A Top 10 list of jerseys created by Philly’s own Icarus FC

For most soccer fans, owning jerseys is restricted to the team you support. While it may be against the laws of fandom to rock a jersey of a rival, no matter how cool it is, some fans (including myself) own many jerseys based solely off their design. I personally have a few jerseys I bought purely off looks and have nothing to do with teams I support at all.

When scouring the internet for the latest release from manufacturers such as Nike and Adidas, it is frustrating when it feels like the same two or three templates are repeated for most of their newest designs.

To fill this void, look no further than Icarus FC, a soccer jersey designer based in Philadelphia. Founded in 2017, Icarus FC specializes in custom soccer jerseys including the recently released Mesopotamia Premier League which has been wildly popular (my personal favorite is Hanging Gardens FC).

Unlike many custom soccer jerseys, Icarus FC pays attention to the crest and in the case of the Mesopotamia Premier League, used small details rooted in history to design eight individual team identities and color schemes. They also have a Philadelphia series, highlighting seven unique neighborhoods in Philly with different ‘90s Premier League and Serie A inspired kits, with the Schuylkill Wednesday or Society Hill FC my two personal favorites and Inter Philadelphia and AC Northern Liberties receiving honorable mentions.

Here I am going to breakdown my top 10 of the Icarus FC collection including recent club collaborations with insights from Icarus FC on the inspiration for each design. I encourage everyone to check out their website to see the full collection, as well as read a little more detail for each jersey.

FC Stroitel Pripyat

Sitting atop my list is an imaginative take on what the team playing near Chernobyl, FC Stroitel Pripyat, would have looked like. At first glance, the combination of the bright blue, red, and yellow color scheme works well, especially in the unique diamond pattern. However, what sets this kit apart in my opinion is the name LEGASOV (spelled in Russian) along with #8 on the back. This jersey is a must-have for my personal collection because of the unique design that I love, especially the long sleeve version.

On inspiration for this design:

“Pattern on the jersey is inspired by Constructivism- an art movement originating in Russia and closely associated with the Soviet Union. Colors are taken from the Pripyat coat of arms. The logo is just a modified version of those coats of arms.” – Icarus FC

Ottoman Empire

Coming in at #2 on my list is a concept design for an Ottoman Empire National Team. Clearly, the floral print stretching across the shirt is an instant eye-catcher. For me; however, the color scheme and contrast between the dark red collar with the off-white base ties the whole design together and sets this jersey apart.

On inspiration for this design:

“Concept design for an Ottoman Empire National Team. We used an off-white background with a colorful floral print as an ode to Ottoman Rugs. The logo and colors reference flags throughout the Empire’s long history” – Icarus FC

2020 Midnight Black Steel FC

At #3 on my list is a club collaboration, this time with Steel FC based in Pittsburgh. No matter what, black soccer jerseys just work for me. The base color allows all other colors to ‘pop’ off the shirt more, creating a very eye-catching design. This jersey is no different. What I love about this jersey is how rooted every aspect of the design is in the city of Pittsburgh, as seen with the stars on the shoulders and sleeves.

On inspiration for this design:

“This was a complete redesign for the Pittsburgh side. Black and gold is such a common Pittsburgh color scheme, so we wanted to offset that by adding a blue and white checker patter from the city seal. The jersey and logo use industrial motifs that reference the city’s blue-collar history” -Icarus FC

Hanging Gardens FC

At #4 is the first design from the new Mesopotamia Premier League. Hanging Gardens FC is a Babylon-based team with this jersey being the alternate shirt for the 657-656 BC season. As noted on their website “The Gardeners finished runners up in the league but won the MesoCup behind an excellent campaign from winger Nebu Marduk.” There is a trend in what I love about Icarus FC shirts- they all pay serious attention to details and pull every aspect of the design from city specific motifs. My favorite aspect of this jersey, apart from the bright color scheme, is the badge which features a fantastic symmetrical design.

On inspiration for this design:

“This is a concept for a Babylon-based club named after the city’s Hanging Gardens, which are one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. This is part of our Mesopotamian Premier League which imagines modern day clubs from important locations in Ancient Near East history.” -Icarus FC

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Schuylkill Wednesday

Coming in at #5 is the first of the Philadelphia series from Icarus FC. The bright orange and blue vertical stripes are the first thing I look at with this jersey. However, I personally believe that a good collar can set a good jersey from a great jersey. This does that for me, the blue collar really pulls together the retro vibe with this jersey, and along with the ‘SKOO-KILL’ logo referencing the pronunciation of the famous Philadelphia river, turns this into a fantastic jersey.

On inspiration for this design:

“Our Philadelphia take on Sheffield Wednesday. The name just made too much sense. The turtle logo is a reference to the Leni Lenape name for the river. We used a traditional stripe pattern but modified the blue part of the stripes with a gradient and wave pattern to make it a bit more interesting” – Icarus FC

Nineveh Sporting Club

At #6 is the away shirt for the 700-699BC Mesopotamian Premier League Season. My first thought when looking at this jersey was how well the off-white base and navy-blue sleeves look together. There is a subtle design running throughout the jersey which resembles fish scales, an ode to the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh which was located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River.

On inspiration for this design:

“Fish motifs and sand and sea colors are used to reference the city’s aquatic heritage. The pattern on the jerseys is an art deco pattern which, when seen from a distance, look as if they are fish scales.”

2020 Palm Beach Breakers FC

At #7 is the redesign for Palm Beach Breakers FC, located in West Palm Beach. It is hard to look past the amazing color scheme for this jersey. It is rare to find jerseys which use multiple bright colors, but even rarer to find one that works as well as this one. I love how the color scheme looks just like sand and ocean, a direct ode to the location of the team. Unlike the other jerseys on this list, there is a full kit design, including socks and shorts. This just makes the entire kit stronger in my opinion. Continuing the ocean vibe to the shorts is stunning. This is one jersey that would certainly stand out amongst the rest in any jersey collection.

On inspiration for this design:

“Palm Beach Breakers were one of the first major redesign projects. We wanted to create a logo and brand identity that was built around a laid back, beach going attitude. We tried to evoke that in the kits with colorful designs and unique geometric patterns.” -Icarus FC

Society Hill FC

Coming in at #8 is the second Philadelphia series jersey. This jersey made my top ten based on how much I enjoy fantastic sleeve/side design inspired by Greek motifs. The red and white color scheme is enjoyed by many clubs around the world, and in this instance, it works very well. I love the retro inspired design which features the central badge, with the kit number where the badge typically resides. Again, the white collar takes this design over the top for me.

On inspiration for this design:

“Our idea of what a neighborhood club based in Society Hill should look like. It’s a bit of a play on the classic Ajax look while adding in some Greek motifs that reference the neighborhoods Greek revival architecture.” -Icarus FC

Gilgamesh FC

At #9 is the away shirt for the Uruk-based Gilgamesh FC. Per their website, Gilgamesh FC is one of the more successful Mesopotamian clubs with 37 MPL titles. The club’s motto is “Sha naqba īmuru” or “He who saw the abyss”. Apart from the unique badge, featuring the city’s famous King, the vertical stripes are my favorite part of this design. They are subtle enough, due to the multiple shades of orange, that they do not take away from the central badge, but add a nice element complimenting the overall look.

On inspiration for this design:

“Probably my favorite of the Mesopotamian Premier League Series we did. The club’s namesake is the famous god-king of Uruk. The jersey design has a very 1990’s Serie A vibe that mixes in the color palette of Mesopotamia” – Icarus FC

AS Vesaevus

Wrapping up my top ten is the home jersey for the historic club from Pompeii, AS Vesaevus. It is impossible to have a redesign of a Pompeii based team and not include lava in the design. When looking at this jersey, my eye is immediately drawn to the center sponsor, which is an ode a popular business located in Pompeii, along with the roman numerals ‘LXIX’ inscribed below. I’ll leave that to you to figure out the reference. I really enjoy the fact that the purple lava covering the jersey is subtle enough that it does not dominate the design yet is a focal point due to the background black color and absence of any sleeve/collar design.

On inspiration for this design:

“AS stands for Associazione Sportiva and Vesaevus is an alternative latin spelling for Mount Vesuvius. The jersey uses an all over lava print that has been changed to a dark purple color. The sponsor references a very popular business in Pompeii” – Icarus FC