The Colorado Rapids played with the idea of using topographic and geographic elements in their jersey designs last season when they unveiled the “Class 5” away kits.
The resounding thumbs up from the fanbase seems to have left an impression.
On Tuesday, just two days before the 2022 campaign starts, the Rapids went all-in on the concept. Using geography and topography lines as their compass, Colorado unveiled its home uniforms with a clear ode to the mountains.
The design is a deep burgundy with jagged mountain peaks embossed throughout the front. Sky blue is the secondary color at the neckline and striped across the shoulders. Other details include the Colorado state flag on the back between the shoulders, and the traditional “C” from the state flag on the front lower tag.
Similar to last season, the burgundy design contrasts with the bottom half of the uniform — sky blue shorts and socks, with the socks accented in burgundy at the top of the knee in the traditional Adidas way. Once again, Adidas is the main designer for Major League Soccer.
“No matter where life may take us, we can always count on the mountains to signal the way home. Here at altitude is where our strength lies,” the Rapids said in a press release.
In last year’s C-5 kit, Adidas embossed topographic lines of six famous fourteeners into the jersey. This year, Colorado “used several fourteeners as inspiration” to get the design shape down, according to Alyssa Bruno, the team’s vice president of marketing, but the peaks do not match up to specific ones like in 2021.
The new burgundy uniforms are the first new home kits since 2020, but for now, it appears the Rapids will be without a front-of-shirt sponsor. In 2021, the Rapids were one of only two clubs in MLS without a main sponsor, along with Inter Miami CF, after their Transamerica sponsorship ended in 2020.
Rapids general manager Pádraig Smith said Colorado was getting closer to finding a front-of-kit sponsor when asked about it at a media availability in January.
“We are (close),” Smith said. “There are a number of companies that are interested and are in discussions on that. We’re excited about the prospect about bringing those brands on board … and, yes, we are making progress on that end.”
The Rapids open the season against Comunicaciones at 5 p.m. Thursday in the Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 at Estadio Doroteo Guamach Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The Rapids will wear the new home kits next week for the second leg.
