adidas x LA Galaxy nailed the MLS Archive Collection
The Galaxy are back…back to the future!
The much anticipated release of the 2024 MLS Archive Collection dropped Tuesday, and it’s safe to say the club absolutely nailed the RetroGrade kit. Fans lined up at the team store to grab what was available while online the jersey sold like hotcakes. It was slim pickings trying to find anything this morning, at this point heading to the stadium is your best bet.
Mark Delgado alongside Cobi’s No. 13. Photo courtesy LA Galaxy
Usually I don’t make my mind up about a jersey’s looks until a player wears it.
When I saw the promo pics though…whoa. I temporarily time traveled to the Rose Bowl days when Macarena blared, the fans chanted GAL-A-XY and Mauricio Cienfuegos bossed the immaculate turf. I can practically smell the carne asada from King Taco.
Drawing inspiration from the 96 jersey, this updated version is a near-perfect modern take on the iconic kit. All the important retro details are there with the quasar pattern tying it all together. I particularly love the Los Angeles Galaxy print in orange, a clever way of re-inserting the one potentially missing color from the 96 shirt.
"My God, wow. What a jersey, let me tell you that,” Mauricio Cuevas gushed in the postgame presser after LA debuted the kits in a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids. “Love them. It's something that we all take pride in the history of this club. We all want to live up to the history of the club and all know what's at stake for sure: Trying to win that championship."
Jalen and Cobi cleaning trophies. Clip courtesy of LA Galaxy
The Galaxy are one of five MLS clubs to participate in this year’s collection, joining Inter Miami, LAFC, Sporting Kansas City and the Portland Timbers.
From what I observed yesterday, the fans had basically three reactions on social media.
”This collection is fire!”
”LAFC and Miami don’t have history this sucks”
”Why didn’t my team participate?”
I think adidas did a fantastic job of picking legacy clubs with rich histories in Portland and Sporting Kansas City in addition to some of the newer teams. Look I get that LAFC and Inter Miami don’t have the history, but they’re big-market clubs and fans buy their s**t so take that into consideration. The Galaxy could fit in both categories.
I do have sympathy for fans of other clubs who missed out, but there is a silver living: This is the inaugural year and MLS plans on expanding the collection in 2025.
Gabriel Pec. Photo courtesy LA Galaxy
Though the set includes a Beckenbauer jacket, Gazelle shoes and the retro kit, the Galaxy have gone all-out to celebrate the occasion, collaborating with locals to create a staggering 62 (!) piece collection available at select retailers.
In many ways, this is a full-circle moment for the club. In the not-too-distant past, the Galaxy struggled to embrace their glorious history, opening the doors for talented artists like One Two Threads and Move in Silence to fill the gap with retro merch.
Who could forget the Retros y Rarezas craze when bootlegs from the 96-98 era flooded Dignity Health Sports Park? Fast forward to today and Move in Silence and the club have joined forces to release a t-shirt exclusively available July 22nd at Niky’s Sports. Credit to the hard-working folks behind the scenes (some of whom supported the club growing up) for helping shift the culture in a positive direction.
It’s an exciting time to be a Galaxy fan.