The history behind Liverpool FC and adidas: Three eras of success in the Three Stripes
With the recent launch of Liverpool’s third and final kit the season from Adidas, we look back at a partnership forged many years ago, and why Liverpool fans have been so excited to see the return of Adidas.
The story of Liverpool and Adidas stretches across decades, from the iconic European nights of the 1980s to the heritage-inspired kits of 2025. The Three Stripes have been present for great nights, fashion missteps, and conversations among fans and players alike.
Mystery Shirt in a Box go through this partnership below, and be sure to check out our range of elite club football shirt boxes too which can include Liverpool and other Adidas clubs.
Two behemoths merge
In 1985, Liverpool linked up with Adidas for the first time. The club were already serial winners, having won the European Cup twice in the previous five years, and Adidas’ reputation in European football made the partnership a natural fit. The kits quickly became synonymous with success. In those early Adidas strips, Liverpool lifted league titles in 1986, 1988 and 1990, as well as the FA Cup in 1986 and 1989.
It was one of the most dominant periods in English football, and Adidas took full advantage to make sure their logo was pictured next to almost every trophy imaginable.
For fans of a certain generation, this time will have been some of the best of their lives, and the kits will hold strong memories of their days at Anfield.
Departure from Adidas
In 1996, Adidas made way for Reebok. The change coincided with Liverpool’s “Spice Boys” era, which was memorable for style and celebrity but didn’t quite live up to former successes, with the likes of Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman and Jamie Redknapp in the fray. The 1996 FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United was played in a Reebok strip that became as infamous for the white suits pre-match as the kit itself.
Still, Reebok supplied Liverpool for nearly a decade, through Gerard Houllier’s rebuild and into the early Rafa Benítez years.
The era wasn’t entirely without silverware. In fact, in Reebok kits, Liverpool won just about every trophy imaginable, yet in the league they remained off the pace of Manchester United and Arsenal.
Second time’s the charm?
Adidas returned in 2006, coinciding with Liverpool’s resurgence under Rafa Benítez. Just a year earlier, the club had won the Champions League in Istanbul — in a Reebok shirt — but Adidas arrived in time for further European adventures. In the famous 2007 Adidas home kit, Liverpool reached another Champions League final, losing to AC Milan in Athens.
The period brought moments of pride, if not the league title fans craved. The 2008–09 side, wearing one of Adidas’ most popular home shirts, pushed Manchester United close in a fierce title race, finishing second with Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres at their peak. Gerrard later said “I have a great sense of pride every time I pull on a Liverpool shirt. This shirt feels like a Liverpool classic and helps me remember the greats who played before us.”
Iconic kit: the 2008–10 home shirt, remembered for the Gerrard–Torres era and the near miss in the Premier League.
Another stint away from Adidas
Adidas’ second, shorter spell ended in 2012. Warrior, and later New Balance, took over. Warrior’s bold designs divided opinion, but New Balance later found the right balance of design and identity.
Jamie Carragher once admitted that the 2012/13 third kit, which was a purple/black hue with white sleeves and orange accents, was “possibly the worst kit I have ever played in.”
On the pitch, success finally returned. In New Balance kits, Liverpool reached the Europa League final in 2016 and, more importantly, won the Champions League in 2019. The pinnacle came in the 2019–20 season, when Liverpool, wearing a simple deep-red New Balance home shirt with gold trim, lifted their first league title in 30 years. And it didn’t take long for their old friends to return…
Iconic kit: the 2019–20 home shirt, forever tied to the team that ended Liverpool’s long title drought under Jürgen Klopp.
Nike debut for LFC
This partnership was then, at the time quite controversially, ended by Nike who took over the reins of Liverpool FC’s shirt manufacturing for the next 5 seasons.
Nike secured the contract after a court battle with New Balance, who were looking to retain the rights to their existing partnership with the club.
This deal was reported to be worth around £30m base per season, potentially rising to £50m, and saw the club win the Community Shield, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup and finally the Premier League in their final season.
Iconic kit: 2024-25 home shirt. The open-top bus celebrations, the kit that Liverpool won the Premier League. But more iconic than that is this shirt printed with DIOGO J. 20 - immortalised forever.
Three Stripes for the third time
In 2025, Adidas and Liverpool reunited under a major new deal – reportedly in excess of £50m a year – covering men’s, women’s and academy teams. The first kits leaned heavily on heritage, with simplified crests and colour schemes designed to connect past glories with the present.
Sales were immediate and strong, and the kits marked the start of what Adidas and Liverpool hope will be another long, successful spell together. The club enters this era under Arne Slot with the same expectations as ever: that the shirts are worn on trophy-winning days, not just remembered for their design.
With their old friends returning, Liverpool immediately splashed in the transfer market too, bringing in the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Milos Kerkez, spending almost £450m, helping sales even further.
While time will tell what could become of this renewed venture together, it goes without saying that both Adidas and Liverpool expect to see their logos hoisting many trophies in the years to come.
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