Talking Trikots: Bayern Munich’s special edition kits

Bayern Munich normally releases four kits per season - home, away, third, and goalkeeper. It’s the same story with other clubs. However, once in a while they release special edition kits, which differ from the normal four kits and celebrate special occasions and/or collaborate with worthy causes. These kits are worn only once, but they often become fan favorites despite their brief appearances. We decided to take a look at Bayern’s special edition kits over the years, when they were worn, what they looked like, and how well the team performed in them. Enjoy!

Lederhosen Kit - 2013/14

Photo by Andreas Gebert/picture alliance via Getty Images

Kicking off our list isn’t really a special shirt, but more of a slight twist to the original kit. The shirt is the same white away shirt that represented Bayern during the 13/14 season. What makes this kit different is the shorts. The away kit’s shorts were normally white like the shirt, but on its debut, the white shirt was paired with brown shorts. This was an obvious nod to Bavarian traditional lederhosen, and to add a bit of authenticity, the Adidas stripes and trim on the shorts were light brown, almost a gold shade, to simulate the piping on lederhosen.

The brown shorts were worn only once, against Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. The game was in late September, prime time to celebrate Oktoberfest. Bayern won 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Thomas Müller.

Parley For the Oceans Kit - 2016/17

Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images

Next in line is a kit that was made for an adidas campaign. In 2016, Adidas launched their “For the Oceans” campaign to produce environmentally friendly gear. A prime example was this particular kit, made from recycled plastic discarded in the ocean. The kit is a typical red shirt, but with the logo and sponsor colored on in dark red, so that it very subtly stands out from the kit itself. The details are not embroidered or pressed on, they are just part of the shirt’s color design. That’s something unique for a football kit. Real Madrid also got a white shirt of their own during this campaign.

The kit was worn in the Bundesliga home leg against Hoffenheim, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Funnily enough, Bayern didn’t score a single goal in that game, with an own goal tying the score.

120th Anniversary Kit - 2019/20

Photo by Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

2020 was a very happy year for Bayern fans around the world. Not just because of the historic second treble, but also because the club celebrated its 120th year in existence. Bayern decided to commemorate their 120-year long, trophy laden history with a special kit to be worn around the club’s birthday. The kit, taking inspiration from the 1930s, when the club won its first ever German championship, is a white shirt with maroon sleeves, with the club’s old logo in a monochromatic white. The sponsor and Adidas logo are also white, barely visible. It really goes back to the basics, which is what the kit is all about.

The kit was worn in the Bundesliga home leg against Augsburg, when Bayern avenged their 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture with a 2-0 win. This was the last game that Bayern played until COVID-19 stopped football in its tracks, before the season kicked off again two months later.

Human Race Kit - 2020/21

Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

This particular kit was borne out of another adidas campaign, the Human Race campaign. Pharrell Williams designed a number of kits for the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Juventus, Real Madrid, and Bayern to support this cause. Created to promote equality in football and around the world, the jersey was modeled off of the 1991/93 Bayern home kit, all red with three blue stripes on the right shoulder. Lord knows why they chose that season’s kit, considering Bayern went trophyless in the two years it was worn.

Fate had it that the design would remain cursed, as Bayern crashed out of the DFB-Pokal in the one game that the jersey was worn in: the infamous loss on penalties to Holstein Kiel after a 2-2 draw.

Oktoberfest Kit - 2021/22

Photo by Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Our most recent entry just came out about a month ago. To celebrate Oktoberfest, which was sadly cancelled this year due to the COVID pandemic, Bayern released a very special kit. The shirt is dark green in color, with gold trim and highlights to complete a clean, crisp autumn look. Add a dash of alpine detail to the crest, and you’ve got yourself one good looking jersey. The jersey was immensely popular among fans, selling like hot cakes in online and offline stores alike. Whether it will be stocked again remains to be seen, but if it does, chances are it’ll be highly sought after again.

Not only was the design spectacular, but the team performance in the kit was spectacular as well. The kit was worn in a 7-0 win against Bochum in the Bundesliga, which is Bayern’s biggest league win of the season so far.

So there you have it! Which has been your favorite special edition kit so far, and what kind of special designs would you like to see next?