12 best Borussia Dortmund kits: greatest ever BVB shirts
The Yellow Wall has never ceased to burst with stunning Borussia Dortmund kits.
Like a bee’s nest, the stands of the Westfalenstadion have buzzed relentlessly with an endless sea of black and yellow.
This German powerhouse has created icons on the pitch with Chapuisat, Sammer and Lewandowski, followed by Haaland, Hummels and Reus.
They’ve been to the top of Europe’s elite mountain and they’ve toppled down it too. But, it’s the best shirts they wore on the journey, that's what we’re interested in.
So enough chat for now, let’s (gegen)press on with the ranking.
12. 2017/18 Home
Image from Classic Football Shirts.
In a less than successful season for Dortmund, it was this Puma kit that managed to catch the eye.
Top scorer for the season was the now forgotten man, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Götze, Reus and Phillipp all chipped in with valuable goals.
Even when this team wasn’t winning every game, the average home attendance was still close to 80,000. Showing the true passion of Die Schwarzgelben fans.
The alternating gradient stripes are the interesting twist on a standard BVB shirt. It’s something different and it’s a smart effort from Puma.
11. 2012/13 Special
Image from Classic Football Shirts.
Another Puma release now, and one of many ‘special editions’ across their recent history.
Klopp was calling the shots with his dynamic gegenpress in full flow. Lewandowski, Götze and Reus profited from high tempo tactics, bagging 70+ goals between them.
Unfortunately for this excellent squad, their fierce rivals Bayern Munich kept them from lifting the Champions League and Bundesliga trophies.
Puma’s winter/Christmas shirt is retro with a dash of modern, thanks to subtle stripes running through it. A thick, floppy black collar completes the tidy look.
10. 2000-02 Home/Away
Image from Classic Football Shirts.
Let’s take it back to a time when Borussia Dortmund tried to launch their own in-house kit company. Plus, a kit that is home one season and away the next? Very rare.
Check out these top scorers across the two campaigns: Fredi Bobic and Márcio Amoroso. Now that’s a blast of vintage football.
The Goool.de kit itself also has a vintage feel, one which you may stumble across whilst out shirt-hunting in the local charity shops.
Chunky black stripes plow through the yellow base which give it an overall balance. Like Marco Reus, it’s Dortmund through and through.
9. 1986-88 Home
Image from Sports_Fan_Shop on Ebay.
The 1988-89 shirt may get the headlines, but we’re much more interested in the incredible 1986-88 adidas Originals design.
It wasn’t a particularly notable era for Dortmund, but they did qualify for the UEFA Cup in 1986/87. A certain Jürgen Klinsmann (VfB Stuttgart) was the league’s top scorer.
Primarily yellow with a diagonal brick-like pattern, the precise use of black across the adidas stripes, collar, cuffs and badge is excellent.
It even includes a legendary (boring) insurance sponsor which you’ll see many more times in this ranking.
8. 2014-16 Away
Image from Classic Football Shirts.
Enough of the sunny colours already! OK, it’s time to switch it up with an away jersey in BVB’s favourite go-to hue: black.
Let’s head back to 2014-16, Auba was banging them in for fun (he used to do that), Thomas Tuchel came in and Jürgen Klopp left for Liverpool.
Thin yellow pinstripes make this a classy away shirt, predominantly black with dashes of colour. It’s a neat package once more from Puma.
Chemical super-corp Evonik makes another appearance, but the on-pitch chemistry wasn’t to be as the side finished runners-up in both the Bundesliga and DfB-Pokal.
7. 1996/97 Home
Image from Classic Football Shirts.
If you’re of a certain age, you’ll have flashing visions of this shirt playing its part in Dortmund’s magnificent Champions League-winning campaign.
In the final, Karl-Heinz Riedle made mincemeat of Juventus’ Paulo Montero. And Zinedine Zidane was expertly marked out of the affair by… *checks notes* Paul Lambert? Wow.
This shirt is one piece of the now iconic ‘highlighter’ series from Nike, all of which use brazen neon yellows at their base.
Make no mistake, this baggy design holds club legend status. And rightly so.
6. 2022/23 Special
Image from Classic Football Shirts.
Dortmund and blackout kits are becoming somewhat synonymous. It’s their 2022/23 anniversary shirt that gets the nod of approval from us.
Erling Haaland and his sackful of goals had departed for Man City, but young superstar Jude Bellingham was there to step up, bagging 14 in all competitions.
Shimmering silver covers the badgework and namesets, which is all set upon a dark, coal-effect base pattern. Stealth-like and superb.
The "kohle und stahl sondertrikot" (coal and steel special edition kit), celebrates the long history of the hard-working city of Dortmund. A brilliant inspiration for current players and fans.
5. 1995/96 Away
Image from Classic Football Shirts.
Ice hockey and football don’t usually meet. This may just be a one time thing. And for some unknown reason, it resulted in a masterpiece.
Ottmar Hitzfeld led Dortmund to their second successive Bundesliga title in 1995/96, with midfielder Michael Zorc the main goal threat. Sammer, Möller and Riedle, the spine.
Now, the shirt. Neon shoulder and zig-zag arm panels on black and white. Baggy Nike build, massive Die Continentale sponsor. This is as retro as it gets. It’s excellent.
If you can find one for sale, it’ll have a big price tag. But like the assets of Dortmund usually do, it’ll keep on rising.
4. 2011/12 Home
Image from Classic Football Shirts.
The only Kappa entry to our ranking, and it’s a legendary one. Not all for design, but to show respect for the domestic double that it won.
When you see this shirt, who do you think of? Lewandowski, Reus, Kagawa, Gündoğan, Götze, Hummels, Perišić, Piszczek? Erm, you get the picture. Some squad, that was.
Dortmund’s home colours feature an eye-catching dot pattern, never before used. A plain v-neck and black trims don’t take any focus away from the main event.
They may never build a squad as good as 2011/12 again, just like they may never create a design as original as this either.
3. 2020/21 Fourth
Image from Classic Football Shirts.
Sometimes, shirts fly off the club shop shelves. This kit joined a select group by playing the lead role in one of those instances.
With Haaland and Sancho hitting their stride in 2020/21, the side picked up the DfB-Pokal trophy by beating RB Leipzig emphatically, 4-1.
Shoulders that could induce sunglasses make a return, inspired by the neon kits of the ‘90s. The background’s grey-ish tint features club legends of that same era.
Harking back to honour retro designs isn’t a new thing for clubs to do, but rarely is done quite so perfectly. Just enough retro, just enough modern.
2. 2012/13 European
Image from Classic Football Shirts.
Kits are released for every occasion nowadays and for us, that’s blummin’ fantastic news. The more, the merrier we say.
Worn during Borussia Dortmund’s sensational Champions League campaign, where they were beaten only once. Unfortunately, that was in the final by Bayern Munich. Ouch.
Classic black stripes adorn the bright yellow, split only by the sponsor and ‘snipped up’ sections. A neat polo collar makes this a solid winner. Even if it didn’t quite get the big W.
The BVB mantra of ‘Echte Liebe’ sits in the collar, reminding fans and players that being part of the club means ‘real love’. No less than 100% commitment, when you’re part of the Yellow Wall.
1. 1994/95 Home
Image from Classic Football Shirts.
It just had to be. Feathered wings as sleeves? Yes, very yes. The most iconic Dortmund shirt of all is our #1 pick.
A season which saw another Bundesliga slip into the trophy cabinet at the Westfalenstadion, it was the usual suspects doing the legwork. Riedle, Sammer, Möller and Zorc.
Using a Nike template which you’ll recognise from some of the greatest kits of the ‘90s, its neon yellow simply smacks you across the chops and tells you to stare at it.
With a plain base and classic sponsor in position, the wild sleeve design has a chance to breathe. And it’s breathing joyous life into this shirt.
The drop-neck with heritage Nike logo and three stars is a topper for this incredible BVB jersey. Do they dare to create a modern remake for us? It’d be brave.
That’s our rollercoaster ride through Dortmund’s history completed, let us know what you think by tagging us on socials.
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