Last week, Chattanooga FC released their new kits ahead of their 2019 season, which will conclude with the Founder’s Cup as the team goes professional. At first glance, the three kits are not exactly as creative as you would expect to see from Chattanooga, but once you begin to look at some of the smaller details, they are quite incredible.

Designed by Chattanooga FC’s own Paul Rustand and his team at Widgets & Stones, the kits feature the Volkswagen logo across the chest, as kits have for the many years now. The club’s badge sits on top of the wearer’s heart, with the Inaria logo on the other side of the chest. The right sleeve features the name of another sponsor, power and telecommunications provider EPB, while the back features CHI Memorial and The Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopedics.

The away kits are a beautiful baby blue with white stripes. The home kits are navy blue with lighter blue arrows, while the keeper’s kit is orange with a small diamond design all over. They are all reminiscent of kits of old, but still have a modern and simple twist on them. That was Rustand’s goal, as he said “The inspiration was of course our decade long history of kits and core brand elements that we sought to honor. But at the same time we are seeking to expand the palette of styles.”

Easily one of my favorite parts of the kits are the small “X” made in the design on all three kits. It sits right on top of the crest and it a beautiful, but subtle design choice. According to Rustand, it is a nod to VFL Wolfsburg’s 2018-19 green home kit. But that is not the only underlying meaning to the symbol, as Rustand continued by saying, "more importantly the Roman numeral for 10 – since we are celebrating our 10th anniversary in 2019.”

All in all, the kits represent Chattanooga FC wonderfully. They appear somewhat simple when you just glance at them, but once you actually start to look at the smaller details, it becomes more and more complex and more and more beautiful. That’s the way I personally like uniforms. Flashy kits are nice and all, but the classic kit with subtle details are some of the best works of art you will see on a soccer kit. Chattanooga FC captures that with a kit that is fit for a top level club.

- Aarik Long

Kit images courtesy of Inaria Soccer social media.

Founders Cup is right around the corner, and boy is everyone excited. Sure the NPSL professional division doesn’t have the D3 sanctioning like some other leagues, but NPSL has the heart of a true soccer league. That heart and ethos is something that the entire soccer community is craving. So, for this week’s Uniformity I take a kit from each club and rank them making my top eleven.

11. Oakland Roots Sports Club

This was an easy last place, because let’s be fair, the Roots don’t have a kit yet. Now I can imagine that if I were to revisit this segment during the season, the Roots would be challenging the top clubs. Branding and Oakland Roots SC have had a unique relationship that continues to evolve, and if you haven’t already check out my piece I wrote a few weeks back: Organic and Raw.

10. CAL FOOTBALL CLUB

While Cal FC will be a force on the field, the club’s kits lack any sort of fashionable elements. Clubs from Southern California should strive to have some of the best merchandise, because so much fashion and personality comes from the region. Every grassroot club may not have the ambition to grow its brand with fashion, but if Cal FC does intend to create a customized kit it will most likely reflect the very fashionable state that the club represents.

9. ALBION SOCCER CLUB SAN DIEGO

ASC San Diego has fielded a variety of jerseys, but the one that I like most is the blue and white hoops. A very traditional design that pops, because of the bright hue of the blue. I believe the this kit is an older variant, but it definitely sticks out, especially with the hoops on the socks.

8. MILWAUKEE TORRENT

Half baby blue and half grey, this kit is one of the more unique fashion statements in grassroots soccer. Two elements that fit very well on the jersey is the all white logo, that takes up the entire stomach and the alternate sleeve colors.

7. FOOTBALL CLUB ARIZONA

Yellow on a jersey is meant to be bold and stand out, a fitting style for FC Arizona. The chest is covered in a yellow block, that slowly cascades into smaller and smaller hoops, eventually becoming navy blue. The FC Arizona style of play will fascinate the audience and it will always be easy to stop the players on the pitch.

6. DETROIT CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

DCFC’s rouge color palette mixed with the gold accents, make one luxurious kit. Alternating red stripes gives the perfect canvas to showcase the jersey sponsor, club crest and kit manufacturer, but it is really those accents that just create an overall piece that locks into the clubs branding. Detroit City also carries a few alternates, like the all white with a maroon polo collar.

5. NAPA VALLEY 1839 FOOTBALL CLUB

I love a green kit and this one uses a monochromatic color scheme that just looks slick. Napa Valley’s crest has always been highly rated by those within Protagonist and this one jersey does not disappoint. The abstract design that uses the bright green and forest green steers away from a traditional stripes, like in the Detroit City jersey. The unique style makes the 1839 kit the best in the West.

4. CHATTANOOGA FOOTBALL CLUB

The people’s club offers a perfect design that makes the thousands of fans and owners look good. The navy blue base is trimmed with baby blue to make a clean look that can fit any outfit. But what makes this kit stand out is the soccer ball outline, comprised of thick hash marks, that is located in the club’s crest. Even the round Volkswagen logo just fits perfectly on the front of the jersey.

3. NEW YORK COSMOS

Another club that is known for its iconic green jersey, but that is not the kit that gets them ranked in third place. One of the cleanest looking kits in the Founders Cup is the all navy blue base with the cascading green stippling down the chest. On top of that sweet color combination is the sharpest sleeve trim I have ever seen on a jersey. The trim is made up of the three iconic colors in the Cosmos crest: baby blue, yellow and green.

2. MIAMI UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB

The Miami United kit is one of my favorite pieces in grassroot soccer. My first ever Uniformity article was about Miami United FC. What stands out about this piece is how many unique elements lie within the kit. There are multicolored hoops, various hoop sizes, gold accents and a strong black background that helps each element pop off of the kit. The club could wear these kits for a decade and the look would never get old.

1. MIAMI FOOTBALL CLUB

Ranking in the top spot is Miami FC. The bright Miami color palette just stands out among any jersey in existence and while the club has multiple stylish jerseys, the best looking one is the pastel light blue polo with the orange sleeve. First a polo collar is the best look you can get on a jersey, it's what separates a soccer kit from all of the other sloppy sports jerseys. Second, the color combination is vibrant and reflects the community that it comes from. It is a perfect example of the art and fashion background of Miami.

Image courtesy of footballshirtculture.com.

As we get closer and closer to the kickoff of Founders Cup, I expect clubs to create new kits for their players and fans to wear. And by that time I hope that the West Region can produce more artistic kits that really show off the powerful brands they represent. But until that day, the East Region’s brands will reign supreme.

- Steven Ramirez

Chattanooga FC: Going Professional

Ranking the Kits of Founders Cup Clubs