Sunderland AFC have revealed their new 2025–26 Third kit from hummel, honouring the club’s Black Cats nickname.
The shirt is black with a tonal pattern formed from 11 stylised black cats, representing the team on the pitch. Gunmetal grey detailing references the nickname’s origins. The front displays a black cat crest, while the back of the collar features two amber cat eyes.
The backstory behind the Black Cats is woven into the shirt. In 1805, during the Napoleonic Wars, a lookout at Roker mistook the cry of a black cat for the devil. The location became known as the Black Cat Battery, and when the football club moved nearby, the nickname stuck.
The kit is made using hummel’s ECO8 technology, with each adult shirt produced from eight recycled plastic bottles. It is available in adult, junior, and mini sizes, with W88 sponsoring adult shirts, Utilita on junior versions, and an unsponsored option also offered. A goalkeeper shirt, inspired by patterned tiles at The Bridge Hotel, is included in the release.
The launch features Sunderland-born DJ L.P. Rhythm, fresh from recognition on BBC Radio 1, ahead of a homecoming performance later in the year. The collection also includes an anthem jacket, pre-match t-shirt, quarter-zip jacket, and Black Cats casual wear.
View the: Sunderland 25/26 Home Kit
View the: Sunderland 25/26 Away Kit
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