Every January and February, MLS teams drop dozens of new kits for the year and then shortly after we get new NWSL threads. Some of them are great, others not so much, but American soccer kit culture runs so much deeper than just the top divisions.
In fact, it’s further down the ladder where you will find a lot of the country’s more interesting kits. Unencumbered by league-wide kit manufacturer deals and restrictive rules, with the freedom to really home in on what makes the club unique, the USL Championship, USL Super League, USL League One, MLS Next Pro and NPSL give us most of American soccer’s boldest designs — for better, worse and, well, eye-catching.
Best kits
Carolina Core
MLS Next Pro is made up almost entirely of reserve squads, trotting out the same looks as their parent clubs, but there are two independent teams and the Core used their home kit to make sure everyone knew they were their own — and they are fly.
Carolina says the kit is inspired by the area’s textile industry, and that’s wonderful, but more than anything the thing is simply beautiful. The pattern and pops of color at the bottom are sensational, but they fade out toward the top, which keeps the kit from being overwhelming. The way the gold comes in not only on the trim, but also with the numbers on the shorts and, most importantly, in the simple fox for the crest, is why this is one of the best kits American soccer has to offer…