The Japan 2022 World Cup away kit wasn't one that we expected we'd be looking out for before the tournament. Oh, how wrong we were to doubt it.
Japan have had some jazzy home tops in the past – not least their 'Great Wave' shirt that's just been replaced by the stunning new origami-esque effort for Qatar – but the away shirt, we figured would be something a little duller. White, maybe? With the new textless Adidas logo, also going down a treat? Well, they delivered something white, incorporating a similar pattern to the home. It looks fantastic.
The rest of the Adidas World Cup kits have all dropped and these are just a couple of our favourites of all the World Cup shirts getting released between now and November.
FFT's verdict
The Japan 2022 World Cup away kit takes the pattern from the home and does something different with it
How many shirts do that? The great thing about the away top for Japan this time around is that upon first inspection, you don't even realise that it has the same pattern as the home jersey.
The geometric lines from the Samurai Blue's first choice are taken off the base of the top and displayed on the arms, in blue and red. Where there's a crossover the two colours, they look darker, giving this glorious 3D effect, with the socks having the same pattern all over.
Adi have wrapped up the rest of the design with a simple, navy round collar and three stripes to match. It's magnificent.
(Image credit: Adidas)
With so many shirts trying to straddle the line between something minimal and something with a little detail to catch your gaze, this might be the perfect blend of the two.
Japan's away shirt is traditionally quite dull – especially when compared to the glorious home jerseys. Good to see that this World Cup has made that a thing of the past, though.
(Image credit: Adidas)
It looks amazing with the badge, too. The shorts on this one are navy but we expect that there will be the option for white shorts if there's a clash in Qatar.
Is this the perfect mix of detail and plainness in a top?
Our expert review:
Specifications
Sizes: XS-2XL
Reasons to buy
+
Pure white looks excellent
+
Pretty pattern
+
Continuation of the home shirt pattern
Reasons to avoid
-
Japan have had a few white shirts now…
Shirt info
What is the sizing like with the Japan 2022 World Cup away kit?
The sizing with all Adidas football kits is very natural – not too tight in any places, apart from perhaps around the cuffs on short sleeve shirts, if you have big arms.
What is the difference between the authentic and regular versions of the Japan 2022 World Cup away kit?
The authentic version of the shirt is the official jersey that the players will wear for matches. The only differences are minimal, usually in the material being slightly different and the badges and logos being woven into the shirt rather than printed on.
"Made with Parley Ocean Plastic, new ultra-breathable 3D engineered fabric 'HEAT.RDY' technology, triangle-shaped 'Authentic' badge, 3 stripes tape execution on the shoulders, the Authentic jerseys introduce new technologies to a future iconic football jersey silhouette," says Adidas. Now you know.
If you want to pay extra for that added quality, you can buy the authentic shirt here. In terms of design or feel though, the regular version of the top is perfectly good and just the same to the naked eye.
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Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.
