The last three brands seen on City match kits have been Kappa, Umbro and adidas, all internationally recognised football kit suppliers. It’s understandable, then, that the announcement of Oxen as our new manufacturer will be underwhelming for many, and some may be actively disdainful of the deal.
I’m decidedly open minded about the move, in fact I see this is an intriguing opportunity. Furthermore I think I can understand why this relatively little-known firm appeals to the club after three seasons of Kappa Türkiye.
Our time with Acun Ilıcalı’s Turkish licensee of the Italian brand has been positively bipolar; on one hand we’ve never before seen such hype generated over a series of kit and leisurewear releases (distinct from singular examples such as the Umbro blackout kit) with people queuing outside the Tiger Leisure shops and crashing the website for the retro jacket series and the 120th Anniversary kit.
On the other hand, that excitement was contrasted by the disappointment of inconsistent sizing, build quality issues (such as appliqués coming off after a single wash), missed delivery deadlines and order cancellations.
The 120th Anniversary kit, for example, was meant to be worn in pre-season in late July 2024, but a late delivery put that back to late September, necessitating wearing it for a Championship game instead. That delay detonated the release schedule and led to complaints that too many items were being launched in a short space of time, when a more staggered approach was originally envisaged.
Given that experience, surely we can understand the club wanting to go with a local firm. In-person visits to resolve issues are infinitely easier when when it’s a 45 minute drive down the M62 rather than a flight to Istanbul.
Plus, there are advantages to being the biggest club in a modest but rapidly growing brand’s stable; we’ll get the best they have to offer, the most time, the newest fabric innovations, factory time priority and bespoke everything.
Sure, it’s great to have the three stripes of adidas on your shirts, but it’s less than optimal to have the same kit design as Stoke, West Brom or whoever, as was frequently a complaint between 2010 and 2014 when we last had adidas kits.
Oxen will offer us not only bespoke designs, giving the club immense creative freedom, but they also offer bespoke fabrics, something very few manufacturers will offer. The herringbone like pattern on the 2024/25 Kappa shirts was lovely, but it was the same used on all other Kappa shirts, such as those of Fiorentina when we played them in July 2024.
We want long sleeve shirts? We can have them, not something Kappa could offer, and Umbro and adidas will only offer them if you can guarantee more than a set amount of unit sales.
Still not convinced? Some of our finest and most memorable kits have come from relatively small suppliers, and this was evident at the retro day in March, when real love was shown for the shirts of Matchwinner, Pelada (the away shirt at least), Super League, Olympic and Avec. Beating Umbro’s output from 2014-2023 will be tricky, but Oxen will be motivated to try, and one of their founders is from Hull.
If you want to sneer at an ambitious local brand, fair enough, but recognise that the biggest kit suppliers look at Hull City the same way. Oxen don’t. We’re a massive deal for them, and we have a rare opportunity to help a brand grow while receiving their best work in return.
I’ve heard Oxen dismissed as a Rugby League brand, but many sportswear companies that now outfit football clubs started in other sports. Adi Dassler made running spikes long before adidas made football apparel. Nike were seen as an old man’s jogging‑shoe company before they got involved with ‘soccer’. Kappa began as Maglificio Calzificio Torinese, making socks, and Admiral started life as Cook & Hurst, making underpants.
Companies evolve and grow. Since launching in late 2017 and outfitting Gloucester (Union) and Hull KR (League) from 2019, Oxen have moved into football with Doncaster Rovers (from 2022), Lincoln, Kidderminster, Barnsley and Shrewsbury in the EFL.
Oxen represent a chance to build something genuinely collaborative with a brand that sees Hull City as its flagship club, not an afterthought, giving us truly bespoke kits that reflect club identity. This deal isn’t about settling for less, it’s about backing an ambitious local firm that will back us just as hard.