Tartan themselves up – Scotland 2024 kits review

By Jay Mansfield

Few things in life are more predictable than Scotland exiting an international tournament at the group stage.

Moaning that a plague of ‘No Ball Games’ signs were what done us for, perhaps. Complaining that the new adidas kit for 2024 doesn’t have white shorts and red socks, certainly.

Despite only being introduced as late as the 1970s, and having been used intermittently since the 1990s, each new kit that isn’t made up of this exact colourway is greeted with derision by many fans and the latest  offering from adidas is no exception, particularly coming on the back of last year’s well-received, pseudo-traditional 150th anniversary kit.

Like their chief rivals Nike, adidas appear to be in a bit of a creative malaise and throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks. Not only have they shed the wordmark from the EQT logo, but they’ve brought back the trefoil logo this season for select third kits, part of the universe’s overwhelming onslaught of nostalgia.

So, the Germans are a bit hit-and-miss at the moment, but the new first choice kit isn’t that bad, despite sticking closely to the basic construction of the 2024 template (and it looks less like training wear than its predecessor).

Manufacturers (and perhaps the SFA) feel they have to use tartan as a device as often as possible on the home shirt; here it is incorporated as a heavily-stylised graphic print on the body, with each individual jersey seemingly being unique.

A notable design element on these templates is a curving inset on the side of the shirts which continues down onto the back of the shorts, widening as it does. It’s reminiscent of the similar linked flashes on the mid-2000s Teamgeist kits, but it does look a little daft from behind.

With the flashes being rendered in yellow, this kit bears a passing resemblance to that worn at Euro 96, although the white adidas shoulder stripes could possibly have been yellow as well. I think the white makes them pop a bit more. As part of their change of direction, adidas have dropped the three stripes from both shorts and socks, and so the kit is completed by plain navy socks. They actually look pretty smart though.

And, while the launch of the England home kit was overshadowed by a row over the stylised flag on the neck of the jersey, there was no such furore about the similarly stylised Saltire on the back of the Scotland kit. Mind you, Scots are probably used to seeing their flag rendered in the wrong shade of blue…

Elsewhen in the 1990s, Scotland were renowned for their outlandish away kits. That hasn’t been the case as much in the last 15 years, with adidas providing designs that are understated (if not a bit bland).

The new away kit carries on that trend, being all sky blue with purple side arcs bordering some more abstract tartan at the ribs. While not exactly the same, it does bear a passing resemblance to last year’s women’s away kit. It comes paired with sky shorts and socks.

Interestingly, both outfield kits come with designated alternate shorts; both white, with complimentary flashes.

The goalkeepers kits are identical to those worn by every other adidas team so I’m not even going to bother describing them.

So, while the kits might not be the greatest, and I’m definitely not sold on the shorts, Scotland have come out fairly well, all things considered. I mean, have you seen the Germany away kit? That’s as bad as it gets, surely.

What do you mean, “Tintin”?