Ranking Sporting KC’s Home Jerseys: 2023–24 Hoops and a Henley collar

The 2023–24 Sporting Kansas City home jersey continued the club’s now-familiar obsession with hoops. Branded as the Hoops 4.0 kit, the shirt leaned heavily on a look fans had already seen before, most notably drawing comparisons to the club’s 2017–18 secondary jersey, just with the colors flipped.

Sporting first introduced hoop-style designs back in 2014, although those were used as secondary kits at the time. It took until 2021–22 for hoops to become the primary identity, and by 2023–24, the club was fully committed to them. The problem is that commitment doesn’t always equal evolution.

If there is one thing Sporting KC’s home shirts have been since 2011, it’s unpredictable. Each new release has typically offered something distinct, something that at least tried to move the identity forward. This one, however, felt like it wasn’t going in forward. Rather, it felt like it was going sideways.

The kit

At first glance, the 2023–24 jersey looked clean and on-brand. The Sporting Blue base returned, paired with thin dark indigo horizontal hoops. Compared to the previous iteration, the stripes were noticeably slimmer, giving the shirt a slightly more refined, but also less impactful, appearance.

The Henley-style collar was indigo with a two-button placket, adding a touch of class and variety to the neckline. It’s the kind of detail Adidas likes to point to in press releases as evidence of innovation, and to be fair, it did elevate the shirt slightly. Above the crest sat two stars, representing the club’s MLS Cup wins in 2000 and 2013, a standard feature but one that always carries weight.

The shirt also marked the 10th anniversary of the club’s 2013 MLS Cup trophy, with “Paint the Wall” printed inside the collar as a nod to that era. It’s a nice detail, even if it does lean heavily on nostalgia.

The full kit kept things consistent, pairing the jersey with Sporting Blue shorts and socks. Visually, it stayed very close to the previous home release. While there were enough tweaks to call it a new design, the differences were subtle enough that you might have had to look twice to notice them.

Why it worked

This jersey worked in the same way most modern Sporting KC kits work: it was clean, balanced, and immediately recognizable. The overall execution was solid, and nothing about it looked rushed or poorly designed.

The Henley collar was a genuine positive. It added character without overcomplicating the shirt, and it gave the jersey a slightly more premium feel. In a league in which multiple teams wear varying shades of blue, the detail of the shirt made it stand out.

There is also something to be said for consistency. By this point, hoops had become a core part of Sporting’s visual identity, and this shirt reinforced that. It looked like Sporting KC.

Why it didn’t work

The problem is that it didn’t feel new. Sporting KC built a reputation on regularly changing things up, and this release broke that pattern. It felt like the shirt was just a continuation of the previous shirt.

The thinner hoops were a downgrade from the previous version. Where the earlier design had presence, this one felt slightly diluted. The increased use of indigo across the hoops, collar, and 

Adidas shoulder stripes made the shirt feel heavier without adding much visual payoff.

It also suffered from comparison. When a new kit looks this similar to the one it replaces, it invites scrutiny from fans who pay close attention to each and every design.

The players of the era

This version of Sporting KC still featured some of the club’s most recognizable modern-era players. Johnny Russell remained the emotional heartbeat of the team, while Graham Zusi continued to defy time.

Daniel Salloi was a key attacking presence, and Alan Pulido carried the weight of being the club’s most expensive signing. Gadi Kinda returned from a serious knee injury during this period, adding some much-needed creativity and goals when available.

It was a squad that still had recognizable names and emotional connections for fans, but it was no longer at its peak. The core remained, but the edge had dulled.

The on-field performances

On the pitch, the 2023 season was inconsistent at best. Sporting KC, led by Peter Vermes, finished with a 12W-8D-14L record in MLS. They failed to win any of their first 10 matches, taking just 1.3 points per game across the season. Despite that, they somehow scraped into the playoffs, finishing eighth in the Western Conference and qualifying for the Wild Card round.

From there, they made a modest run to the Conference Semifinals before losing 1–0 to the Houston Dynamo. It was respectable, but it never felt like a serious challenge for silverware.

If 2023 hinted at decline, 2024 confirmed it. Sporting KC dropped to 13th in the Western Conference and lost 19 matches, missing the playoffs entirely. A 10-game winless run from April to June effectively defined the season, and things didn’t improve down the stretch, with the team losing its final four matches.

For the first time in years, there was genuine, widespread pressure on Vermes. The consistency that once defined Sporting KC had disappeared, replaced by long stretches of bad football.

Final verdict and ranking

Ranking: 7 out of 8

For some fans, the 2023–24 home shirt will go down as a solid, understated release. The reality is that it never quite escaped the shadow of what came before it or what followed. It was too similar to the previous kit and not as strong as the one that replaced it, which is not a great area for football shirts.

The indigo Henley collar was a strong design choice and arguably the standout feature. Beyond that, the thinner hoops and heavier use of indigo left the shirt feeling slightly overworked without being more effective

.

The on-field performances didn’t help its case. Sporting KC backed into the playoffs in 2023 and fell out of them entirely in 2024, marking a clear downturn for the club. Whether or not it truly signaled the end of the Vermes era, it certainly felt like the closing chapter of something that had already peaked.

In a series full of distinct identities and memorable designs, this one simply doesn't feel different enough.