How to Spot an Authentic Adidas Football Shirt
Adidas has been making football shirts since the 1970s, which means there's a huge range of authentic vintage pieces out there, and an equally large number of replicas, reprints and outright fakes. Knowing what to look for makes a real difference, whether you're buying from a market stall, an online seller, or a specialist like Secondhalf Store.
The three stripes
The most immediately recognisable feature of any Adidas shirt is the three stripes. On authentic vintage shirts, the stripes are consistent in width, properly aligned, and stitched or printed with precision. On older pieces from the '70s and '80s, the stripes were often made from a different material than the shirt itself, a woven tape sewn onto the fabric. On later shirts from the '90s onward, they're usually printed or part of the knit. If the stripes look uneven, bleed at the edges, or feel like an afterthought, be cautious.
The Adidas label
Adidas labels changed significantly over the decades, and learning to read them is one of the most reliable ways to date and authenticate a shirt. In the 1970s and early '80s, you'll find the classic "Adidas Originals" trefoil logo. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, several Adidas branding systems coexisted across different product categories and markets. The Equipment line, introduced in 1991, brought its own distinct labelling with a different logo entirely.
If a shirt claims to be from 1989 but carries an Equipment label, the dates don't add up. These inconsistencies are easy to spot once you know what to look for.
The fabric and fit
Many Adidas shirts from the 1980s and 1990s use fabrics that feel noticeably different from modern football shirts, although some later performance garments were relatively lightweight for their era. Adidas also had a recognisable cut in the '90s: wider across the chest, longer in the body, with a slightly boxy silhouette that reflects the fashion of the era.
Fit should always be considered alongside other authentication indicators such as labels, construction and product codes.
Embroidery and badges
The Adidas logo and club badge should be applied using the method consistent with that particular shirt and season. The embroidery should feel slightly raised, with tight, even stitching. Poorly done embroidery, loose threads, uneven edges, thin coverage, is a common sign of a replica.
The club badge itself is also worth examining. Adidas licensed official badges, and on authentic match shirts they should be accurate to the era. Badge designs changed over the years for most clubs, so a badge that doesn't match the season of the shirt is a red flag.
Country of manufacture
Vintage Adidas shirts were manufactured in a range of countries depending on the era, Morocco, France, West Germany, and later various Asian countries. The country of manufacture printed on the label can help confirm the age of a shirt. A shirt labelled "Made in West Germany," for example, has to pre-date 1990. This kind of detail is difficult to fake convincingly.
The product code
One of the most underused authentication tools for Adidas shirts is the product code, usually printed on the wash label. In older shirts, this code was often a simple sequence of three to five digits. From the early 2000s onwards, Adidas moved to a more structured format: a six-character combination, typically made up of four to five digits and one to two letters, unique to each individual garment. In the late '90s, codes were sometimes shared across similar shirts or different market versions, making them less reliable for that era.
If you find a product code on a shirt from the early 2000s onward, search for it on Google. An authentic shirt will return results that match: the right club, the right season, the right colourway. If the code brings up something completely different, or nothing at all, that's worth investigating further. Sellers of authentic vintage shirts will often list the product code in their descriptions precisely because it's verifiable. At Secondhalf Store, we include the product code wherever we have it, so you can check for yourself.
This trick is less reliable for shirts from the '90s and earlier, but for early 2000s Adidas kits, which covers some of the most collectible shirts ever made, it's one of the most dependable checks you have.
Know what you're looking for
If you're specifically after an Adidas shirt from a particular era or club, it helps to do some research upfront. What did the authentic version look like? Which labels were used in that season? Was there a player version and a replica version, and how did they differ?
At Secondhalf Store, we go through exactly these checks before listing any shirt. If you're unsure about a specific piece, whether it's one of ours or something you've found elsewhere, feel free to get in touch.
Examples of authentic Adidas football shirts
Authentic 80s Adidas football shirt: Liverpool 1989/91 Away Shirt (L)
Authentic 90s Adidas football shirt: Newcastle United 1995/96 Away Shirt (XL)
Authentic 00s Adidas football shirt: LA Galaxy 2007/08 Away Shirt - Beckham #23 (M)
Authentic modern Adidas football shirt: Fulham 2019/20 Home Shirt (L)
For more authentication guides, see our articles on Nike, Umbro, Kappa, Puma, Lotto, Castore, New Balance, Hummel, Reebok, and Asics, as well as our general guide on how to spot an authentic vintage football shirt.
Related blog posts
How to Spot an Authentic Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Nike Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Umbro Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Kappa Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Puma Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Lotto Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Castore Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic New Balance Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Hummel Vintage Football Shirt
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How to Spot an Authentic Asics Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Adidas Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Adidas Football Shirt
Adidas has been making football shirts since the 1970s, which means there's a huge range of authentic vintage pieces out there, and an equally large number of replicas, reprints and outright fakes. Knowing what to look for makes a real difference, whether you're buying from a market stall, an online seller, or a specialist like Secondhalf Store.
The three stripes
The most immediately recognisable feature of any Adidas shirt is the three stripes. On authentic vintage shirts, the stripes are consistent in width, properly aligned, and stitched or printed with precision. On older pieces from the '70s and '80s, the stripes were often made from a different material than the shirt itself, a woven tape sewn onto the fabric. On later shirts from the '90s onward, they're usually printed or part of the knit. If the stripes look uneven, bleed at the edges, or feel like an afterthought, be cautious.
The Adidas label
Adidas labels changed significantly over the decades, and learning to read them is one of the most reliable ways to date and authenticate a shirt. In the 1970s and early '80s, you'll find the classic "Adidas Originals" trefoil logo. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, several Adidas branding systems coexisted across different product categories and markets. The Equipment line, introduced in 1991, brought its own distinct labelling with a different logo entirely.
If a shirt claims to be from 1989 but carries an Equipment label, the dates don't add up. These inconsistencies are easy to spot once you know what to look for.
The fabric and fit
Many Adidas shirts from the 1980s and 1990s use fabrics that feel noticeably different from modern football shirts, although some later performance garments were relatively lightweight for their era. Adidas also had a recognisable cut in the '90s: wider across the chest, longer in the body, with a slightly boxy silhouette that reflects the fashion of the era.
Fit should always be considered alongside other authentication indicators such as labels, construction and product codes.
Embroidery and badges
The Adidas logo and club badge should be applied using the method consistent with that particular shirt and season. The embroidery should feel slightly raised, with tight, even stitching. Poorly done embroidery, loose threads, uneven edges, thin coverage, is a common sign of a replica.
The club badge itself is also worth examining. Adidas licensed official badges, and on authentic match shirts they should be accurate to the era. Badge designs changed over the years for most clubs, so a badge that doesn't match the season of the shirt is a red flag.
Country of manufacture
Vintage Adidas shirts were manufactured in a range of countries depending on the era, Morocco, France, West Germany, and later various Asian countries. The country of manufacture printed on the label can help confirm the age of a shirt. A shirt labelled "Made in West Germany," for example, has to pre-date 1990. This kind of detail is difficult to fake convincingly.
The product code
One of the most underused authentication tools for Adidas shirts is the product code, usually printed on the wash label. In older shirts, this code was often a simple sequence of three to five digits. From the early 2000s onwards, Adidas moved to a more structured format: a six-character combination, typically made up of four to five digits and one to two letters, unique to each individual garment. In the late '90s, codes were sometimes shared across similar shirts or different market versions, making them less reliable for that era.
If you find a product code on a shirt from the early 2000s onward, search for it on Google. An authentic shirt will return results that match: the right club, the right season, the right colourway. If the code brings up something completely different, or nothing at all, that's worth investigating further. Sellers of authentic vintage shirts will often list the product code in their descriptions precisely because it's verifiable. At Secondhalf Store, we include the product code wherever we have it, so you can check for yourself.
This trick is less reliable for shirts from the '90s and earlier, but for early 2000s Adidas kits, which covers some of the most collectible shirts ever made, it's one of the most dependable checks you have.
Know what you're looking for
If you're specifically after an Adidas shirt from a particular era or club, it helps to do some research upfront. What did the authentic version look like? Which labels were used in that season? Was there a player version and a replica version, and how did they differ?
At Secondhalf Store, we go through exactly these checks before listing any shirt. If you're unsure about a specific piece, whether it's one of ours or something you've found elsewhere, feel free to get in touch.
Examples of authentic Adidas football shirts
Authentic 80s Adidas football shirt: Liverpool 1989/91 Away Shirt (L)
Authentic 90s Adidas football shirt: Newcastle United 1995/96 Away Shirt (XL)
Authentic 00s Adidas football shirt: LA Galaxy 2007/08 Away Shirt - Beckham #23 (M)
Authentic modern Adidas football shirt: Fulham 2019/20 Home Shirt (L)
For more authentication guides, see our articles on Nike, Umbro, Kappa, Puma, Lotto, Castore, New Balance, Hummel, Reebok, and Asics, as well as our general guide on how to spot an authentic vintage football shirt.
Related blog posts
How to Spot an Authentic Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Nike Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Umbro Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Kappa Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Puma Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Lotto Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Castore Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic New Balance Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Hummel Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Reebok Vintage Football Shirt
How to Spot an Authentic Asics Vintage Football Shirt