Leicester City Shirt History
Only fourteen clubs have won all four of England’s major domestic honours and Leicester City famously added their name to the list in 2020/21. Let’s take a look at the jerseys worn by the Foxes along the way…
Leicester City Kit History - Checklist
Leicester City Kit Manufacturing History
2018 – present – Adidas
We alluded to Leicester’s first ever FA Cup win in 2020/21 within the intro, so there is only one place to start with Adidas being the brand that manufactured the shirts worn that campaign. The jersey, which Leicester fans will cherish with great fondness courtesy of that fine Youri Tielemans strike during their 1-0 win in the final against Chelsea, was a minimalistic maroon look paired with several white details. This was believed to be the first time that the club ever donned a maroon base, although the colour was used in a lesser quantity on their interesting 2022/23 third shirt.
Depending on how you view the Community Shield, some would say that the FA Cup isn’t the only trophy that Leicester have picked in an Adidas supplied shirt, with the club winning the seasons curtain raiser in 2021/22.
An impressive home top which had an embossed tonal pattern on its blue base was worn for the occasion. It also had subtle gold piping around its white neckline and sleeve cuffs. On their travels for that season, the Foxes wore either a mint blue jersey which was also tonally patterned or a grey strip which incorporated a pink club crest.
As per Leicester’s website, one of the most popular away shirts in the club’s history was released for the 2019/20 campaign. Adidas based the design on the 2018 Germany World Cup kit, but used two tones of pink instead of combining completely different colours. The home kit from this season, which was tonally chequered, was also appreciated.
The 2023/24 campaign see’s the return of a black and teal sash alternate top and this is inspired by the first-ever strip worn by the Foxes in their founding year, 1884. The home kit worn alongside it has the foxes head from the club crest embossed into it a number of times.
2012 – 2018 – Puma
Puma supplied for the Foxes throughout what is arguably the most historic period in the club’s history and it all started with they ended their 10-year Premier League absence in 2013/14, albeit the shirts worn for that campaign aren’t much to write home about. The jerseys most definitely improved the following year, with a smart polo strip which had golden panelling throughout acting as the home top.
Leicester produced was then unimaginable wearing the 2015/16 collection by winning the Premier League. The stylish V-neck home top, which had classy tonal pinstripes, will probably be the clubs most famous strip for a long time. The washed black triangular patterned away jersey from this historic season is also eye catching.
Leicester debuted in the UEFA Champions League in the following campaign and the club worn a 90’s inspired polo home top to do so. They also had an impressive white third strip which featured blue pinstripes.
Puma’s final campaign saw the brand incorporate a ‘grandad collar’ on the home and away strips – the black away top was particularly striking with its patterned gold sleeves and its gold monochrome club crest.
2010 – 2012 – Burrda
Burrda stuck to what their predecessors designed for the home and away tops during their first year with the club, although they did add minimal yellow third strip which was subsequently used for both seasons.
In 2011/12, both the home and away tops joined the third strip in having a polo collar, albeit the necklines were slightly different.
2009 – 2010 – Joma
As touched on in the previous section, both tops released for this season were actually used for two campaigns even though they were only Joma branded once.
Each of them had a central club crest which was adapted to commemorate the clubs 125th anniversary.
The home strip had no front of shirt sponsor, but the sash concept away shirt was used to promote a charitable cause in LOROS Hospice Care.
2007 – 2009 – Jako
German brand, Jako, supplied the same basic home shirt for both seasons. The not-so-good looking yellow and navy away top from the first campaign also survived two years, but it acted as the third kit in the second. A slightly better black strip, which had blue details, became the away top in the second season.
2005 – 2007 – JJB
JJB supplied the Foxes with two lovely home shirts. The one from 2005/06 was blue with a smart little white side feature – yellow touches were also included in its sleeves and neckline. In 2006/07, they wore a crewneck top which utilised tonal pinstripes throughout.
The 2005/06 away strip was white with a broken sash feature that combined two different blue shaded colour blocks. A dark yellow alternate shirt was also produced; however, this wasn’t so eye pleasing.
2000 – 2005 – Le Coq Sportif
French brand Le Coq Sportif created their own piece of Leicester City history by providing the club with their first ever and, to our knowledge, only reversible shirt in their final campaign with the club – the ‘fosse gold’ away kit, which was a nod to the club’s past, boasted a navy option on the inside.
For the first two years, the Foxes donned a smart polo strip which will be forever remembered in its own right given that it was the final home shirt made to wear at their former stadium - Filbert Street. Combining both navy and blue, the one that followed it was something a little bit different and it had a lovely dark yellow central crest jersey to partner it as an alternate strip – both are fondly thought of, given that it was a highly successful year for Leicester with their promotion to the top division.
In 2003/04, Le Coq Sportif were the first brand to bring back the black and blue sash style away jersey to commemorate the clubs 120th anniversary.
1992 – 2000 – In House
Leicester’s in-house branding was known as ‘Fox Leisure’ and the club had an eventful eight years while donning it on their shirts. Two of the home jerseys signify silverware, with the club lifting the League Cup in both 1996/97 and 1999/00. Embossed Leicester specific features were part of both designs.
In 1994/95, the Foxes participated in their first ever Premier League campaign and they wore an impressive home kit to do so – tonal features were a key part of it, but the white and gold detailing to its sleeve cuffs and collar is what really made it stand out. The collection they wore to achieve promotion wasn’t too bad either, with a cool ‘LCFC’ stitched in feature appearing under its neckline.
The half navy, half green 1995/96 third strip has seemingly aged like a fine wine, with the club admitting that while it wasn’t so popular at the time, it is highly sought-after nowadays.
1990 – 1992 – Bukta
Bukta kept the same home and away shirts for both seasons with the club, but they did supply two third strips – a striking red edition and a golden yellow version.
The home top was an impressive one, with it combining different shades of blue in a heavily patterned format.
1988 – 1990 – Scoreline
Both of the Scoreline collections feature a very similar tonally pinstriped base, although they differ in the fact that one is a central crest design with the Scoreline branding appearing on its sleeve, while the other is in the traditional areas.
1983 – 1988 – Admiral
Admiral’s first two campaigns saw classy home and away jerseys which followed the same concept – the home was blue with white pinstripes, while the away was green with yellow ones.
The 1987/88 home and away tops were also impressive, with a tonal zigzag pattern making up their background. Other Admiral strips from this range either had tonal pinstripes or thick tonal stripes.
1979 – 1983 – Umbro
Leicester wore three minimal Umbro polo designs which didn’t change at all throughout the partnership.
Despite Nottingham Forest using red as their primary colour, Leicester have commonly used it on alternate kits over the years, including during this period.
1976 – 1979 – Admiral
Admiral were the first brand to ever manufacture for Leicester City and they made sure people knew about it by supplying the club with a concept which included several Admiral logos prominently featuring throughout its collar and sleeve panels.
Leicester City Shirt Sponsorship History
You may have heard that Leicester has enjoyed a partnership with a popular crisp brand within their shirt sponsorship history, but who else has had the honours of appearing on the front of their shirt? Let’s find out…
2023 – present – King Power
This is King Power’s second spell with the club and their return was warmly welcomed given the success that the pair enjoyed together previously.
Another reason why their return was pleasantly received is because the founder of the group, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, bought the club back in 2010. Sadly, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha died in a helicopter crash shortly after leaving Leicester’s home stadium, which King Power also have the naming rights for, after a game in 2018.
2021 – 2023 – FBS
FBS is an international trading company. Their feature was text-based and the initial agreement was a three-year-deal, however following the club’s relegation to the Championship, the contract was reworked in the summer of 2023.
FBS instead agreed to sponsor the training kit and the stadiums dugouts for the final season.
2010 – 2021 – King Power
This was King Power’s first spell as the club’s sponsor and it coincided with Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s purchase of the club via a Thai-led consortium which went by the name of Asian Football Investments.
In 2015/16, King Power’s branding switched to a mostly text-based feature which included a crown acting as the dot above the I – it took its appearance up tenfold.
‘Thailand Smiles With You’ sometimes appeared on the Foxes jerseys during 2020/21 and this is an initiative that King Power and Leicester got involved with to help Thailand recover from COVID-19 – Leicester state that ‘King Power donated a significant part of its sponsorship inventory to the campaign’.
2009 – 2010 – LOROS Hospice Care
The club didn’t have a front of shirt sponsor on their home kit in 2009/10, but LOROS Hospice Care did appear on the away strip.
LOROS Hospice Care heroically ‘provides free, high-quality, compassionate care and support to terminally ill adult patients, their family and carers across Leicestershire and Rutland’.
2007 – 2009 – Topps Tiles
Topps Tiles is a tile specialist retailer based in Leicestershire. Their feature didn’t look the best – it included a childlike animated character.
2003 – 2007 – Alliance & Leicester
Alliance & Leicester is a former British bank and building society, which has since merged to become part of Santander. Other than a branded plus sign, their feature was an all text one.
2001 – 2003 – LG
The recognisable branding of LG, which specialises in consumer and home electronics, held the spot for two seasons.
1987 – 2001 – Walkers Crisps
Leicester’s stadium is located less than five miles away from where Walkers Crisps are made and off the back of this lengthy spell, the pair remain in a partnership of some capacity to this day.
In addition to this, Walkers often use club legend Gary Lineker as the face of their advertisements.
Walkers also agreed to have naming rights of the stadium for a period of time.
1983 – 1987 – Ind Coope
Ind Coope is a brewery and they were the first organisation to become Leicester’s front of shirt sponsor. Their fourth season saw them advertise their bitter brand, John Bull.
Conclusion
Leicester’s shirt history is a pleasant one to cover because there’s not really any completely disastrous designs or eye sore front of shirt sponsors.
You can’t argue that their most famous shirts have come in more recent times with a Premier League title won and Champions League qualification achieved, however there a certainly kits from the 80’s and 90’s that need to be appreciated.