New MLS 2023 away kits ranked: LA Galaxy, Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo and more

While LA Galaxy’s home shirt was a solid use of the club’s white, gold, and navy colours, the 2023 away shirt goes in a completely different direction. The use of “Mystery Green” and “Team Collegiate Gold” for the design are nods to the club’s original colours – they changed in 2007 – while the zig-zag pattern around the collars and neck is a tribute to the LA flag. Sometimes MLS teams can go too wild with their away shirts, but this design is an example of pushing things forward by exactly the right amount.

CF Montreal are carrying over their away kit from the 2022 season, and why would you change something this good? It perfectly incorporates the club’s signature blue into a marble print that covers the entire front of the jersey. All of the details come in black, which helps to frame the eye-catching print that dominates the design.

While the Northern Lights are most associated with trips to Iceland and the Arctic Circle, they are also visible in Cook County, Minnesota. The state’s local team, Minnesota United, has taken inspiration from this for its 2023 away shirt, which sees a light blue top half and a white bottom section combined with an abstract pink pattern designed to look like the Northern Lights. The black trim is a nice backdrop to the colourful design.

Colorado Rapids have worked with street artist Pat Milberry on the design of their away shirt, and the artistic rework makes for one of the league’s stand-out designs. The shirt consists of a range of different blues, coming together to make an abstract pattern. The trim in orange and red complements it perfectly. As if that wasn’t enough, the club are also working with Mental Health Colorado, and the away shirt is designed to raise awareness about the state’s mental health crisis.

New England Revolution’s home shirt was an underwhelming affair this season, but the club has redeemed itself with this away shirt. The key feature of the design is the red sash that runs across the white base. The club have used red on their away shirts in the past – all the way back to their 1996 debut – but it’s the design of the sash that sets it apart, with each line at a slightly different angle.

After a full rebrand for their home shirt, New York Red Bulls have used their once-traditional red and white for their away kit. Even that design isn’t exactly as it was, though. The new take on those colours sees a two-tone red checkerboard complete with white trim. It’s another carryover from the 2022 season, but it was one of the best in the league that season as well, so who can blame them?

While they may have changed their home shirt dramatically, Atlanta United have kept their away kit the same for another season. The forest-themed design combines different shades of green, while the template used is similar to some of adidas’ best-loved kits of all time, namely the Netherlands and Germany kits of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

Columbus Crew have used the same black and yellow colours from their underwhelming home shirt for their away kit this year. This time, though, the club has pushed the boat out more. The shirt features a pattern inspired by movement and speed – giving the design its VeloCITY name – in tonal black and grey. The yellow detailing appears on the sleeves, collar, and shoulders, adding highlights to the dark design.

For their 2023 away kit – which will also be worn next season – DC United have paid tribute to a feature of the local area: the cherry blossom around Washington. The blossom appears across the front of the shirt, with a pink and black trim that references the colours of the blossom without overcomplicating things.

Houston Dynamo’s away kit is a solid example in how to update an otherwise safe design. While all-black kits always look good, the club has found a way to give it a bit extra. There’s the silver adidas stripes, a nice orange trim on each sleeve, and most importantly, a subtle pattern that references the bayous (rivers, basically) that run through the city.

Compared to their opulent home shirt, LAFC have taken a different approach on the away. Dubbed “Smokescreen,” the kit comes in a tonal green colourway with the different shades mixed together to create a smoky graphic. The olive green adidas stripes help to elevate the design and contrast against the smokescreen theme.

Taking inspiration from the flag of Chicago – and the colours of the club crest – Chicago Fire have gone for an abstract away design this season. The pattern consists of light blue and red shapes, as well as a navy trim, in a nod to the club’s home city. It’s a nice design that manages to elevate the shirt’s white base.

The bare bones of FC Dallas’ 2023 away kit are pretty solid – white base, black trim, red detailing – but it all comes to life with the graphics. An all-over flame graphic covers the shirt in tribute to Dallas Burn, the team’s original name when it helped found the MLS in 1996. Dallas Burn became FC Dallas in 2005, but the team clearly hasn’t forgotten its fiery roots.

It’s easy to see how Orlando City and adidas came up with the name “Sunshine Kit” for this shirt. Referencing the weather of Florida, the kit features a huge sun graphic in purples, oranges and yellows. It’s a pretty eye-catching design and a definitive upgrade on Orlando City’s traditional plain white away shirts.

The rose pattern on Portland Timbers’ away shirt is a nod to the city’s nickname of the Rose City. The dark red roses motif is combined is also used on the club crest and adidas branding, and sits atop a “Vapour Pink” base. Overall it’s an interesting design that couldn’t be more different from the Timbers’ tartan home shirt, but the abstract roses make it look a bit like the wearer is bleeding.

Philadelphia Union’s away shirt isn’t bad. It’s a mixture of cream and light blue colours, designed to create a camouflage pattern across the entire shirt. The issue, though, is that it immediately brings to mind the opening scene of every Simpson’s episode. If only that’s what they’d been going for.

Charlotte FC’s away kit isn’t much more interesting than it’s home shirt, but the colours chosen add more personality this time around. The shirt mainly consists of a dark purple base with pink accents, there’s also a few hits of light blue to tie it to the home shirt. The base colour is the eye-catching detail, though, and it’s also what gives the kit its regal theme and Crown Jewel name.

Compared to the river-meets-oil slick design for FC Cincinnati’s home short, the metallic silver and orange away shirt feels pretty quiet. As well as the striking colour combination – which features a touch of navy blue – the shirt features a subtle wave graphic that’s taken from the city of Cincinnati’s flag.

The Seattle Sounders away shirt is inspired by Bruce Lee, and designed to honour his legacy exactly 50 years after his death. Lee – who lived in Seattle for much of his life – is celebrated through a red and yellow design. While the aim of the away shirt is a fitting tribute to one of Seattle’s most famous residents, the overall design fails to translate that mission.

The clean simplicity of Inter Miami’s home shirt fails to translate as well when the colours are reversed. This time, there’s a black base and a bright pink trim. Also letting the side down slightly are the wave-patterned jacquard hoops, which offer a different texture to the rest of the shirt’s base and give it its only notable feature.

Half-and-half kits are an often overlooked choice for most clubs, but unfortunately, Toronto FC’s take on the design fails to deliver. Part of the issue is the two shades of grey used across the design. The monochrome kit makes the shirt feel like another half-and-half kit being shown in black and white, with little adornment to make it more interesting. 

For the first time ever, Nashville’s away shirt doesn’t feature a single hit of yellow. Instead, they’ve gone for a black base and silver detailing. It’s all pretty standard and dull, and even the use of Johnny Cash’s signature on the back can’t save this shirt from mediocrity.

Austin’s home shirt is one of the best in the league for the way it reinvents a staple design. The away shirt, which is carried over from the 2022 season, doesn’t even try to do that. It’s a kind of washed-out green colour, which links it to the club’s traditional colours, but that’s all it has to offer.

Real Salt Lake have inverted their traditional colours for their away shirt, with gold making up the majority of the kit. There’s also a very subtle hexagonal pattern, but otherwise, not much to report. Traditionally, Real Salt Lake have worn white for their away kits, so this is a big departure for the club.

Another team to deliver a kit without much going on. The St Louis City shirt comes in plain grey, with the only interesting point being the very subtle pinstripes that run down the front of the away shirt. The club’s bright pink colours are used as a trim, which adds a point of interest to the design but not much else.

You can’t fault New York City’s bravery for wearing this away shirt for the past two years. With its bright orange base and contrasting navy lightning bolt, it’s one of the most striking designs in the MLS, just not necessarily for the right reasons. The whole kit feels disjointed and too busy, but it shows that New York City are trying a bold new direction with their kit designs.

The issue with a whole range of the teams in the MLS is that they play it too safe, while other clubs take a risk. That’s the case with San Jose Earthquakes, who have a clean and pretty dull grey and black away shirt. The only interesting feature is the two side panels, which are apparently inspired by the steel around the stadium, the city’s street art, and the city’s location on a fault line.

As an inversion of Sporting Kansas City’s home colours, the away shirt at least creates a link with its counterpart. That’s where the positives end. Other than that, it’s pretty much just a boring navy shirt with a light blue trim. 

Both Vancouver Whitecaps’ home shirt and their away shirt have been uninspiring designs for the 2023 season. Once again, the large central stripe appears on this one, although this time in white with a light blue trim. There’s nothing spectacular about it, and it’s an underwhelming design in a league where so many teams take risks with their kits.