In 2004 Nike took over as the official kit supplier for the Socceroos. Since then, the evolution of Socceroos kits has always captured the fans attention.
With the imminent release of Australia's new kit on September 17, we look back on each kit Nike has designed for the green and gold.
Take a look below and cast your vote on the best Nike Socceroos jersey below!
2004 – 2005 Home
Nike’s first Australian kit was best known for featuring players numbers on the front with a trademark circle around it, a design that was used heavily with their footballs at the time. A predominantly gold jersey was accompanied with a small streak of green on the sleeves and a sleek slimline white lining around the neck and torso.
2004 – 2005 Away
The away kit sported deep green as its primary colour with gold lining around the body and sleeves. Nike’s trademark white tick is located opposite Australia’s coat of arms either side of the chest. Green shorts match the shirt to round out what was a very underrated Socceroos kit.
2005-2006 Home
Arguably Australia’s most iconic kit was made famous by John Aloisi who removed it after securing the Socceroos 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualification against Uruguay. The clean-cut home jersey was extremely similar to its predecessor but featured a unique dark green trimming around the collar.
2005-2006 Away
A rare all white kit was used in Australia’s 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualification with the Socceroos golden generation looking strikingly similar to its cross Tasman rivals New Zealand. The dark green trim remained around the collar, torso and sleeves in a modest but stylish jersey.
2006 – 2008 Home
The famous 2006 FIFA World Cup jersey lives long in the memory of most Socceroos fans. The beautiful Socceroos gold was loudly and proudly on display in this home jersey. Minimal touches of green trim cuffs through the numbering, sleeves, and Nike tick complement the simplicity of a truly golden Socceroos jersey.
2006 – 2008 Away
Australia was forced to wear its away jersey against Brazil in the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Australia striding out in dark obsidian blue jerseys, shorts and socks. A tough, no nonsense look set the tone for Australia’s performance who played valiantly but ultimately fell to defeat.
2008 – 2010 Home
Nike added two vertical lines down either side of the Socceroos next silky, modern, minimalist style jersey. The golden jersey and socks were offset with deep green shorts and received praise from players and fans alike.
2008 – 2010 Away
The strong dark blue colouring remained in Australia’s away kit and set a precedent for a good string of performances with the Socceroos beating formidable sides including Ghana, Holland Ireland and Denmark. A striking band of gold at the top of the dark socks was one of the defining features of this kit.
2010 – 2012 Home
This was the first time Australia’s national football shirt was made from recyclable material. With green and yellow as its primary colours, it featured one horizontal white strip and was accompanied by green shorts and dark yellow and green socks to match the jersey.
2010 – 2012 Away
The away jersey featured an electric blue shoulder and sleeves, a yellow strip on the torso and a navy blue chest. This strip was worn by the Socceroos at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa including its opening round match against Germany.
2012 – 2014 Home
The new home jersey in 2012 had a traditional yellow body with a bold green stripe down the entire left side. The stripe, which ran through the national coat of arms, split opinion within the public. On the right sleeve is a minor green stripe which fulfils the stripe on the body of the shirt.
2012 - 2014 Away
The away jersey sported an obsidian blue body with a new and bold yellow stripe along the entire left side, which runs through the national coat of arms, and reflects both Australia’s modernity, and the contrasting and dazzling light of the immense Australian landscapes.
On the right sleeve is a smaller yellow stripe, which completes the stripe on the body of the shirt, while inside the neck is the Football Federation Australia badge.
2014 - 2016 Home
In the lead-up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the new kits included a plain yellow shirt with a green collar, plain dark green shorts and white socks, a tribute to the 1974 Socceroos. Inside the back of the neck also had woven the quote, "We Socceroos can do the impossible", from Peter Wilson, the captain of the 1974 Australian team.
2014 - 2016 Away
The jersey boasts a modern yellow Johnny collar, another reference to the 1974 Australian kit. Nike’s design team fashioned the Australian coat of arms on the breast of the jersey within a new shield that imitates the shape of the crest worn on the kits at the 1974 tournament.
2016 – 2018 Home
The green piping around a predominantly gold shirt with a graphic printed pattern was used to represent the iconic Wave Rock in Western Australia. This clean-cut modern look was a typical football shirt of 2016. In what seemed to be a trend adopted by Nike, they opted for the same colour shorts as the top and rounding the kit off with green socks.
2016 – 2018 Away
The dark obsidian blue away kit was designed to celebrate Australia’s surf culture and further heightens its stunning coastline with a unique shirt motif. Blue stripes run down the sides of the shirts and shorts which expand when the player is in action to expose bold flashes of underlying yellow.
2018 – 2020 Home
The predominantly gold strip featured unique elements inspired by views from Socceroos legend Mark Viduka, who in 2005 called on Australian football fans to create a “sea of gold” to signify the nation’s pride ahead of Australia's crucial World Cup qualification match against Uruguay. Nike used this “sea of gold” statement as their principal source of inspiration for the design of this kit, taking the concept and illustrating it with a rolling wave graphic outlined in dark green across the sleeves and shoulders.
2018 - 2020 Away
The latest embodiment of Australia’s away kit is predominately dark green – a move away from recent navy-blue versions – and pays tribute to the national green and gold colours. A punching yellow volt is seen across the front, which is meant to catch the inspiration of young, fanatical Australian football supporters. An additional detail to the kit is the placement of the Commonwealth star on the collar.