In earlier years, things were far simpler when it came to kits. In the club’s earliest days, there was only a home kit. As football grew in popularity, kits became increasingly important. To make it easier to distinguish players, the reserve kit was introduced. When the Amsterdam red white red looked too similar to an opponent’s colours, Ajax players would sometimes wear a blue, white, red or yellow alternative kit. This remained the case until the late 1970s and early 1980s.
First in 2004/2005: three different Ajax kits
At the end of that period, the away kit also began to be taken more seriously. From 1989 onward, clothing sponsor Umbro provided Ajax with a specially designed reserve kit each year. With Adidas as kit supplier, Ajax’s loyal partner since 2000, the club had three different kits for the first time in the 2004/2005 season.
Alongside the classic red white home shirt, a yellow striped shirt offered an alternative that season. However, Ajax only wore the black and red third kit in two official matches. Those matches brought little success. Both in the cup match against Willem II and in the UEFA Cup game against Auxerre, Ajax suffered painful defeats in black and red, resulting in elimination on both occasions.
Was that lack of sporting success, perhaps combined with a touch of superstition, the reason it took until 2020 for another third kit to be released? With the design of the 2020/2021 third ''European kit'', Adidas paid tribute to the Ajax side that, half a century earlier, won the club’s first European Cup I (now the UEFA Champions League).
Elegant black with gold accents in 2020/2021
The stylish black kit, with gold details, stripes and embroidery, was stunning. Ajax wore it mainly in European matches, both in the Champions League and in the UEFA Europa League. In April 2021, Ajax also wore the black kit once domestically, in a 1–2 away victory over sc Heerenveen.
A season later (2021/2022), the third kit truly made its breakthrough. Mentioning the ''reggae shirt'' or ''Bob Marley shirt'' immediately tells any true Ajax supporter which kit is meant. The ''Three Little Birds shirt'' is just as recognisable. One year after the tribute to Ajax’s first European triumph, this time it was an homage to reggae icon Bob Marley, whose song Three Little Birds has become an unofficial anthem of the club.
The three little birds, therefore, could not be missing from the design. They were subtly printed on the back of the predominantly black and red shirt, combined with the characteristic red yellow green reggae accents. Less subtle, but equally striking: the team bus also featured the birds in reggae colours.
Bob Marley kit becomes most popular shirt
Ajax wore the kit during a successful, unbeaten Champions League group stage and in Eredivisie away matches against sc Heerenveen and PEC Zwolle. To say it was a hit among supporters would be an understatement. The reggae shirt - or Bob Marley shirt - became the most popular and best selling alternative Ajax kit ever.
After 2022, new third kits continued to appear in Ajax Fanshops as alternatives to the regular away kit. The 2022/2023 ''European away kit'' was a collaboration between Ajax, Adidas and Amsterdam based fashion brand Daily Paper. It served as an option when the standard blue away kit could not be used.
In the sportingly disappointing 2023/2024 season, Ajax alternated between a black and silver checkerboard kit and a lighter away kit featuring subtle colour tones. It was difficult to clearly distinguish between the second and third kits. The third kit in the following season, the Francesco Farioli era (2024/2025), was primarily used as a European third kit, although the cream coloured outfit was also worn once domestically, at the Rat Verlegh Stadium against NAC.
This current season also features both an away collection and a third collection. The blue tribute to Amsterdam’s canals served as the first alternative to the traditional red white red. The plain third kit stood out as an eye catching reserve kit, in which Ajax particularly impressed during the European away match against Qarabağ FK: 2–4.
Just like the iconic home shirt, the away kits and third kits have also grown into genuine collector’s items. The same applies to the brand new collection for the 2026/2027 season.
