Bayern Munich’s 10 Best Home Kits of All Time—Ranked

The Bavarians have rarely disappointed when it comes to looking good.

Bayern's 2017-18 kit was stellar. / Getty/TF Images

A Bayern Munich shirt—or even a matching pair of shorts—once felt like a rite of passage for every kid on a family holiday. Maybe it was a hand-me-down from an older sibling, two sizes too big and slightly faded, but it didn’t matter—you looked the part.

Over the years, Bayern have produced a remarkable collection of home kits, many of them as iconic as the trophies they helped deliver. Clean designs, bold reds and subtle evolutions have all played their part in cementing Bayern’s status as one of the most decorated clubs in world soccer.

Here, Sports Illustrated ranks the very best Bayern Munich home kits of all time.

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10. Less Is More (2003-2004)

Great kit, even better player. / Getty/Sandra Behne

It’s a real shame this season didn’t bring any silverware—because just imagine a fresh-faced Michael Ballack lifting a trophy in this adidas kit.

Looking for simplicity and ultimate sophistication blended into one? You probably don’t need to look any further than here.

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9. Hoops (2007-2009)

Franck Ribery. / Getty/Etsuo Hara

You could say it was classic adidas of that era, but the thick horizontal hoops just worked on Bayern—especially stretched across Franck Ribéry’s torso in full flow.

More than that, the kit came to symbolise a turning point for the club. Bayern wrapped up both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal wearing it, and that alone elevates it into the upper tier.

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8. A Change of Color (2002-03)

Extra points if you can name them all. / Getty/Martin Rose

Let’s skip the debates over exact shades or why the home strip drifted from the classic Bayern red—just admire it for what it is. This was the first kit in ages to ditch the traditional red entirely.

We often romanticize the 90s, but some early-2000s designs—this one included—might just top them.

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7. The Glory Days (1965-1970)

Bayern Munich were dominant in the 1960s. / Getty/ullstein bild

Ah, the original Bayern Munich glory era—Bundesliga title, three DFB-Pokals, and a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup all in just five years. But arguably the biggest prize of all? The kit itself.

White shirts with a red neckline and red sleeves, paired with red shorts and socks. No sponsors, probably soaked like a sponge in the rain—but honestly, it still looks incredible.

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6. Blue Stripes (2014-2015)

We adore this Bayern kit. / Getty/Alexander Hassenstein

Bayern fans famously pressured the club never to use blue on their home kit again after bitter rivals 1860 Munich sported it.

Still, you can’t deny the beauty of the two shades clashing. Opposites attract, right? The neckline nails it too—not too tight, not too loose—a perfect balance.

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5. Rock, Flag & Eagle (1992-93)

This was certainly one of Bayern's more unique kits. / Getty

With its massive adidas logos across the shirt and shorts, baggy fit, and red-white-and-blue colour scheme, this kit could almost pass for a United States national team strip rather than Bayern Munich.

That said, somehow it works—go Bayern, go!

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4. The Centenary Kit (1999-2001)

Blue suits Bayern. / Getty/Peter Schatz

Yes, we’re bringing back the blue sleeves again. Don’t hate us, Bayern fans, but adidas absolutely nailed it with this centenary kit.

A time when long sleeves and tucked-in shirts were the norm, and those red-and-blue hooped socks? Pure perfection—the kind of proper football socks you remember.

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3. A Nod to the Past (2017-18)

Xabi Alonso could make any kit look great, to be fair... / Getty/TF-Images

Every season, some clubs try to hark back to the glory days. Sometimes it falls flat—but this one? This is flawless.

A tribute to the 1973-74 European Cup-winning strip, adidas nailed every detail. So clean, so sharp—it might even outshine the original.

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2. The Kuffour Effect (2005-2006)

A classic. / IMAGO/ExSpo

Sammy Kuffour’s rant—“Wir brauchen rot-weiße Trikots” (“We wants red and white jerseys!”)—struck a chord with everyone involved in Bayern’s kit design, and adidas responded by diving into an early-80s collar-inspired look.

The club crest sat inside the same silvery background famously used on the 1996 UEFA Cup-winning white kit, as well as sporadically throughout the 1970s and ’80s.

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1. Classic Commodore (1986-87)

Liverpool, or Bayern? / Getty/Bongarts

Where do you even begin with this one? 80’s adidas, paired with a revolutionary games controller sponsorship, short shorts, long sleeves with crisp white cuffs—simply magnificent.

You don’t get shirts like this anymore, and probably never will. Bayern have had plenty of great kits, but this one tops them all.

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