The new 2023 AC Milan 4th kit has arrived, and it covers the Serie A giants in pixelated perfection.
A collaboration between the club, Puma and Paris-based fashion label KOCHÉ, the new shirt would be right at home in an early ’90s video game.
It’s interesting that this is a fourth kit, but it looks a lot like the club’s standard jersey. Usually the 2nd/3rd/4th jerseys get a little crazier as you go down the line. This is certainly a bold design, but the colors make it unmistakably AC Milan.
The pixelated stripes fade towards the top of the t-shirt and turn into a wild pattern towards the bottom (Windows 95 solitaire, anyone?). The pattern continues on the shorts that match the top, an unusual bonus: the shorts are often a solid-color afterthought.
The team crest and sponsor trim are all gold, which fits nicely with the reigning Serie A champions. The iconic Scudetto championship crest in the center actually takes a bit of the visual cohesion of the top.
It’s also apparently a tie-in to a real-world video game. Special decals and top-based wheel skins are coming to Rocket League in March. According to the club, this is the first football kit from a European club to be included in the game.
The collection also comes with a golden version like the goalkeeper kit:
The dimmer gold version is also quite nice, perfect if you don’t want to be too loud when you’re out on the town.
Reviewing the 2023 AC Milan 4th Kit
The new shirt is a throwback to the early digital age, but it also fits into today’s world of Minecraft and the “Metaverse.” The combination of the iconic colors and the general spirit of the classic AC Milan jersey with an eccentric pattern is a winner. With different colours, the kind you normally see on the top third or fourth, this kit could easily be downright ugly. But it totally works in red and black.
Grade A-
The pattern gets a bit wonky at the bottom of the shirt, but other than that, this is a cool take on a classic. It is available at the World Soccer Shop and other retailers.
What do you think of this t-shirt? 8 bit hit? Or is it game over? Tell us in the comments!
