Like their London rivals Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur joined forces with Nike in the summer of 2017.
As with the Blues, the home kit was kept clean and classy and Spurs’ away shirt was pretty much a reversal of the primary option. However, the same navy shorts were used as first-choice for both, denying us 2000-01 or 2004-05 levels of crossover.
While, as usual, there were white shorts available to use for European competition, not since 2012-13 – when the default home was all-white – have Spurs used white shirts and shorts together domestically.
The practice is mashing up change kits has all but ceased too, but the opening day of 2017-18, away to Newcastle United presented a problem. Spurs had been allowed to have an all-dark purple third kit – intended for European use – which failed provide any real differentiation from the home.
If Newcastle’s home shirts had black backs, then all-white would have worked but as they had stripes front and back, instead navy was the choice. But, as Newcastle had black shorts and socks, Spurs used the ‘European’ shorts with the home socks as they won 2-0.
They haven’t worn white shorts in a domestic game since then.
Guessing as a spurs fan I’m suffering from a case of the “Mandela effect “ ( or being spurs fan do I call it the Mandele effect!) as I could off sworn spurs have worn white shorts since then even not including European games.