Paris Saint-Germain 09/10 Nike kits

Monday, 08 June 2009 12:25 09/10 kits

Paris Saint Germain unveiled the new 09/10 home and away kits made by Nike, which will be available in the FSC shop soon.

The Stade Saint-Germain club played mainly in white until 1970, when they merged with Paris FC and adopted the red and blue colours of Paris combined with the white of Saint-Germain. The first strip design of the fledgling PSG in 1970 was red with white shorts and blue socks, with white and blue trim. The logo of the equipment supplier (Le Coq Sportif) was generally not displayed (depending on shirt) whereas the following season it was, a trend that continued in the future. In another change to the previous season, a solid blue trim with no white appeared, as the white shorts and blue socks remained.

Fashion designer Daniel Hechter collaborated with the club in May 1973 to design an iconic shirt which would become a strong symbol of the club. It was composed of a blue shirt with a red central vertical bar framed by white edgings. This shirt was originally in use in 1973-74 in Division 2. The tone and shade of the red and blue has changed over time, as has the dimension and alignment of the red central band. This shirt is in use to the present day, despite proposed implementations of new designs, with the main reason being the supporters' rejection. A reversed version (red with a blue central vertical bar) was in use as the away shirt design in the late 70s.

Borelli succeeded Hechter, and was the first to try to replace the former design, with a predominantly white shirt decorated with two fine red and blue vertical bands. Initially the away shirt, the white design became the home shirt in 1981; Hechter's blue shirt becoming the away design. In 1990, a stylized Eiffel Tower design replaced the vertical bars; this shirt remained in use for two seasons and represented the change between the Borelli and Canal+ eras. In 1992-1993, the club adopted a white shirt with blue shoulders.

The white design was abandoned in 1993 in favour of a red and blue shirt, which was quickly replaced in 1994 with a return to Hechter's design. The collar design varied, but the colours remained identical until 2000. From then, the blue was replaced in favour of navy blue and the white edgings disappeared, causing the supporters' anger. Risking backlash from supporters, the club once again modified the shirt in 2001, reducing the width of the vertical red bar and moving the alignment from the centre to the left. In 2002, the white edgings made their reappearance around the red band which was still thinner and aligned to the left. This shirt design was kept for three seasons. In 2005, the club returned to the 'historical' shirt. In 2006, the red band was reduced in width again, but remained central. The current home design harks back to the more traditional wide central red band, although the strip now incorporates red shorts and socks.

The away shirt was mainly white before 1981, then again from 1993. Between these two dates, the blue/red home design was used. A grey and white shirt (1999-00) and a crimson shirt (2006-07) have also been used as away shirts. Currently the away strip consists of a white shirt, shorts and socks. The red band mirrors that of the home design.

Le Coq Sportif were the original equipment supplier from 1970 to 1975. Adidas took over for the 1975-76 season, before a return to the first brand for 1976-1977. Pony was the supplier in 1977-78, before another joint effort with Le Coq Sportif, from 1978 to 1986. Adidas returned until 1989, at which point Nike took over supply duties, and they remain the equipment supplier to the present day.