Newcastle United 2025-26 kit leak: Controversial Adidas design detail hinted for next season's home shirt

Newcastle returned to Adidas as the club’s kit manufacturer this summer in a deal worth upwards of £30million per season. The Magpies’ home, away and third kits have been very popular with supporters following unique marketing campaigns that have included players from past and present.

Even though the new season is only a couple of months old, plans are already being put in place regarding next season’s kit designs. Little is known about Newcastle’s 2025-26 home kit at this stage, though it can be safely assumed to feature the club’s iconic black and white stripes.

But according to football kit experts, Footy Headlines - who leaked specific details of Newcastle’s 2024-25 shirts before they were made public - Newcastle’s next home kit will feature a slight change to its stripes. The striped design will be inspired by a ‘shepherd’s check’ pattern rather than solid black and white.

This might be viewed as a potentially controversial alteration to Newcastle’s kit design and is still subject to change once again with next season’s kit not being released until next summer. Footy Headlines also put together a mock-up design purely for visual purposes regarding the stripes - the final kit will look considerably different.

The design and suggestion of arguably controversial changes to the stripe pattern have been met with a mixed response at best on social media.

One fan compared the pattern to a ‘picnic blanket’ while another said ‘bit odd but kinda like it’.

Another speculated: “Adidas will have asked designers for some ideas. Absolutely no chance they have agreed on anything yet.”

And that is an important thing to note. It’s very early in the process but it’s encouraging to know that Adidas are already looking ahead to next season’s designs with this first leak important to testing the waters and gauging fan reaction to potential concepts.

Adidas and Newcastle have agreed an initial five-year partnership. The German sports manufacturer has also recently released a Newcastle United x Adidas Originals range featuring retro-inspired designs.

Newcastle have also branded the East Stand seats with an Adidas logo as part of the partnership described as ‘the biggest’ in the club’s history.