Retro kits returning in the Bundesliga

Bayern’s 125th anniversary

Bayern marked their landmark birthday by releasing a one-off kit and associated clothing range that absolutely flew off the shelves. The online store website even crashed at one point due to the surge in demand.

The dark red design with an anniversary club crest and old adidas logo was worn by the men’s team for their Bundesliga encounter with Bochum on Matchday 25. The women donned the kit for their league clash with Wolfsburg the following week.

The Bavarians have developed a tradition of releasing special jerseys, including an annual Oktoberfest design.

Dortmund’s neon flashback

Dortmund have also made a yearly habit of releasing and playing in a special kit, which are always incredibly popular among fans.

Their 2025 number certainly caught the eye with a neon throwback to the shirt worn by the club’s first Bundesliga winners 30 years earlier.

Over 50,000 of the kits were sold, with virtual queues in the online shop stretching for over an hour as people lined up to get their hands on the limited-edition stock. 

It was worn by the first team in their Bundesliga game against Augsburg – like Bayern against Bochum on the same day, also a shock home defeat. Maybe these special kits aren’t always the luckiest…

Mainz combine traditional and modern

The 2024/25 campaign could end up being the best in Mainz’s history if they can hold onto their current spot in third place and qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time.

It’s also 120 years since the club was founded, the 05ers marking the occasion with a throwback design based on a kit from 1911 but using the latest recycled materials.

Stocks only lasted five hours as fans flocked to physical and online stores to get their hands on the one-off kit that Mainz will wear in their big Matchday 26 encounter with Freiburg.

125 years in Sinsheim

Going back to the start of the season, Hoffenheim were the first team to mark a big anniversary with a special kit.

A dark blue design with golden accents and a laurel club crest was released in September 2024 – three months after the club’s official anniversary – and worn for the Matchday 5 meeting at home to Werder Bremen, who last season marked their own 125th birthday with a one-off strip. 

In another example of the apparent bad luck of special-edition jerseys, TSG went 3-0 up inside the first 12 minutes but still went on to lose 4-3. But the kits sold like hot cakes and were very quickly snapped up.

120 years in Leverkusen

Leverkusen followed suit not long after as they marked 120 years since their founding with a tongue-in-cheek tagline of “No tradition since 1904”.

The black design with red collar, plus the gold Bundesliga badge worn by the reigning champions, was another popular product, with most sizes selling out quickly.

The players wore it for their Matchday 6 fixture at home to Holstein Kiel, which ended in a 2-2 draw after leading 2-0 in the first eight minutes. The special-edition kit curse seemingly in action again…

In tribute to Diego

Bremen have also released a special kit this season but won’t be wearing it in a Bundesliga match. Instead, the green, white and orange design is intended for club legend Diego’s testimonial on 22 March and is based on the jersey worn in the Brazilian’s first season at the Weserstadion in 2006/07.

Schalke’s German Cancer Aid

In Bundesliga 2, Schalke have also featured in a limited-edition kit, this time to mark 50 years since they first supported Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid) by making the organisation their first chest sponsor in 1978/79.

The Gelsenkirchen club released a light and dark blue design with additional pink and white elements, which the team wore in the 4-3 loss against Greuther Fürth in October 2024. The pink represented breast cancer, light blue for prostate cancer, dark blue for bowel cancer and white for lung cancer.

Proceeds from sales went to Deutsche Krebshilfe.