2025 MLS new kit superlatives: Our favorites, the most disorienting and more

The new MLS season is here and so is a new batch of kits for every team in the league.

This year, were handing out superlatives for each new design (and lumping together all the ones that offer little more than the current template).

Every team has one new design this year that will be paired with the kits that were new for last season .

The only exceptions to that are San Diego FC, which is embarking on its inaugural season, and Inter Miami, because of the existence of Lionel Messi .

So lets start there.

GO DEEPER Our thoughts on every new MLS kit for 2024 Most popular with 10 year olds: Inter Miami Euforia and Fortitude kits Brooks: Every year I say Im disappointed that Miami doesnt better utilize their excellent color scheme and south Florida style to create more interesting kits, but not this year! Even after their excellent Archive Collection kit last year that finally fulfilled that wish, Ive lowered my expectations.

The vertical stripes on the Euforia kit kind of give the pink shirt a fitting Argentina element, but it doesnt really matter what these shirts look like.

As long as Messi is wearing them, they will remain the ultimate in elementary school fashions.

const eBayApiUrl="https://api.theathletic.com"; Most Los Angeles Chargers look: Philadelphia Union Voltage kit David: This is the kit most likely to look the best on Justin Herbert.

This design kind of gives off a pick which flavor of sherbert you want vibe, but the isolated snake logo is a nice touch.

Brooks: The shirt looks like a warm-up top to me.

Thats not necessarily a criticism.

It just feels like it should be the shirt before the shirt.

Advertisement Most disorienting: Orlando City Perfect Storm kit Brooks: The design on this shirt is headache-inducing, but thats not a bad thing.

Why dont more teams across all sports wear clothing that will make their opponents seasick? This is a legitimate competitive advantage.

Most disappointing: Columbus Crew Goosebumps kit Brooks: I love the concept Goosebumps author RL Stine is from Columbus but the execution just doesnt quite come off.

I cant really put my finger on why.

Maybe its the Crew yellow instead of Goosebumps green, but it just kind of makes the person wearing it look like theyre leaking radioactive goo.

It definitely wouldve been better if the shirt featured a giant sublimated image of an evil ventriloquists dummy.

The Rec League Kits: San Diego FC Woven Into One and State of Flow kits, Austin FC Heartbeat kit, FC Dallas Inferno kit, LAFC Secondary kit, Nashville SC Heart of Nashville kit, Houston Dynamo Season 20 kit, Minnesota United Convergence kit Brooks: All these kits utilize Adidas current template and do little to stand out.

For that reason they look like kits youd see in your local indoor rec league on a Tuesday night after work.

In other words, they look like shirts that would be worn by sweaty people debating whether they should go for a post-match drink at Chiles or Applebees.

Have a look.

San Diego (caveat: new clubs usually dont have enough runway to get customized kits for their inaugural season and that seems to be the case here): Austin: Dallas: LAFC (the collar detail on this one is a nice touch, though): Nashville: Minnesota: Most likely to make your kid ask if cars can go to heaven: Chicago Fire Municipal kit Brooks: Theres a cloud-like ethereal vibe to this one thats topped off by the Carvana logo.

It just raises a lot of existential questions about automobiles, the afterlife and whether a Ford Taurus can experience eternal bliss.

There could be more difficult questions being asked than usual when you watch the Fire this year.

Advertisement Most tenuous connection between design and club: New York Red Bulls Stone kit The kit is inspired by the architectural grid pattern that originated at Stone Street in Manhattan and embodies the continuous growth of soccer culture across New York and New Jerseys urban landscape, according to MLS but its hard to get any of that from looking at it.

This kit just looks very beige, which is an unusual choice for a soccer uniform.

At least it is in any other year...

Most underutilized design: D.C.

United Soul kit Brooks: The pattern thats relegated to the fringes of the template is unique, but it just gets drowned out by the beigeness of the rest of the kit.

David: The creamsicle vibe doesnt quite go with D.C.s traditional black and white kits, and the club is moving away from the always-popular-in-Washington cherry blossom style.

But this kit still feels like a cherry blossom adjacent option.

A stroll in the Tidal Basin with these on and youll still match well with the planted scenery.

Most likely to be worn by Mr.

Freeze: Vancouver Whitecaps The Peak kit David: This kit looks cold in the best way.

The sky blue color on the Adidas logo, the bottom of the Whitecaps logo and stripes throughout the jersey stand out.

Also, if your name is the Whitecaps your jersey should be predominately white, and this one is.

Mission accomplished.

Brooks: The back collar of this shirt says TGTHR we DARE which I initially read as TRUTH or DARE.

I dont have anything else to add about that, I just wanted to put it in everyone elses head too.

Most likely to be mistaken for D.C.

United from a distance: Charlotte FC David: Theres not nearly enough Carolina blue going on in this kit for a team representing the Tar Heel state.

Red card for missing the obvious.

Yes Carolina blue should be the secondary color given what the home kits look like for Charlotte.

But unless youre lining up for a Hail Mary this is just too much darkness.

Advertisement Brooks: Is it bad that I wouldve given this one to Dallas Inferno kit? Why is everyone trying to look like D.C.

United? I like the design element on that Charlotte shirt, but it will likely be hard to see in real life and on broadcasts, which is a shame.

The design that looks most concerningly like its covered in mold: Colorado Rapids Headwaters kit Brooks: I would need a health inspector to sign off on this shirt before I went anywhere near it.

Also, the badge on this one is a comically generic downgrade from the clubs usual one.

Most absurd number of stars: LA Galaxy Rizon kit Brooks: The reigning MLS Cup winners have a star in their badge, then one for each of their six titles, then another star at the bottom of the shirt just because why not? This kit was designed to look like the LA sky at magic hour, so all the stars make sense with the concept and its a flex theyve earned, but still..

its a lot of stars.

Most fun name for a pretty bland design: NYCFC The Excelsior kit Best board game vibes: Real Salt Lake Grid City kit David: This isnt a Croatia World Cup kit.

This is Real Salt Lake.

Checkerboard is a bold choice, but given the Real/royal connection, maybe a chess inspiration makes sense? But apparently the square patterns actual reference is Salt Lake Citys grid system which was designed by settlers to fit a horse-pulled carriage.

Most reminiscent of a Mario Kart speed boost on a woodland themed track: New England Revolution Eastern White Pine kit Brooks: The pine tree vibes are pretty clear, but it also looks like it will make you go faster if you drive over it with Toad.

That said, pine tree themed kits are kind of Portlands whole deal (their community kit from last year is also pine themed), so is this how the MLS east coast vs.

west coast pine tree kit wars begin? Go ahead and pencil this in for Rivalry WeekTM next year! Advertisement Design most like the decorative paper in a basket of fish and chips: San Jose Earthquakes The Headliner kit Brooks: Even though this one has a punk-rock newspaper motif, it gives me a weird Pavlovian response where I can almost taste the tartar sauce.

But maybe thats just me.

As a 40-year-old, I give them a bonus point for including the cool S on there, though.

I know Pablo Maurer will appreciate that.

The most red: Toronto FC Club kit ...

or St.

Louis Citys Forever City Red kit? Brooks: So, Torontos kit has the most shades of red in it, but it raises the question of when does red stop being red? St.

Louis Citys kit, meanwhile, is also very red and it even has the word red in its name, so does that technically make it more red than Torontos? Im starting to feel dizzy.

Are colors even real? Where am I? The most it is what it is kits: Sporting Kansas City One KC kit, FC Cincinnati Orange and Blue Legacy kit, Atlanta United The Connector kit Brooks: This category might sound dismissive, but thats not the intention.

Some clubs have a set look with distinctive, consistent design elements and that can be a good thing.

But at the same time, it is what it is.

Sporting KC: Cincinnati: Atlanta: David: Given that Atlanta United plays at Mercedes-Benz Stadium I like that their red and black kits look like a multiversal extension of the Atlanta Falcons color scheme.

Extra points for the superheroic looking badge with a stylized A.

But this is Atlanta.

There had better be a stylized A somewhere.

The most keeping up with the Kraken kit: Seattle Sounders Salish Sea kit Brooks: This is a beautiful kit with a unique design and looks to be super wearable for fans.

It doesnt make my eyes sting like many other Sounders kits over the years have.

But the color scheme is undeniably Seattle Kraken-like.

And hey, I get it.

Theres a relatively new NHL team in town thats getting some attention and you want to show them whos the big dog on the block by outdoing them with their own thing.

Eat that Kraken lunch, Sounders.

Advertisement Davids favorite: CF Montreal Original kit David: Everything is working here.

The color scheme.

The vertical stripes.

Crest.

The white-colored Adidas lines on the shoulders.

Even the positioning of the sponsor.

The small symbols in the right corner.

I would wear this.

Brooks favorite: Portland Timbers Forever Green and Gold kit Brooks: The Timbers have a long history of gorgeous kits and this is another entry on the list.

From the colors to the tree ring design and the retro vibe, its just perfect.

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(Top photo: Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images; all kit photos: Adidas).

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