Shakhtar and Puma launch a third kit for the 2026/27 season

Shakhtar Donetsk unveiled this week the third playing kit produced with Puma for the 2026/27 season. The launch comes even before the team’s opening match in the Ukrainian league, set for 3 August against Kudrivka.

Traditional design with a modern touch

The shirt’s base follows the club’s historic pattern: dominant black with orange details spread across the sleeves and the collar. No abrupt break with the visual identity – Shakhtar preferred to reinforce tradition rather than gamble on a radically different proposal.

The point that really caught the eye was the crest. The club badge has been given a special finish that changes tone according to how the light falls and the angle of view. It is an effect similar to what streetwear brands have been exploring in recent collections, and it now migrates into the world of football.

A launch with familiar faces

The presentation did not stop at catalogue photos. The club brought together public figures who describe themselves as Shakhtar supporters for the launch event, giving the advertising campaign a feel closer to the ordinary fan. The strategy is nothing new in the sports market, but it underlines the club’s effort to keep its support base alive, even while operating away from Donetsk since 2014, when the war in eastern Ukraine forced the move.

It is worth recalling that the link between Shakhtar and Puma has lasted years and is one of the most stable kit deals in Ukrainian football. Each season the German brand tends to vary between one and three kits, including alternative versions for European competition.

Debut set against Kudrivka

With the third kit ready, the official debut is all that remains. Shakhtar open the Ukrainian Premier League season wearing this new shirt against Kudrivka on 3 August. Choosing to debut an alternative kit in the very first round is unusual, and suggests the club is betting heavily on the piece as an identity symbol for the new cycle.

It remains to be seen whether the colour-shifting effect on the crest will become a signature of future collections or was simply a one-off experiment for this launch.