“O Icarus of the fearless flight”: the most design-focused football related brand
Icarus Football is a Philadelphia-based company specializing in the creation of custom football apparel for the soccer industry. Established in 2017 by Robby Smukler, the brand has collaborated with over 2,500 teams across 25 countries and expanded its presence by opening a London office in 2021.
An Ambitious Mission
As an independent, design-focused sportswear brand, Icarus Football offers personalized football kits, jerseys, and teamwear. They work closely with clubs to craft unique designs that embody each team's identity, operating under the belief that no two clubs are alike – so neither should their kits be. Their primary audience includes sports teams and clubs seeking bespoke kit designs that stand out.
The unreal can emerge through imagination, dreams, or fantasy, evoking scenarios that defy everyday logic. Philosophically, the unreal is intertwined with concepts such as illusion, perception, and the essence of truth.
Reflecting on my own journey, I never anticipated how deeply football would shape my emotions and worldview. Soccer, much like an artifact, serves as an ontological testament to human existence.
As a child, I collected jerseys from random teams in cities I visited on family vacations, hoping to capture fragments of each town's spirit. Even now, it feels surreal as though it were all in my imagination. Yet this sentiment fuels Icarus Football's mission: to deliver truly distinctive and personal kits. Each team partners with a dedicated graphic designer to create designs that reflect their unique identity.
Football kits are far more than just sports uniforms; distinctive garments imbued with deeper meaning. This sentiment is easy to embrace, as football shirts evoke a strong sense of belonging.
They have evolved into versatile fashion statements, offering a striking way to express individuality. Jerseys are both stylish and accessible, making them a confident choice for anyone to wear.
Football or Soccer?
In just over five years, Icarus Football has crafted bespoke kits for thousands of clubs across the globe, reaffirming its dedication to creativity and uniqueness in sportswear design.
With a group of friends and skilled graphic designers, you set out to create one of the most innovative and rapidly growing brands in the world of football kits.
Notably, the North American Soccer League (NASL), active from 1968 to 1984, drew some of the world’s top talents. After a lull in football culture throughout the 1980s, the U.S. made a bold leap in 1994, hosting the World Cup, paving the way for the launch of a brand-new professional league system, Major League Soccer (MLS).
This passion for soccer isn’t confined to just one facet of the game. So, where does your love for it stem from?
Robby Smukler: Playing soccer was always a part of my identity and is one of the more enjoyable ways I spend my time. So there’s that facet, but also intellectually I’m drawn to the globalism of the sport, and how it acts as a conduit to explore other places and cultures. Ultimately, I’m super interested in how culture and identity is expressed through soccer, which is why I’m so passionate about jerseys – they’re an artistic and tangible extension of that culture.
In North America, soccer enjoys the advantage of being relatively young, free from the deep-rooted traditions, biases, and outdated perspectives that can sometimes hinder progress in Europe. As we approach the 2026 World Cup, is MLS truly leading the charge?
Robby Smukler: This feels like two separate questions. Soccer here does have a distinct culture which is an interesting combination of our own sporting culture and adopting aspects of what we think global football culture (especially English) is. Sure, the MLS is leading the charge from that standpoint of being the best domestic league but I personally am far more plugged into English and European football. As far as I’ve seen it, I think FIFA (the video game), the World Cup, and grassroots small, sided leagues are the biggest drivers of the sport here.
I’d guess you used to play soccer back in the day. How do people perceive the sport compared to staples like American football, baseball, and basketball?
Robby Smukler: Not sure this is still the case, but when I was growing up it definitely had a more negative stigma compared to more traditional sports like the ones you mentioned. It’s slowly been more accepted, and I think it will take another generation or two to hit a critical mass where it’s on par with the more traditional American sports. In certain areas and communities though (particularly some of the big cities) we’ve really felt that uptick in interest gathering pace, so it’ll be interesting what the World Cup does to that trend.
Bloke Core is more than a Trend
Taking a look at the Chernobyl football jersey nostalgia plays a significant role in the growing popularity of retro replicas. What’s the most exciting design you’ve ever worked on?
Robby Smukler: The most exciting designs for me to work on are our historical jerseys (like Chernobyl) because it’s a fun opportunity to do a deep dive into an era of history without the constraints of classic kit design because these aren’t meant to be worn on the field.
As you once explained, “A big part of the appeal lies in the colours and designs of football kits. They’re often much more creative and bolder compared to traditional men’s clothing, offering something unique. Plus, they’re comfortable, aligning perfectly with the rise of athleisure”. When it comes to ‘blokecore’, do you think there’s a connection between sports jerseys and the storytelling it embodies?
Robby Smukler: Like any fashion movement/style, ‘blokecore’ feels like a way to signal identity to others. By rocking a retro top with jeans you’re signaling that you are part of the ingroup that enjoys football, pints, Oasis and the myriad of subcultures associated with the sport. Obviously as this style of fashion has spread, the clothing becomes more indicative of that ‘vibe’ or imagined era more than it is necessarily suggesting that someone is super into soccer.
We Love to Compete
The allure of football kits can be attributed to their vibrant colours and bold designs, which set them apart from more conventional men’s clothing. These kits often boast a level of creativity and uniqueness that isn’t typically seen in everyday fashion. The striking patterns and eye-catching hues make them stand out, providing a fresh and distinctive alternative to standard attire. Additionally, their comfort and practicality make them an ideal choice for the athleisure trend, which has gained significant momentum in recent years. With their blend of style and functionality, football kits seamlessly fit into both active lifestyles and casual wear, further cementing their popularity.
What challenges do you face in the creative process of designing football kits that stand out?
Robby Smukler: The biggest challenge that comes with designing kits is finding a way to marry art with function. In other words, how can you evoke a feeling, or reference poignant details while maintaining the integrity of the shirt (i.e. still ensuring the logos, numbers, names, etc are visible). I think that is what separates a pre-game top from a match top: the match shirt needs to feel like it fits within the canon.
Speaking of the Icarus Cup, what was the competition’s main goal? And what about the Hellenic League of Champions?
Robby Smukler: Icarus Cup is a 7v7 tournament we started with CASA – the largest grassroots league in Philly. The purpose of the tournament is to provide teams with a competitive, but more importantly fun day of football that includes all the trappings of what makes soccer great. Every team that enters gets to choose from 1 of 80+ designs we’ve made specifically for the tournament, and we have a beer garden and awesome food vendors on site. Ultimately, the tourney is about enjoying the best parts of football – the kits, pints and company.
Goals
A design that reflects a team's culture and history is what truly gives a shirt its significance. It's not just about the aesthetics; it's about capturing the essence of the team and its journey, which makes the shirt meaningful and unique to those who wear it and support it. With that in mind, what are your key objectives moving forward?
Robby Smukler: For us, the most important aspect of what we do is the experience customers have while working with us. This includes everything from the design process to the end product, to feeling some sense of connection with our brand even after they get the shirts in hand.
We’re devoted to giving kindred spirits the best possible experience and product, all while staying true to what we love about the sport and about Icarus. From there everything else feels like it will fall into place.
We’ve largely grown through word of mouth because the experience has always come first, and so people are excited to introduce us to other teams they know. We’re building a very cool community of teams around the world with a similar approach to grassroots soccer and what’s most fun about it, so our aim is really to keep growing that in new places.
