Conversations between Leeds United and Adidas about kit designs are almost always on the boil. There’s always another new season to box off. Right now, the discussions centre not on 2027-28, but 2028-29.It is a long and painstaking process to finalise the best designs for the club. So, the reaction to the recent launch of next term’s away kit has been a pleasant surprise to United’s marketing department.Club staff had been working with the yellow shirt for so long they had almost become desensitised to how pleased they were with it. They say the wave of euphoria which greeted the launch has reminded them how special the design is.On its first day in the shops and online, Leeds sold nearly 13,500 adult shirts. For context, they sold around 13,900 in 2024 when they released a collared yellow shirt with the ‘smiley’ badge, which became famous in the 1970s on the shirts Don Revie’s teams wore.In each of those cases, the club considered them immense successes. What’s stood out on this occasion is the incorporation of Adidas’s illustrious Trefoil logo and the availability of long-sleeve versions.They may seem like small additions, but they have an impact on the fanbase and have led to speculation Leeds may be climbing up the ranks at Adidas. The earlier release date, as opposed to mid-July’s launch in 2024, added to the assumption that Leeds were more important in the Adidas stable and thus pushed out earlier.The truth is Leeds lead on their release dates each summer. They wanted mid-July in 2024 and early June in 2026, to get ahead of the World Cup and maximise what they consider a summer-friendly shirt.Leeds’ new yellow away shirt has been a hit with supporters (Leeds United)United’s head of marketing, Charlotte Johnson, says there are no conversations which explicitly give the club a ranking inside Adidas, but cannot ignore the improving status they are finding in those circles.She has noted the different products and campaigns which Adidas has moved to work with Leeds on. An Adidas spokesperson highlighted the 2024 decision to make United one of only three clubs (alongside Aberdeen and Nottingham Forest) to launch Spezial FC, which commissioned exclusive clothing and footwear with club branding.