All The Doodles of Blue
Salem City gives us some Doodles and Heritage, while One Knox throws it back, and DC Power spring into their 2026 with a new kit.
One Knoxville - The Retro Kit
Rooted in where it began. Built for where we’re going. The 2026 Retro Kit honors our founding, our community, and our new championship star.
The USL-League One Champions are donning a new Home kit for 2026. As noted in their Instagram release, they are going back to the beginning. Continuing the trend of going retro, the "Retro Kit" does that for One Knoxville.
Simple two-tone Blue kit base, with a three stripe bar going across the chest. It is simple. Maybe a little too simple for us here at KitSZN. Once a team that had flashy kits, has started to dial it back year after year. Maybe it was for the better as the club won in 2025.
Their Away kits appear to slowly become their creative kits, while the Home stays traditional and simple. I can get behind that. Doesn't mean our ratings will like it tho. We wanted some more, but it gets the job done.
Our Score: 2.13
DC Power - The White Lightning Kit
Now DC Power has had...interesting time getting their kit identity and brand together. As the club continues to grow - after finally get their website up, yeah! - the time to build an identity begins.
Continuing to use the lightning bolt found in their Home kit, we have dubbed this Alt kit their "White Lightning" kit due to using that same bolt pattern here. Now it doesn't use the pattern all through the kit and opts for a more subtle gradiant at the bottom. Letting the White + Light Blue combo do most of the work.
As a lover of a good White kit, I like this. It is still really simple, maybe a little too subtle for most people's taste, but it is good to see a Super League team release a third kit. Like what I am seeing from them.
Our Score: 3.13
Shop: N/A
Salem City - The Heritage Kit
It is a mighty task to create a worthy Away kit to the Doodle Kit below. I think Salem did that.
With the "Doodle Kit" oozing creativity, the "Heritage Kit" does the opposite. Using simplicity and subtly to make a timeless kit. Going with a Navy Blue to contrast the White Home, is clever. Then making all the accents White/Off-White adds to the overall simplicity and class of the overall design.
Now throw in "Subtle, grounded details echo rustling leaves, rolling farmland, and the quiet strength of a community connected to its environment", and you got yourself a solid kit from my perspective. While Brett loves color and flair (look at the Doodle Kit), this is one that we would wear more frequently due to the general nature of a classy collar kit. It isn't disruptive, it is not flashy, but in a kit lineup with the Doodle Kit, this is a worthy piece.
Our Score: 3.88
Salem City - The Doodle Kit
Before we dive into this BEAUTIFUL kit, this statement from their release explains this kit to a T:
This is Winston-Salem on the pitch. Unpolished. Fearless. Creative.
It looks like a drawing still in process, it is bold and fearless in being one-of-a-kind kit, and is easily one of the most creative kits I have seen. 2026 may not have a better kit and we are only in February.
Choosing to use the white as the base, makes all the colors pop. The light blue with red/magenta stands out, massive fan of the double striped cuffs, the little blue neckline is different, and of course - it has a collar. Add in the Hummel chevrons looking "artistic" really shows how the designer was able to bring the Hummel flair into their design.
This kit is fun, it's one-of-a-kind, it IS Winston-Salem, and it is my favorite of the year so far. I can't say much more about this kit.
Our Score: 5.00
Full Episode
Check out the Full Episode below via YouTube or Spotify
