New Kits for Lower Leagues in Europe: Black, Pink and Heritage
The new season is still weeks away, but in Venlo, Rochdale, Copenhagen, Troyes and Shrewsbury, the tone has already been set. Not with a ball, but with fabric.
VVV-Venlo: Night-time Venlo in Black and Mint
VVV-Venlo have rounded off their 2026-27 collection with a striking away shirt that feels more like city streetwear than second strip.
Craft have gone with a black base, broken only by subtle tonal striping that gives the shirt depth under the floodlights. Mint green does the talking elsewhere: the trim, the logos, the sponsor branding, all pop against the darkness.
The club’s traditional yellow-and-black crest sits over it all, defiant and unapologetically old-school on a very modern canvas. It keeps the shirt anchored in Venlo’s identity while the rest of the design leans into a sleek, urban tribute to the city.
Clean. Sharp. No fuss. It looks like an away kit built for late kick-offs and big away ends.
Rochdale: Back in the EFL, Back in Style
Promotion changes everything at a club. Budgets, fixtures, expectations – and, this year, Rochdale’s away kit.
To mark their return to the English Football League, Rochdale AFC and O'Neills have gone retro with a twist. The 2026-27 away shirt arrives in a soft pink base, a colour that instantly separates it from the usual lower-league palette.
White side panels carve up the silhouette, while a white V-neck collar and matching sleeve cuffs carry black and pink detailing that feels straight out of a classic archive, reimagined for now. The club crest, the O'Neills logo and sponsor branding all appear in monochrome black, giving the shirt a crisp, no-nonsense finish.
It’s a design that nods to the past but speaks to a club stepping forward again. Back in the EFL, and not hiding in the shadows.
FC Copenhagen Women: Tradition at Home, Edge Away
In Copenhagen, Adidas have kept the women’s home shirt where it belongs: rooted in tradition.
The FC Copenhagen Women 26-27 home kit stays true to the club’s identity with a clean white base. Across it runs a streamlined Adidas graphic in blue and purple, the same visual language seen on the likes of Köln and Yokohama F Marinos. It’s familiar, but the colour blend gives the shirt a fresh, contemporary feel without disturbing the core look.
Then comes the away strip, and the mood flips. Black takes over, cut through by a bold blue sash. It’s a simple idea, but on a dark backdrop the sash becomes a statement, giving Copenhagen a powerful alternative look for the road.
Two kits, one clear message: the women’s side gets the same design ambition as the men, not a watered-down afterthought.
ESTAC Troyes: A Walk Down Ruelle des Chats
Some shirts just wear the city on their sleeve. ESTAC Troyes and Puma have gone all in on that idea.
The 26-27 away jersey draws its inspiration from the Ruelle des Chats – Cat Alley – one of Troyes’ most iconic historic spots. The design doesn’t shout; it evokes. The colours are chosen to mirror the tones of the city’s old building facades as they catch the light at sunset.
It’s heritage translated into fabric, a visual postcard from Troyes. For supporters, it’s a piece of home. For opponents, a reminder that this is a club with roots deeper than a single season.
Shrewsbury Town: In the Loop and Looking Ahead
Shrewsbury Town’s third shirt for 26-27 arrives with a clear concept and a local heartbeat.
Oxen’s design leans into the geography that defines the town: the looping River Severn. The sleeves carry a distinct graphic pattern tracing the river’s path, directly tying into the launch tagline, “In the Loop”. It’s clever, but more than that, it’s personal. This isn’t just a colourway; it’s a map.
The third kit slots in alongside a 140th Anniversary home shirt and a newly released away strip, completing a full set for the League Two campaign. All three kits are already on sale, both online and in the club store, ready for a fanbase that has no shortage of choice this season.
From black-and-mint minimalism in Venlo to pink nostalgia in Rochdale, from Copenhagen’s clean lines to Troyes’ sunset tones and Shrewsbury’s river route, one thing is clear: the stories of these clubs won’t just be told in results. They’ll be worn, week after week, across terraces and touchlines.
