A football shirt is the most important item in the kit. It provides comfort to the players, and lessens their possibility of being injured. In addition, the kind of shirt you want to purchase depends on your role in football. If you’re a newbie fan, you can start by buying supporters shirts then you can gradually shift and have replicas or player-issues.
Of course, you can buy whatever you like but make sure to read this guide first before spending a lot on football shirts.
1. There are supporters’ shirts
Supporters shirts are made especially for the team’s supporters. You can easily spot its difference from other football shirts because they are mainly made of t-shirts that you usually wear. In addition, the details are minimal and not as high-quality as the player-issue shirts.
When it comes to the collars, they are usually made from the paper just to imitate the player-issue shirts. Aside from the quality of the shirt, the price is also less than the replica and player-issue shirts because they are mass-produced. However, the production of supporters’ shirts for club teams is no longer available because they don’t sell as much as the nationals.
2. There are replicas
The replicas are also called stadium shirts. They are not as high standards as the player-issued shirts but are still almost identical. It’s also made of lighter materials because it’s just made to cater to the spectators at the stadium. Since they don’t need to move as much as players do, the technology in producing the shirts is not as high as the players’ shirts.
However, you should not be hesitant to purchase replica shirts because the pattern and details are the same as the players. It is a great substitute for the player-issued because you can’t easily identify the difference.
3. There are the player-issued or authentic
When you think of classic football shirts, they’re automatically made of the best technology and they’re also called the player-issued shirts. The shirts are elastic and body fit which can help the players to move smoothly.
The only disadvantage of the player-issued shirts is that they are not always available. Since they are customised for certain players, they are also made for longer hours than replicas and supporters’ shirts.
4. There are different fabrics used
The fabric used in making the replicas and player-issued shirts is usually polyester. It’s a good fabric for jerseys and other sportswear because it prevents the shirt from being ripped easily from often stretching.
Although the overall quality of shirts depends on their brand, polyester is the most used fabric because it has only a 0.4% absorbency rate. When compared to cotton, polyester won’t be a struggle to the players that their shirt is getting heavier from all the sweat they’ve produced.
5. There have different sizing
Wondering what your size is? First, identify the kind of shirt you want to purchase because they are all different. Years ago, the player-issued shirts were larger than replicas. However, when dry-fit and slim-fit became popular, the standard became smaller sizes for the player-issued. They implemented the slim-fit shirt so that the players can’t be easily grabbed by their opponents.
When it comes to the supporters’ shirts, it’s easier to pick sizes because they are mostly regular shirt sizes.
For the fit, you can choose to buy replicas because they are better when cheering from the stadium and the player-issued shirt might be too tight for you.
6. There are different badges
The badges used in replicas are heavier because they are embroidered, unlike the play-issues which are heat-transferred. When it comes to the supporters’ shirts, they are printed the same way as regular shirts.
Replicas and player-issued shirts are well-known. Additionally, you should still be careful when buying them because there are imitations that cost as much as the original. Scams can be popular especially with classic football shirts but you can avoid them if you have a trained eye for the original.
In the end, you’ll be the one to decide which shirt you want to go with your kit. Nevertheless, you’ll find it exciting to get to know the different kinds of football kits. Don’t forget to share with us what kind of football shirt you first had by commenting below!
