Before we look ahead to all that 2024 has to offer, we’re taking a beat to reflect on the defining brand moments of 2023, from big name player signings to the resurgence of retro, and everything in between.
The door has closed on 2023, and it was quite the year, packed with action on the pitch and controversy and talking points off it, from Manchester City’s impressive treble and the women’s World Cup to the emergence of the Saudi Pro League as a destination for plenty of top tier talent. As always, in amongst all that there was the eternal battle of the brands, with all the major players looking to steal a march on one another with their next big move. In line with that, we’ve picked out what we think were the most defining brand moments in the footballing world from 2023.
NIKE LAUNCH LEBRON JAMES X LFC COLLECTION
While this one may not quite have hit home with the same impact as say PSG x Jordan, what it did do was show off the type of pulling power that encouraged the Reds to make the switch to Nike from New Balance in the first place; a flex that arguably no other brand can offer in the same way and a cultural crossover that would've been simply unfathomable a few years back.
HAALAND SIGNS WITH NIKE
After months and months of speculation, Erling Haaland finally brought one of the longest running sagas to a close when he officially rejoined Nike back in March. Undoubtedly one of the most sought after talents in the game, the Norwegian was pursued by the likes of adidas and PUMA, but ultimately returned to the brand that he'd been with since he was 14.
It was a statement signing for Nike, who had been more associated with player departures over the preceding few months. It now sees arguably the best two strikers in world football in Mbappé and Haaland allied under house Swoosh. Formidable.
ADIDAS ORIGINALS RETRO REVIVAL
Championed by the presence of the Trefoil on football apparel again for the first time in many years, adidas opened up its archive for a return of some of the most iconic shapes and shades from yesteryear. Ajax were one of the first to be treated to a throwback collection, but they were quickly followed by a plethora of European clubs and worldwide football federations, as adidas plucked a sweet tune on the nostalgia strings in all our hearts. Evidence that when adidas go retro, no one does it better.
NIKE X MARTINE ROSE FOR USWNT
OK, so as a precursor to the USWNT's thoroughly underwhelming performance at the World Cup, this one doesn't rank too highly, but taken as a stand alone snapshot, showcasing an unwavering approach to revitalising football dress codes, this one hit top bins.
KAPPA 23/24 SEASON SHOW-STOPPERS
Every now and then a kit drops that makes you stop what you're doing just to admire its elegant beauty. A brand is doing well if they get a few of these a season, and a club is lucky if they get one. This season though, it's felt like Italian brand Kappa have had the midas touch, where almost everything they've produced has been golden (not just in colour, although the appearance of the Kappa Omini logo in gold never hurts). Hits left, right and centre, with very few misses, Kappa stood out this year for its consistently sublime attention to detail and premium, bespoke releases, no matter the level of club.
RIHANNA LAUNCHES THE FENTI X PUMA AVANTI
Rihanna's first release as Creative Director of FENTY x PUMA saw the megastar mining the brand's deep history and heritage in sport, tapping into the boom in football-infused footwear with the return of the Avanti. It arrived as an unconventional mix of two PUMA icons, blending the high-quality leather design of the King football boot with the outsole of the heritage running shoe, Easy Rider.
SKECHERS ANNOUNCE THEMSELVES IN FOOTBALL WITH THE CAPTURE OF KANE
At first, met with dubiousness given that Skechers are more commonly spotted on your mum as she scours the middle of Lidl, you simply couldn't ignore the statement that was the signing of Harry Kane. If you're gonna announce yourselves in the game, you may as well go big, and goal scorers don't get much bigger and better than the England captain, who hasn't stopped scoring in the SKX_01 since he laced them up and switched to the Bundesliga. A proper endorsement and no mistake. Expect much more to come from the brand in 2024.
ADIDAS X CRAZYFAST BUGATTI CRYPTO AUCTION
The coming together of one of the most premium high-performance automobile manufacturers and one of the most recognised sports brands in the world would've arguably been enough of a statement to earn a place on this list on its own, but when adidas and Bugatti dropped the extremely limited edition X Crazyfast ‘Bugatti’ the 99 pairs produced were only available in auction through the adidas Collect Web3 platform, making it the first ever Crypto/NFT boot launch, it reached another level. Welcome to the future, people.
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD SIGNS WITH ADIDAS
Not one that many people saw coming, but Trent Alexander-Arnold announced his switch from Under Armour to adidas in spectacular fashion, not only appearing in a bespoke pair of the brand new Predators (complete with that returning fold-over tongue) in the game against title rivals Man City, but rifling home a late equaliser to boot. It not only marked him out as the latest acquisition for the Three Stripes, it also perfectly positioned him alongside Jude Bellingham as the latest face of the Predator line, which was conveniently due a refresh...
THE LAUNCH OF THE ADIDAS PREDATOR 30
And Trent's appearance brings us to this absolute thing of beauty. 2024 marks the Predator's 30th anniversary, and adidas kicked off the celebrations in the most stylish way possible, releasing 1,994 versions of this, the Predator 30 – a new beast with a very familiar aesthetic. Presented in a colourway inspired by the classic red, black and white of earlier iterations, but with a more lux burgundy, the visual design elements screamed a mixture of Accelerator and Mania, with a particular pleasure brought about by that returning tongue. But there's way more than just nostalgia here: this is also the lightest Predator ever, ensuring it will be a major feature in the year to come.
Honourable mentions for Newcastle rejoining adidas, PUMA getting the rights to produce the Premier League ball from 2025, both the PUMA King and Nike Tiempo moving away from their traditional K-leather constructions, and the end of the FIFA gaming franchise and the birth of EAFC.
