From Hummel to Umbro, Adidas to Under Armour, Tottenham Hotspur have played in North London wearing some spectacular shirts. Here are our picks for the greatest Spurs kits in their history.
The White Hart Lane club has seen a variety of kit makers through the years. Umbro were Spurs’ first official supplier before Admiral did a three-year stint to end the 70s. Following this, Le Coq Sportif and Hummel shared the 1980s.
Umbro then returned in the 90s, after which Pony were a surprise kit sponsor for the Premier League side. Adidas arrived at the turn of the century, although they only did three years before Kappa took over.
German sports giants Puma provided the likes of Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane with kit for six years until Under Armour arrived in the mid-2010s. They oversaw Gareth Bale’s emergence as a superstar – and also his departure.
Finally, Nike have been making Tottenham shirts since 2017. They do not feature in this top-five list, though. Instead, we have travelled slightly further back in time.
#5: 2016/17 away
Kicking off our list of the greatest Spurs kits is one of the best Tottenham shirts in modern memory. In Under Armour’s last season as the kit maker in North London, they produced a quality number.
The US sports giant brought navy back as a base colour for a Spurs alternate strip. However, Under Armour combined the traditional Tottenham colour with gold. This is featured on the smart, round-neck collar, and in two stripes on the shirt sleeves.
Additionally, Tottenham’s then-kit sponsor – AIA – was in the same colour. Meanwhile, the navy/gold combination continued down onto the shorts and socks, creating a classy-looking kit overall.
2016/17 marked Spurs’ last campaign at White Hart Lane before it made way for their new stadium. On the pitch, Mauricio Pochettino guided his side to a second-place finish in the Premier League and an FA Cup semi-final. Sadly, though, the club could not end their trophy drought.
Still, Under Armour made sure that Spurs left their traditional home in style.
#4: 1999/2001 home
Although the departure of David Ginola taints this particular strip, Adidas produced one of the greatest Spurs kits kick off the millennium.
The North London side’s traditional white shirt benefited from a hefty dose of navy. Dark Adidas stripes protruded out of a navy collar, meanwhile, the same colour was on the shorts and socks.
When you add in the exceptional “HOLSTEN” sponsor, you truly have a classic on your hands. Seeing David Ginola in the long-sleeved version (as below) was certainly a sight to behold, too.
Sadly, this kit did not bring much success. Following a League Cup triumph in 1998/99, Spurs played in the UEFA cup in 1999/00. However, they failed to make it past the second round. Further underwhelming results came via early-round exits in the League and FA Cups, too.
Meanwhile, George Graham’s side faltered to a tenth-place finish in the Premier League. Tottenham then followed this up with twelfth in 2000/01.
#3: 1991 -93 home
Now, this brilliant shirt has a bit of an odd history. Despite being used from 1991/92 to 1992/93, Spurs actually debuted this strip in the 1990/91 season. They did pick quite an occasion for it, though.
Tottenham won the 1991 FA Cup whilst wearing their new, gorgeous Umbro kit. In previous rounds of the tournament, the club had used its typical Hummel strip for the 1990/91 season. But, in a move to tempt fate, they switched for the showpiece game at Wembley.
Thankfully, this did not bring any bad omens. Spurs overcame Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest via a 2-1 victory in extra time. This was the club’s eighth FA Cup triumph, setting a record at the time for most in the competition’s history.
Thanks to Umbro, Spurs achieved this feat in a spectacular, yet understated, shirt. Their clean white base boasted a smart collar, which featured light-coloured trim. Further light trim appeared on the shorts, which had a small section of white at the base. Long-standing sponsor, HOLSTEN, was emblazoned across the chest to add further timelessness to the kit.
Overall, the 1991-93 home shirt is a reminder of the glory days and is deserving of #3 on our greatest Spurs kits list.
#2: 1994/95 away
Regarding away kits, the 90s had plenty of classics that could have found their way into the top 5. However, we have gone for Umbro’s sublime 1994/95 effort.
This kit interestingly combined navy and purple in a two-tone twist on Spurs’ classic alternate colours. Blue was the base colour of the entire strip, although purple still shone through prominently. This came in the form of an angular line graphic, which saw purple cascade from the right shoulder down a portion of the shirt.
The same pattern also featured on the left sleeve.
Umbro opted to mount the Spurs crest on a shield, which gave a very retro vibe to the kit. Additionally, the Umbro diamond and HOLSTEN sponsor showed prominently thanks to their white colouring. White also drew attention to the smart collar, which was trimmed in a light shade.
One of Spurs’ all-time greatest kits marked Jurgen Klinsmann’s first season in England. After 20 Premier League goals in 1994/95, the German forward returned to his homeland. Of course, he returned to White Hart Lane in 1997/98, but only for a brief period.
#1: 1985-87 home
Finally, the deserving top spot in the greatest Spurs kits ever is a shirt that Diego Maradona famously wore.
Yes, you read that right. In 1986, Maradona donned a Tottenham shirt for the one and only time in his legendary career. He made an unofficial appearance during the testimonial of his Argentina teammate, Ossie Ardiles.
Even before this fact, Hummel’s mid-80s strip was brilliant. But with this mystic aspect in mind, the kit goes straight to number one for us.
Hummel made an all-white strip for the 1985 season, leaving Spurs looking Madrid-esque. Faded-style Hummel chevrons ran along the sleeves from a clean V-neck collar. These same chevrons ran across the chest of the kit, which was a cool divider between the top and bottom sections.
Speaking of the upper shirt, Hummel placed some diagonal, navy pinstripes across the top of the chest. This section housed the makers’ logo and the Spurs badge, which were both simplistic yet classic.
Tottenham reached an FA Cup Final whilst using this strip in 1987, although did not wear it in the final. Maybe they should have stuck with it; in an updated kit, Coventry defeated Spurs 3-2.
Featured image credit: Getty