The 2018/19 season sees the 20 year partnership between one of the biggest clubs in the world with one of the biggest brands in the world, Real Madrid and Adidas.

I thought I would take a little time to look back over the kits worn through these two decades and some kit highlights.

Adidas became Real Madrid’s kit manufacturer in 1998 taking over from Spanish kit maker Kelme and last month signed the largest Kit Deal seen in the sport with a reported €1.1 Billion (£950 Million) 10 year deal extending their partnership to 30 years.

The Kit Overview

Looking at the home kits, considering Real Madrid never deviate from their traditional all white kits, it is surprising how many changes there have been to the home kit through each season, only in the 1998/99 and 1999/2000 seasons was a kit used for more than one season.

Over the years the famous all white has been trimmed with Black (the most frequently used), Shades of Grey, Yellow, Navy Blue, Royal Blue, Orange, Pink and Aqua / Turquoise, always given us that slight variation from the season before.

However, given the tradition used with the Home Kit, the away kit is different “ball game” altogether.  Real Madrid are team that often turn to away kits when playing away from the Santiago Bernabeu, they will always wear away kits when there are clashes of white shorts / socks, think European games at Manchester United for examples.

In the first few years of the Adidas relationship there were very traditional Real Madrid away colours used, Navy Blue, Purple, Black all playing a prominent part of alternative colours in away and 3rd kits.

There was a change in 2007/08 season, the home was highlighted with purple for the first time in this Adidas Era (previous Adidas kits in 80s, Hummel and Kelme had all used purple elements in their home kits), looking at the alternative kits of that season the away was Navy trimmed with Gold and 3rd was a charcoal grey trimmed with neon green.

The next few seasons saw a return to navy, blue, black and purple rotation of away and 3rd kits.  In the 2011/12 season saw a new colour introduced by Adidas in the Real Madrid colour palette, red….

In a kit that took inspiration from one worn in the early 1970’s and was a real change from the norm and the start of run of different colours used in Madrid’s alternative kits which with have also seen this season with another red 3rd kit being used.

• 2011/12 – Red 3rd kit
• 2012/13 – Green 3rd kit
• 2013/14 – Orange 3rd kit
• 2014/15 – Pink Away kit
• 2015/16 – Two-tone Grey (with Neon highlights) Away kit
• 2017/18 – Aqua/Turquoise 3rd kit
• 2018/19 – Two-tone red 3rd kit

In the 2017/18, there was a running theme of aqua used in all three kits, with both home and away kits having aqua highlights on shirt, shorts and socks, the 3rd kit being a Aqua / Turquoise kits (mentioned above).

It seems there has been a shift in the kits created by Adidas and looks like we now always see the traditional all white home kit and then one of the traditional away palette colours (Navy, Black, Blue, Purple) used for one of the alternative kits and the other will be something completely different…. yellow, neon green… who knows what the future holds here.

My 5 favourite Real Madrid Kits

Home kit, 2009/10

I do have this shirt in my collection, all the way from Bernabeu Stadium itself (my shirt below), I really like this shirt, nice collar, subtle yellow trim, it just all works for me.

Home Kit, 2012/13

A simple but classic kit for me, the navy and light blue trim complements the kit perfectly, there is also a shadow pinstripe on the shirt as well.

3rd Kit, 2003/04

The third kit used in the 2003/04 season (David Beckham’s first season with the club) is one of my favourite alternative kits used, the blue/grey shirt, black short and socks, all trimmed with sky blue and gold, just a pleasing kit all round.

Home Kit, 2014/15

This home kit was trimmed with pink and black across shirts, shorts and socks, there was also an additional pink stripe across the back of the shirt above the players name (we can just see it on the above image), another shirt with a shadow pattern, close examination and it is very similar to the pattern used on several Adidas shirts this season.

3rd Kit 2001/02

A kit that I am not sure was ever seen in action, as I can only find digital (Pro Evo) and pictures like the above but this kit from 2001/02 season was one that combined some of the “go to” colours for alternative shirts but the combination of kit, especially with the black socks really works for me.

Please let me know you thoughts of Real Madrid’s Adidas kits over this 20 year period, use the comments below or contact me on Twitter, @Kit_Geek