The best non-league kits: Dulwich Hamlet, Hackney Wick and more

Dulwich Hamlet, who play in the National League South, is best known for its progressive approach and devoted fan base, giving it a reach that extends far beyond its corner of South East London. It’s no surprise, then, that the club’s pink and blue colours have become one of the most recognisable signs in non-league football.

For the 2022/23 season, Dulwich Hamlet has improved on those classic colours by using a quartered design for the home shirt. The team’s outsider ethos is confirmed through the shirt sponsorship from legendary house label Defected Records, whose logo sits in the middle of the shirt.

Despite being in its first season of football, West London’s Portobello FC has already gained a fanbase partly due to its eye-catching kits. The club represents the area around Portobello Road, and a central part of its philosophy is to “embrace the colourful and creative nature of the community.”

To do that, it worked with Philadelphia-based label Icarus to produce three stand-out designs for its debut season. Each kit is inspired by the kits of the ‘80s and ‘90s, adding an artistic twist to the Middlesex County Football League, Division 2. All three designs break with football kit conventions, but arguably the stand-out is the orange, green, black and white zig-zags of the club’s third kit.

East London’s Hackney Wick FC has always had some of the best kits – its gold colour and badge always helped – and previous standouts have included a black, orange and grey camouflage shirt. But for the 2022/23 season, the Wickers took things one step further and worked with Netflix on a Top Boy-sponsored design.

The collaborative home shirt arrives in Hackney Wick’s gold colour, while a zig-zag pattern features prominently, taking inspiration from African art and representing community and the diversity of the area. The shirt was designed alongside London-based label Labrum, who feature their “Designed By an Immigrant” slogan on the neck. Rounding off the shirt is the logo for Hackney Wick FC’s “Grassroots for Good” charity.

FC United of Manchester was born as a breakaway club from Manchester United, founded by fans dissatisfied with the club’s direction after the Glazers’ takeover. Unsurprisingly, it often looks back to the era before that takeover was confirmed. That’s true of its red home shirt, white away kit and badge inspired by the city’s crest. FC United’s yellow and green third kit references its protest roots and connection to Manchester United.

Yellow and green scarves have become a common sight at Old Trafford as a reference to Manchester United’s origins and the values fans think have been lost. FC United has appropriated these colours into a more contemporary aesthetic produced by New Balance. The shirt also features no sponsor’s logo, as is traditional for the club.

Grenfell Athletic was founded in the wake of tragedy as a way to provide support for the community surrounding Grenfell Tower. In the five years since its inception, the club has become an important part of the community and has received backing from big names in the football and music worlds.

The team’s shirts are an important way of raising money, and the Nike-produced kits are designed to reflect the club's values. For its 2022/23 home shirt, Grenfell Athletic added its dragon logo to the Nike Swoosh, while the front is covered with an illustration made up of the dreams and aspirations of local kids.

Since its founding in 2018, Clapton CFC has had the same away shirt (it's only changed its home shirt once in that time), and the design has become an international hit. It was chosen by the club's members as a symbol of their values, inspired by the Spanish Republic and those that travelled to Spain to fight against fascism.

The kit reflects this inspiration through its red, yellow and purple colours, taken from the flag of the Spanish Republic. The Rage Sport-produced shirts almost always sell out, although Clapton CFC periodically opens pre-orders, giving the opportunity to get your hands on one of non-league football's most sought-after shirts.

As they play in the Welsh football tier, Llantwit Major AFC may not qualify as non-league in the strictest sense, but their kit – and their recent success – makes them worth mentioning. One of their calling cards has become their home shirt, partly due to its likeness to the iconic Boca Juniors design.

The link between the two clubs came from their shared blue and yellow colours, while this design is an explicit tribute to Boca Juniors. The similarities between the two kits mean that Llantwit Major’s home shirt has become a hit in both South Wales and the Argentine capital.