Nominations for best and worst kit ever

[John G]

Like most of you (I assume), I hate the insistence of the major shoe companies that all but a handful of their athletes wear the same vest/shorts/all-in-one, super-hero-stylee lycra monstrousity. It makes me think back fondly to the days when World Records were set by athletes wearing their local club colours (Cram sporting Jarrow yellow), another country's vest (Ovett in USSR red), a University uniform (countless products of the US collegiate system) or something misguidedly designed and stitched in their own living room (Flo Jo, Farmer-Patrick).

Best and worst? I'd nominate the All Black kit worn by Walker, Dixon and Quax and that appalling fluorescent green eyesore worn by Dennis Mitchell.

Honourable mention to wearers of great socks: Bedford, Meyfarth, Juantorena and James Robinson.

[gh]

"kit" of course is a foreign word to most Americans

[dj]

Re: Nominations for best and worst kit ever

Honourable mention to wearers of great socks: Bedford, Meyfarth, Juantorena and James Robinson.

Contemporary Best Socks award to Reilly Kiernan of Princeton:
http://ny.milesplit.us/articles/20522 (next to last photo).

On the other hand, one imagines the Wicked Witch of the West chasing people!

[John G]

"kit" of course is a foreign word to most Americans

So, I've provided you with a stimulating topic for discussion and added to the lexicon of your little country.

Please feel free to change it to uniform or whatever you deem appropriate.

Reminds me of an occasion when I was arguing over a point of grammar with a Texan from my firm's Mergers and Acquisition team over in Dublin to offer an obscenely inflated price for a software house. In frustration, I was reduced "Well, we did invent the bloody language, you know." To which he replied, "Yeah, but we refined it."

[Marlow]

Re: Nominations for best and worst kit ever

Best? I'd nominate the All Black kit worn by Walker, Dixon and Quax

Totally agree. I also loved the 60s West German one with the eagle in the yellow circle with the red stripe. Also the 60/64/68 USA Oly uniforms. But my all-time fave is the UCLA of the late 60s/early 70s with Smith and Collett. Can't find an image on-line, but the pale blue jerseys with gold piping and white shorts with gold/blue trim were tres cool!

[Daisy]

To which he replied, "Yeah, but we refined it."

Actually, the US version of things might be closer to the original. Their use of Z for spelling the siffix "ize", for example.

[berkeley]

To which he replied, "Yeah, but we refined it."

Actually, the US version of things might be closer to the original. Their use of Z for spelling the siffix "ize", for example.

... except when the whole suffix is appended entirely gratuitously - as in "burglarize" instead of the simpler and quite sufficient "burgle".

[Daisy]

... except when the whole suffix is appended entirely gratuitously...

There are problems with the American version too

[tupeke]

Best: New Zealand's all black kit with a big silver fern right on the chest.
Worst: The swedish kit worn by the likes of Patrik Sjoberg at the 1992 Olympics was an absolute monstrosity!

[Pego]

I've never seen anything more monstrous than the Hungarians in Beijing.

[ndamix]

How about the ones worn by U.S. teammembers @ the 1988 Olympics?

[dukehjsteve]

Anyone remember Kansas' uni's back in the 60's ? They were LOUD.

[marknhj]

I particularly disliked the full body suits. Cathy Freeman in Sydney comes immediately to mind.

[liuxuan]

the atlanta reebok outfits were pretty rubbish, especially mutola's mozambique colours!

[SQUACKEE]

Anyone remember Kansas' uni's back in the 60's ? They were LOUD.

You aint lying!