teams are into the fashion of changing kits every season — even third shirts, which 75% of the teams in the Premier League currently wear and sell.

In today’s world of instant social media and commercialization it’s just as important to look good as being successful, so here is the top 20 in reverse order (an accumulation of all team shirts to determine the list).

In order from worst to best:

20. Swansea City

Swansea’s home shirt is classic and traditional white kit made by Adidas via their Condivo 14 template. However, it loses it style by the oversizing and shaping of their sponsor GWFX (Goldenway). Just when you think it can’t get any worse, the away shirt is a half red and black, making it looks like it belongs more on a roulette table then a soccer team.

19. Stoke City

Although an effort has been made by clothing manufacturer Warrior to go back to the Stoke City 1970s style shirts with navy blue sash, the shirts still look and feel bland and ordinary. It could be worse. Stoke City fans will be happy that Warrior haven’t followed suit with Liverpool by designing shirts like last year’s atrocities.

Browse through the Stoke City shirts on World Soccer Shop.

18. Leicester City

Leicester’s home shirt is very classic with a collar style identical to Borussia Dortmund’s Champion League kit. What lets Leicester’s shirts down are their away and alternative strips. The away kit incorporates gold as a continuation from the 13/14 shirt and the alternative red is incorporated for the first time in over 20 years. It would have been better to see a classic white shirt as they did in the mid-late 90s.

17. Liverpool

Liverpool’s position is only this low by the fact of Warrior’s constant inability to get their away shirts right. Liverpool’s home kit is smart and stylish with a clean and curved white trim with the Hillsborough ’96 tribute on the back of the shirt. The yellow away kit is a throwback to the 1980s with the classic red badge but is let down by the red piping around the chest and even more so by the hideous black alternative shirt, which includes a grey and red sash across the front with red collar and cuffs. Someone at Anfield must tell Warrior to stop making these outrageous designs.

Browse through the Liverpool shirts on World Soccer Shop.

16. West Bromwich Albion

Soccer fans don’t embrace change especially when it comes to their traditional home colors and shirt designs. WBA’s new shirt uses the same template as Swansea and Sunderland (Condivo 14), but the difference is that they have moved away from the classic blue and white large stripes shirts to a pinstripes. The away kit is red with white trim on the collar, shoulders and cuffs.

15. Aston Villa

Aston Villa’s shirts have a strong element of classic styling from Italian manufacturer Macron. The home shirt consists of blue pinstripes and a stylish collar. The away shirt pays homage to their 1982 European Cup Final success. It’s a classic V-neck with four pinstripes and claret shorts and white socks. The problem with this shirt is that its rather bland and is ruined by the Macron logos on the top of the shoulders and shorts.

Browse through the Aston Villa shirts on World Soccer Shop.

14. Newcastle United

Over the last few seasons, Newcastle’s home strips have become blacker, featuring fewer black and white stripes. This season’s design from Puma introduces a new black triangle across the chest with gold trim. The letdown for Newcastle fans are the away and alternative kits. The away strip is silver and black with feint pinstripes — a throwback from their look in the mid to late 1980s. The third shirt is based on the same template design as the away kit. It’s a half and half design of green and blue with green applications, green shorts and blue socks.

Browse through the Newcastle United shirts on World Soccer Shop.

13. Burnley

The three shirts for Burnley are made by Puma. The home shirt is a classic claret and blue, which is accompanied by white shorts and claret socks. The away shirt is black with silver trim, which is the first time Burnley have adopted these colors. The third shirt is silver with a black trim.

12. QPR

QPR’s home shirt is very traditional, based on Nike’s Hoop III teamwear template, featuring a white rounded collar and cuffs accompanied by the classic blue and white hoops. The away shirt features red and black stripes. The third shirt is all white and is based on 1967 League Cup triumph — simple, classy and understated.

11. Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace has gone back to their roots with their home shirt for the 14/15 season with the traditional red and blue stripes with blue shorts and socks. The yellow shirt is a return to a mid 90s design with light blue shorts and socks. The only letdown is again the Macron logos on the shoulders, which make it look tacky.

Browse through the Crystal Palace shirts on World Soccer Shop.

10. Sunderland

Sunderland has kept a classic look for their new home kit. The prominent red and white stripes are completed by the gold collar trim along with black shorts and socks. The away shirt uses the adidas Condivo 14 template, with a light blue shirt with dark blue pinstripes.

9. Tottenham Hotspur

The home shirt for Tottenham incorporates a horizontal blue line across the chest with yellow trim on the sleeves. The away shirt is a mixture of black and navy blue with yellow trim and 11 golden lines on the front of the shirt. This is to commemorate the 11 trophies former Spurs manager Bill Nicholson won during the club’s most successful time in their history. The Nicholson theme is continued in the third shirt with 11 lines on the sleeves and socks. It a take on the classic lemon yellow of Tottenham. Generally, fans will be pleased with what Under Armour have produced.

Browse through the Tottenham Hotspur shirts on World Soccer Shop.

8. Arsenal

After switching from Nike to Puma, Arsenal fans will be pleased with the home and away shirts. The home jersey is a tighter fit than usual and still keeps the classic white sleeves as well as white shorts and hooped socks. Arguably the best shirt would be the away yellow one, which again keeps the tradition of blue sleeves and red trim on the shirt, blue shorts and yes more hooped socks. The letdown is the so-called “Cup Kit,” which features light and navy blue diagonals stripes with small lime green lines.

Browse through the Arsenal shirts on World Soccer Shop.

7. Manchester United

These will be the final Nike shirts for Manchester United after the Red Devils signed a $1.2 billion deal with adidas that begins next summer. Nike’s red shirt is a simple design with matching white and black trims for the collar and cuffs. Nike has continued the classic theme with the white away shirt, black collar with solitary button (disguising the club emblem until un-buttoned) as well as black shorts with white socks. The shirt looks more like it belongs at the Wimbledon tennis tournament. The third shirt is a two-tone blue kit with a vibrant blue on the front of the shirt and shorts, and a rich, deeper blue at the back. It also has orange trim on the shirt and shorts, and looks more suitable for a Netherlands away kit. The disappointment of the obnoxious Chevrolet sponsorship. The gold logo doesn’t do the shirts any justice.

manchester-united-home-away-third-shirts

Browse through the Manchester United shirts on World Soccer Shop.

6. West Ham United

It’s back to the 1980s for West Ham United’s new home shirt, a throwback to the classic adidas strip from their successful 1985-86 season where they finished third in the First Division. The shirt features thin horizontal blue lines, blue and white collar and cuffs, as well as light blue three lines down the shoulders. The change is the blue home shorts as opposed to white. The away shirt keeps to the classic blue with dark navy sash across the front of the shirt with navy shorts and light blue socks. The third shirt is purple with gold adidas lines across the shoulders as well as a black collar and diagonal tonal stripes on the front of the shirt. It’s a great look for the fans on the streets of east London.

5. Southampton

The stripes have returned!! After years of Southampton not wearing their classic stripes, they’re back. The home shirt features a traditional V-neck collar, red and white stripes down the shirt (with each red stripe featuring small diagonal stripes within them) as well as black shorts and red socks. The away shirt is a navy blue horizontal striped shirt with yellow trim, navy blue shorts and socks. Sponsors Veho remain but are promoting their sub-brand Muvi on the away shirt.

4. Hull City

Having signed a four-year deal with Umbro, this is the first of The Tigers’ new kits with them. The designs are simple but the colors work well. The home shirt is amber with four black stripes, and Umbro logo on the sleeves with black shorts and amber socks. The away shirt is all black with amber detailing around the collar, working well with the sponsorship on the shirt. The away shorts have a orange line on each side identical to the home shorts as well as black socks. The third shirt still incorporates the aspect of light blue as they did last season. Except only this time, it’s with the shorts and blue trim on the collars and socks. Overall, Hull City has three well-styled shirts.

Browse through the Hull City shirts on World Soccer Shop.

3. Chelsea

For once, Chelsea aren’t top of the league. Chelsea’s home shirt features a color gradient accompanied by traditional blue shorts and white socks. The away shirt pays homage to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with blue trim. Chelsea have continued with the dark blue/turquoise mix as an third shirt, featuring a sound wave design with the classic three stripes on the shorts and socks.

Browse through the Chelsea shirts on World Soccer Shop.

2. Everton

Having re-signed with Umbro for the next 5 years, Everton fans will look forward to having unique kits according to an Umbro exec. The home shirt is one of the best in the Premier League this season. It consists of thin horizontal hoops, black buttoned collar and classic Umbro logo on the right chest of the shirt. The away is all black with a modern crew neck collar, a classic monochromatic Everton badge and a logo from sponsors Chang beer. The third shirt is white with purple V-neck collar and a feint yellow trim with purple shorts and socks.

Browse through the Everton shirts on World Soccer Shop.

1. Manchester City

Last year’s champions of England are champions of Premier League football shirts this season. Nike have produced three stunning shirts, and although not all of them are traditional, they clearly have spent a lot of time designing them. The home shirt is sky blue with a dark navy Johnny collar and cuffs. The main difference are that the shorts are sky blue with navy panelling and not white, a look that is more common when City travel away from home. The away shirt has a color gradient of dark to light blue from the top to the bottom of the shirt. The third shirt is all about Nike utilizing bright and vibrant colors to electrify City’s look. It’s predominantly purple with flash green accents across the sleeves and sides of the shirt. As with Manchester United’s third shirt, one half features one color on the front (purple) and the other half features a different shade on the back (dark purple). The Etihad sponsor name and Nike Swoosh look bright and vibrant, and will be a must-have for most City supporters.

Browse through the Manchester City shirts on World Soccer Shop.

Marshall Norbal

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