Colorado Rapids Launch Colorful Colorado Kit. It’s Black. They’re Giving Away Soccer Balls to Kids.

Commerce City, Colo. – Colorado Rapids have officially launched the Colorful Colorado kit. It will serve as the club’s home shirt for the 2026 and 2027 MLS seasons. It is black shirt with some accents and a departure from the traditional Burgundy and Blue. The Rapids have partnered with UCHealth to donate 10,000 soccer balls to youth all across the state.

The Devil is in the details:

Let’s start with the kit design itself. The black shirt has burgundy Adidas stripes on the shoulders. The sleeves and collar have yellow, green, blue, and white that we saw a bit on last year’s third kit. The back of the collar reads “Colorado” in the club font with the letters in different colors from the club’s history. The jock tag as a burgundy “96”, a green “C” for Colorado, the 1996 blue wave, and the modern crest’s white mountain outline.

The shorts are black with the same quad-color pattern as the shirt sleeves at the bottom. The shorts are black with some blue accents.

The club used this unexpected new look to celebrate its legacy. The easter eggs incorporate all of the colors the club has worn in its history. The original green, the black and blue, and the current colors. They’re calling it a fresh take on the traditional colors mashed up with those of the past.

“This kit is more than just a jersey, it pays homage to the heritage of the Colorado Rapids. With the eyes of the global soccer community turning toward our pitches, we wanted to debut a look that honors our storied history and the enduring legacy we’ve built in this state since 1996. This design brings a fresh take on our traditional burgundy & blue, while also giving a nod to all the colors that have made our club and our community special,” said Jordan Rothrock, Executive Creative Director.

In addition to the kit launch, the club is launching a seven-piece capsule collection. They’ve partnered up with local outdoor brand Topo Designs. There’s a pull-over, a backpack, a jacket, a scarf, and some headgear.

Community Outreach:

I’ve often said, “Give me a boring shirt with a GREAT social initiative behind it, and I will like the shirt.” The Colorful Colorado kit follows in the footsteps of the OneFlag kit in making soccer more accessible. They’re giving away 10,000 soccer balls. Based on Colorado Department of Education data, that’s more than five soccer balls per school and one for every 87 students enrolled in the 2025-26 academic year. Not bad.

This is one of several initiatives the Rapids and UCHealth have had to promote access to youth sports, physical fitness, and wellness. Kids will benefit from this work. Burgundy Wave celebrates this.

Both organizations are going on a five city, week long Road Show to schools and non-profits throughout the state.

“We have ambitious goals of expanding our reach outside our local community and having a larger impact across the state of Colorado. We believe every kid who wants to play soccer should be able to, so we are committed to furthering our community activation and ensuring all youth in our state have access to the world’s game,” said Vice President of Community Impact and Fan Development Caitlin Kinser.

Drippin or Trippin?

Removing the social component, I am underwhelmed. It’s black shirt with some fun add-ons. It’s a bit ironic that the “Colorful Colorado” kit is mostly black (the state border signs are usually plain brown). The Original Green kit was a plain green shirt with some decals. The burgundy racing stripes on the black shoulders clash in my opinion. There’s ways to make an all black uniform work for teams that don’t normally wear back. This isn’t it.

There’s also the simple fact that it’s not burgundy. First time since 2006. You want Rapids fans to like a home shirt? Make it mostly burgundy and have it say Colorado Rapids. Traditionalists may dislike this for this reason alone. That reaction is understandable.

It is worth pointing out that the lead time on Adidas kits is usually two years. MLS teams are probably finalizing their 2027 kits right now. This unconventional design was approved well in advance of the branding survey that launched in December. This jersey was not because of that. To fans who think there is a trend, speak up. Fill out the survey. Let your ticket rep know what you think of the kit.

If this was an alternate look, a warm-up top, or for a theme night, I’d like it. But as the home shirt for the Colorado Rapids in a year in which the United States is hosting the FIFA Men’s World Cup, no. This wasn’t the way to deviate from tradition.

To answer the question, trippin. Not drippin.

The jersey and capsule collection now available at DICK’s Sporting Goods Park as well as Altitude Authentics, MLSStore.com, and the club website.

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