{"id":24506,"date":"2026-07-29T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanmames.athletic-club.eus\/?p=24506"},"modified":"2026-07-26T15:13:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T13:13:21","slug":"shirts-athletic-club-ac-museoa-evolution-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanmames.athletic-club.eus\/en\/blog\/shirts-athletic-club-ac-museoa-evolution-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Athletic Club shirts at the AC Museum: evolution and significance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Athletic Club\u2019s shirts are one of the most recognisable hallmarks of European football. From the first kits of the late 19th century to today\u2019s kits, each design tells a part of the history of the club and of Bilbao. At the AC Museoa \/ Museum, visitors can trace this evolution through some of the most iconic shirts in the club\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The evolution of the Athletic Club shirt over the decades<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Paradoxically, the club\u2019s colour journey began far removed from red and white. Following its foundation in 1898, the first players wore a white jersey and shorts paired with black socks \u2013 an amateur kit very common at British universities such as Oxford. In 1902, the influence of students returning from England led to the import of shirts with navy blue and white stripes<\/strong>, identical to those of Blackburn Rovers, in which the club contested its first Copa del Rey. The definitive turning point that forged the club\u2019s legend occurred purely by commercial chance in 1910, when club director Juan Elorduy travelled to England to renew the team\u2019s kit. Unable to find the usual blue shirts, he purchased forty-five shirts from Southampton F.C., which featured red and white stripes. On 9 January<\/strong> of that same year, the Basque side made their debut in the red-and-white kit, establishing an unmistakable look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, the kit gradually took on the understated elegance that characterises it. In 1913, black shorts were officially adopted to add a touch of elegance, and in 1950 the socks moved away from solid black to also feature the red-&-white pattern<\/strong>, achieving complete visual harmony. The following decades marked the transition towards technical modernity. The heavy cotton shirts of the 1960s and 1970s gave way to much lighter fabrics. In 1980, industrialisation arrived with the first contract with Adidas<\/strong>, paving the way in the 1990s for the bold, form-fitting graphic designs of the Italian brand Kappa, which optimised the garments\u2019 fit to the athlete\u2019s body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iconic shirts on display at the AC Museoa<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A tour of the museum\u2019s display cases offers a unique opportunity to see up close the true crown jewels of Bilbao\u2019s textile history. Among the iconic Athletic Club shirts<\/strong> that evoke the greatest sense of nostalgia is the special centenary kit from 1998, which featured the commemorative \u20181898\u20131998\u2019 logo embroidered on the chest. A few years later, in 2001, the club took a historic step towards creative independence with the launch of its own brand, <\/strong>100% Athletic<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 a milestone in commercial autonomy that set a precedent in European football by allowing the club to manage its intellectual property directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0\u00a0Extraordinary textile milestones at the Museum\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n