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Kit archive
Herbert Chapman introduced Arsenal's defining red body and white sleeves in 1933, but the origin story is often simplified. This archive separates the documented shirt eras from the folklore around them.
Club season 2026-27
Filter by league, maker and official status, then compare buying advice before opening a retailer.
Founded
1886
FKB archive pick
1991-93 Adidas "bruised banana" away
Current manufacturer
Adidas
Source review
Reviewed 2026-07-13
FKB checked the broad chronology against the sources below. The archive deliberately groups notable periods; it does not claim to catalogue every season, variant or match-worn detail. Source links are editorial references, not buying routes.
Historical Football Kits · specialist secondary · checked 2026-07-13
Museum of Jerseys · specialist secondary · checked 2026-07-13
Arsenal FC · primary · checked 2026-07-13
Adidas UK · primary · checked 2026-07-13
Archive → current season
Move from the historical overview into the current Adidas release evidence, fit guidance, comparison tools and trusted buying routes.
Open current Arsenal kit guide →A source-linked, decade-by-decade guide to Arsenal’s shirt evolution, manufacturers, sponsors and notable designs.
1880s–1920s
Dark red shirts obtained with help from former Nottingham Forest players. White shorts, blue socks. No white sleeves yet.
Founded as Dial Square in 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal munitions factory. The club quickly became Royal Arsenal, then Woolwich Arsenal, then simply Arsenal after moving north to Highbury in 1913.
Era sources
1930s–1960s
Herbert Chapman introduces white sleeves in 1933. Cannon crest emerges. This silhouette defines Arsenal for the rest of the century.
The red-body, white-sleeve design introduced under Chapman became Arsenal's defining visual identity. Accounts differ on the inspiration, so this archive treats the 1933 visual change as established without presenting one anecdote as settled fact. Suppliers changed across the wider period, with Umbro-style shirts appearing around 1957.
1970s
Double-winning 1970-71 Umbro kit with a V-neck collar. Sleeve, cuff and collar treatments varied later in the decade.
Arsenal won their first Double in 1970-71 in an Umbro kit. Collar and trim details changed later in the decade, but the red body and white sleeves remained the home identity.
Era sources
1980s
JVC sponsorship debut 1981. George Graham era brings first Adidas kit in 1986. Anfield 1989 title-winning home is a cult classic.
The 1988-89 Adidas home shirt is forever tied to Michael Thomas's last-minute goal at Anfield that won the league. JVC sponsorship became as much a part of the Arsenal identity as the white sleeves for nearly two decades.
Era sources
1990s
The bruised banana (1991-93 away), JVC home, first Nike home 1994. Tan pinstripe 1994 away. Sega sponsor 1999-2002.
The 1991-93 'bruised banana' away is among the most polarising and beloved away kits in Premier League history — navy-on-yellow zigzag with Adidas three stripes. Nike took over in 1994 and produced the 1998 double-winning home with JVC. Wenger's revolution was entirely in Nike kits.
Era sources
2000s
The Invincibles 2003-04 home. Redcurrant 2005-06 farewell to Highbury. Fly Emirates sponsorship from 2006.
The 2003-04 Invincibles shirt (Nike, O2 sponsor) is a defining modern Arsenal identity. The 2005-06 redcurrant home marked the final season at Highbury, before Nike's run ended and Puma took over in 2014.
Era sources
2015–2026
Puma 2014-19 produced some love-it-or-hate-it kits. Adidas return in 2019 with a heritage-driven approach. 2023-24 and 2024-25 homes particularly well-received.
Adidas's return in 2019 brought back retro-styled designs — the 2020 FA Cup-winning home and the 2023-24 third (purple, nodding to 1995) are recent modern classics. Arteta's rebuild era has been an on-pitch and on-shirt renaissance.
Era sources
Herbert Chapman introduced the red-body, white-sleeve design in 1933. Contemporary explanations for the inspiration differ, so FKB treats the date and visual change as established while keeping the origin anecdote explicitly uncertain.
Adidas returned as Arsenal's kit manufacturer in 2019-20 after a 25-year gap and continues to make the current 2026-27 range.
JVC became Arsenal's first shirt sponsor in 1981, beginning an 18-year partnership.
The 1991-93 Adidas 'bruised banana' yellow-and-navy zigzag away shirt is the most recognised. The 2005-06 Highbury redcurrant home (marking the final season at Highbury) and the 2003-04 Invincibles kit are also iconic.
Collector decision
A search result can mix period originals, later official reissues, unlicensed remakes and counterfeit listings. Match the exact season, variant, maker label and sponsor treatment; then check condition, measurements, seller evidence and the returns policy before paying. Vintage sizing can differ from today’s chart, and old namesets or patches need their own provenance check.
These are listing searches built from a source-checked season, variant and maker. They are not authenticated product matches and do not prove originality, stock, price, condition, size or seller quality. Amazon links are paid; the CFS club search is not currently commissioned.
1991-93 · away · Adidas
The yellow-and-navy zigzag away that became Arsenal’s defining retro design.
2003-04 · home · Nike
The home shirt from Arsenal’s unbeaten Premier League season.
2005-06 · home · Nike
The redcurrant home marking Arsenal’s final season at Highbury.
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