Shirt of The Decade: 2012-13

In our latest instalment we've taken a look at the best shirts to come out of the 2012-13 season.

2012-13 Celtic 125th Anniversary Third Shirt - Nike

Landmark commemorative kit third kit replicating the uniform worn in their first match against Rangers, this design is a triumph of fusion between classic and modern elements. The original club badge is elegantly redesigned, neatly enhanced by a monochrome Nike logo and small Tennent’s sponsor with a subtle silver outline. The fabric is lightweight and superbly tailored, with the black collar providing a striking finish - surely one of the brands proudest releases of the decade. To top it all off the kit was also deemed Nike’s most environmentally friendly ever

2012-13 Shanghai Shenhua Home - Nike

Not Crazy, Not Shenhua’ is the slogan aptly applied in the collar of this design. Inspired by Shanghai’s Yangpu Bridge the bold graphic patterned home shirt saw Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka reunited to fire the side to a, er, 9th place in the Super League. Also featuring a v-neck collar and a sleeve design subtly inspired by early 2000’s Tiempo leisurewear, it's none the less since become a rare collectors item.

2012-13 Chelsea Home - Adidas

A perfect example of gold complimenting club colours, this home shirt saw Chelsea take home successive European trophies under much maligned interim boss Rafa Benitez. Theories abound as to the rationale for introducing gold. Was it a celebration of the Champions League triumph? Or a reference to the year in sport in 2012 London? Either way subtle elements such as the dark blue stripes running throughout, gold piping and the transfer Adidas logo (rare for a replica home shirt), as well as Samsung appreciating a consistent aesthetic make this a standout of the era.

2012-13 1860 Munich Oktoberfest - Uhlsport

Based on the Chequered flag of Bavaria, the first of 1860’s Oktoberfest shirts is a truly unique design featuring a gingham pattern and a lace neck collar - topped off with an Aston Martin sponsor.

2012-13 Lyon Third - Adidas

It came as no surprise to see Lyon debut adidas’s revolutionary 3D football shirt, taking the once humble piece of fabric to a place supporters weren’t sure they wanted to go. That being said innovation always has its critics, and this jersey was keenly praised by some, despite a couple of oversights. Firstly, its striking resemblance to a Bordeaux shirt and secondly that when it appeared for the first time in the Coupe De France Final triumph it was partly covered by the Final patch.

2012-13 Borussia Dortmund European - PUMA

Puma kitted out Dortmund in this instant classic as they become the most talked about team in Europe under the stewardship of Jürgen Klopp, reaching the Champions League Final before suffering Wembley heartache in the first all German affair. The sight of those black and yellow stripes takes us back to some memorable Champions League nights, notably Robert Lewandowski’s 4 goal masterclass in the Semi-Final victory over Real Madrid.

2012-13 Portugal Away - Nike

A classy Euro 2012 away shirt inspired by the country’s seafaring history and famous explorers. The design features a large cross on the front, a national symbol emblazoned on the sails of Portuguese ship and a half red and green cross divided diagonally at the centre to represent the Armillary Sphere, a national symbol for over 500 years. Its biggest moment came in the Semi-Final defeat gainst Spain when Ronaldo sat himself out of the penalty shoot-out, opting to wait and take an illusive fifth penalty.

2012-13 Swansea Home - Adidas

Glorious home kit worn when the club celebrated their centenary campaign and hit peak form under Michael Laudrup to win the League Cup and finish 9th in the Premier League, no small thanks to 22 goals from the virtually unknown Spanish striking sensation Michu. It’s another fine example of the use of gold detailing throughout, housed on a clean round neck design.

2012-13 Recreativo de Huelva Away - Hummel

This polka-dot away shirt ushered in a new era of no rules football shirt design and gave rise to a new level of ‘Hall of Shame’. The shirts that love to be bad, like them or not, became a staple feature in this era, revived thanks in part to PR campaigns dreamed up by lower league teams. Once a ‘clearance’ product, this now sold-out shirt is a collectors piece.

2012-13 Germany Away - Adidas

With the design theme centring on tadition it was no surprise to see adidas reference the 40th anniversary of Germany’s Euro 72’ triumph. The inside collar features a motif that reads 1972 - the beginning of a success story, 2012 - a new chapter waiting to be written’. Clinically clean production featuring subtle two tone green horizontal stripes the design otherwise pays complete homage to the original. They were never really likely to get this wrong.

Check out the shirts we chose here